Gonorrhea Prevention (2)

Early Detection

Scientists haven't yet developed a vaccine or other way to prevent gonorrhea. You can avoid the disease by abstaining from sex or engaging in it with a monogamous, uninfected partner.

You can reduce, but not eliminate, your risk of getting gonorrhea by practicing safe sex.


The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends gonorrhea screening for all sexually active women who have risk factors for gonorrhea.

If you engage in high-risk sexual behaviors, you may want to consider being tested once a year for gonorrhea even though you don't have symptoms. Testing will allow gonorrhea to be quickly diagnosed and treated. This helps reduce the risk of transmitting gonorrhea and avoid complications of the infection. Nowadays Gonorrhea testing is made easy with The Home Bio Gonorrhea Test. The test is an easy to use, accurate and reliable assay that will detect antibodies to the bacteria that cause gonorrhea present on swab samples collected from the cervix or the urethra. The result is available within minutes – in the privacy of your own home.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends screening for pregnant women who engage in high-risk sexual behaviors to prevent them from transmitting gonorrhea to their babies. If a pregnant woman is at high risk for gonorrhea, she may be tested again during the third trimester before delivery, to prevent transmitting the infection to her newborn.

Several gonorrhea tests can be used to detect or confirm an infection. Your doctor will collect a sample of body fluid or urine to be tested for gonorrhea bacteria (Neisseria gonorrhoeae). Most tests give results within a few days.

Other sexually transmitted infections may be present with a gonorrhea infection. Your doctor may recommend testing for:

- Chlamydia, a bacterial infection of the urethra in men, and the urethra, the cervix, or the upper reproductive organs (or all three) in women. Up to 40% of people who have gonorrhea also have chlamydia.
- Syphilis, a bacterial infection in which the most common symptom is a painless sore called a chancre (pronounced "SHANK-ur") that develops on the genitals.
- Hepatitis B, a viral infection that causes the liver to become swollen and tender (inflamed).
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a virus that attacks the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight off infection and some diseases.

In the United States, your doctor must report to the state health department that you have gonorrhea. Make sure you:
- Always use protection during sex. Using a latex male condom and/or microbicide during vaginal sex greatly diminishes your risk of contracting a variety of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including gonorrhea. Polyurethane female condoms also offer some protection but are not as effective as latex male condoms. During anal sex, a latex male condom offers the best protection, and for oral sex, a condom or dental dam (a piece of latex that is placed over the vagina or anal opening) should be used.
While gonorrhea is curable, several other STDs are not. You should not have unprotected sex of any type with someone unless you are both sure you do not have any STDs.

- Limit your number of sexual partners and avoid high-risk partners. Other than abstinence, a long-term mutually-monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is the best way of avoiding gonorrhea and other STDs. If you are not in a monogamous relationship, reducing your number of sexual partners and steering clear of high-risk partners can lower your likelihood of contracting STDs.

- Know the sexual history of your partners. Talk to each potential partner about both of your sexual histories before beginning a sexual relationship. These discussions are important regardless of gender. Women who have sex with women and men who have sex with men are also at risk for STDs.

Other things you can do to help prevent gonorrhea and other STDs:
- Avoid douching. Douching removes the protective bacteria normally found in the vagina. As a result, you are more likely to become infected if you are exposed to an STD.

- Wash your vagina with soap and water after sexual activity. This may help to eliminate parasites and bacteria that have entered the vagina.

- Urinate after sexual activity. This may help to flush out bacteria that have entered the urethra.
Perform regular genital self-examinations. to become familiar with the normal appearance of your genitals. This will help you to identify any symptoms that may develop if you are exposed to an STD.

- Get regular gynecological examinations, including testing for STDs. While this won't stop you from contracting gonorrhea, early detection and treatment can prevent more serious complications from developing. Screening tests can be conducted during routine medical checkups. They are particularly important at the beginning of a new sexual relationship.

- Be aware of signs or symptoms in your partner(s). People may be dishonest about their sexual history or STD status. Therefore, you should be aware of any signs and symptoms in your partner (although gonorrhea does not always produce symptoms). You should never engage in sexual activity with a partner who is showing symptoms of any STD. You should also abstain from sex with a partner who is currently being treated for gonorrhea. The disease may be transmitted at any time until the course of treatment is complete.

- Pregnant women should be tested for gonorrhea and treated if necessary. Babies born in hospitals are treated with special eyedrops to prevent a gonorrhea infection in the eyes.

Consider regular gonorrhea screening if you have an increased risk. Talk to your doctor about regular gonorrhea screening if you have an increased risk of infection. You may be at increased risk of gonorrhea if you have had gonorrhea or other sexually transmitted infections in the past, if you have a new sex partner, or if you have multiple sex partners.