So, you (or your partner) have gonorrhea. The good news is, this common sexually transmitted disease
(STD) is easily treated. And you’ll want to get treated as soon as possible. If you don’t, gonorrhea can cause a number of long-term health problems for both women and men. If you have this
STD, the CDC now recommends a single 500-mg IM dose (1000 mg in patients weighing ≥150 kg) of the third-generation ceftriaxone. The antibiotic azithromycin
(Zithromax, Zmax) may be added as a precaution against possible clamydia. Combining oral azithromycin with either oral
gemifloxacin (Factive) or injectable gentamicin may be helpful if you’re allergic to
ceftriaxone. That medication is in a class of drugs known as cephalosporin antibiotics. Never share your medication. Also, be sure to tell your doctor about any drug allergies you have, especially to antibiotics. Ask them about
possible side effects and what to do if you experience any negative ones. You and your partner should wait at least 7 days after you both finish treatment to resume sexual activity. Your doctor may advise you to follow up for testing to make sure the infection is completely gone. Unfortunately, some types of gonorrhea bacteria don’t respond to the usual antibiotic
treatment. Doctors call this “antibiotic resistance.” They’ve been seeing a rise in these stronger bacteria for several years. If you continue to have symptoms a few days after treatment, see your doctor again. They may prescribe a longer course of different antibiotics Chlamydia can usually be effectively treated with antibiotics. More than 95% of people will be cured if they take their antibiotics correctly. You may be started on antibiotics once test results have confirmed you have chlamydia. But if it's very likely you have the infection, you might be started on treatment before you get your results. The two most commonly prescribed antibiotics for chlamydia are:
Your doctor may give you different antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or erythromycin, if you have an allergy or are pregnant or breastfeeding. A longer course of antibiotics may be used if your doctor is concerned about complications of chlamydia. Some people experience side effects during treatment, but these are usually mild. The most common side effects include stomach ache, diarrhoea, feeling sick, and thrush in women. When can I have sex again?If you had doxycycline, you shouldn't have sex – including vaginal, oral or anal sex, even with a condom – until both you and your partner(s) have completed treatment. If you had azithromycin, you should wait 7 days after treatment before having sex (including oral sex). This will help ensure you don't pass on the infection or catch it again straight away. Will I need to go back to the clinic?If you take your antibiotics correctly, you may not need to return to the clinic. However, you will be advised to go back for another chlamydia test if:
If you're under 25 years of age, you should be offered a repeat test for chlamydia 3 to 6 months after finishing your treatment because you're at a higher risk of catching it again. Testing and treating sexual partnersIf you test positive for chlamydia, it's important that your current sexual partner and any other recent sexual partners you've had are also tested and treated. A specialist sexual health adviser can help you contact your recent sexual partners, or the clinic can contact them for you if you prefer. Either you or someone from the clinic can speak to them, or the clinic can send them a note to let them know they may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The note will suggest that they go for a check-up. It will not have your name on it, so your confidentiality will be protected. Page last reviewed: 01 September 2021 DiagnosisTo determine whether you have gonorrhea, your doctor will analyze a sample of cells. Samples can be collected by:
For women, home test kits are available for gonorrhea. They include vaginal swabs for self-testing that are sent to a specified lab for testing. You can choose to be notified by email or text message when your results are ready. You can view your results online or receive them by calling a toll-free hotline. Testing for other sexually transmitted infectionsYour doctor may recommend tests for other sexually transmitted infections. Gonorrhea increases your risk of these infections, particularly chlamydia, which often accompanies gonorrhea. Testing for HIV also is recommended for anyone diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. Depending on your risk factors, tests for additional sexually transmitted infections could be beneficial as well. TreatmentGonorrhea treatment in adultsAdults with gonorrhea are treated with antibiotics. Due to emerging strains of drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that uncomplicated gonorrhea be treated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone — given as an injection — with oral azithromycin (Zithromax). If you're allergic to cephalosporin antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, you might be given oral gemifloxacin (Factive) or injectable gentamicin and oral azithromycin. Gonorrhea treatment for partnersYour partner also should go through testing and treatment for gonorrhea, even if he or she has no signs or symptoms. Your partner receives the same treatment you do. Even if you've been treated for gonorrhea, a partner who isn't treated can pass it to you again. Gonorrhea treatment for babiesBabies born to mothers with gonorrhea who develop the infection can be treated with antibiotics. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with
your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Clinical trialsExplore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. Preparing for your appointmentYou'll likely see your family doctor or a general practitioner. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment. What you can doWhen you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet. Make a list of:
For gonorrhea, questions to ask your doctor include:
Don't hesitate to ask other questions. What to expect from your doctorQuestions your doctor is likely to ask you include:
What you can do in the meantimeAbstain from sex until you see your doctor. Alert your sex partners that you're having signs and symptoms so that they can arrange to see their doctors for testing. Oct. 05, 2021 Which antibiotics treat chlamydia and gonorrhea?To cure gonorrhea you are receiving cefixime (sometimes known as “Suprax”) or cefpodoxime (sometimes known as “Vantin”). The other is called azithromycin (sometimes known as “Zithromax”). It will cure chlamydia.
Which antibiotic is the best to treat gonorrhea?Due to emerging strains of drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that uncomplicated gonorrhea be treated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone — given as an injection — with oral azithromycin (Zithromax).
Do you treat for both gonorrhea and chlamydia?The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that patients diagnosed with gonorrhea infection also be treated for Chlamydia.
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