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Find a Local Lab →Gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial STD in the United States and one of the few that is becoming harder to treat because of antibiotic resistance. This guide covers how a gonorrhea test works, when to test after exposure, symptoms in men and women, results and cost, and the current single-injection treatment.
Who should get tested
- Anyone with a new partner or multiple partners
- Sexually active women and anyone with a cervix under 25, yearly
- Men who have sex with men, at least yearly, with throat and rectal swabs
- Anyone with the symptoms below or a partner who tested positive
- Pregnant people at the first prenatal visit
Half or more of gonorrhea infections in women and most throat and rectal infections cause no symptoms, so screening after new partners is essential.
Symptoms
Symptoms, when present, start 2 to 14 days after exposure.
Men: burning with urination, white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis, painful or swollen testicles.
Women: increased vaginal discharge, burning with urination, bleeding between periods, pelvic pain. Often mistaken for a bladder or yeast infection.
Rectal: discharge, itching, soreness, bleeding, painful bowel movements.
Throat: usually nothing, occasionally a sore throat.
Disseminated infection (rare): joint pain, skin lesions, fever, when the bacteria spread through the bloodstream.
How the test works
The standard test is a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT):
- Urine: first-catch sample for men and women. Hold urine for about an hour beforehand.
- Vaginal swab: an option at clinics, slightly more sensitive than urine.
- Throat and rectal swabs: the only way to detect infection at those sites. Urine tests do not find them.
Chlamydia is tested from the same sample and the two often occur together, so ordering both ($99 together versus $59 each) is standard. A culture is sometimes ordered after treatment failure to check for antibiotic resistance.
When to test
Gonorrhea is detectable about 1 to 2 weeks after exposure. Test at 2 weeks, or immediately if you have symptoms and again at 2 weeks if that first test is negative. There is no widely available rapid gonorrhea test; the fastest reliable answer is a lab NAAT in 1 to 2 days.
Where to get tested and results time
| Where | Results | Cost without insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Private walk-in lab (order online) | 1–2 days | $59, or $99 with chlamydia |
| Urgent care | 2–5 days | Visit fee plus lab charges |
| Health department / Planned Parenthood | Several days | Free to sliding scale |
| Mail-in kit | 5–7 days | $70–$150 |
A private lab is fastest: order online, walk in with no appointment, urine sample in about 5 minutes, results in 1 to 2 days, nothing billed to insurance.
Treatment
Because of rising resistance, the CDC now recommends a single 500 mg intramuscular injection of ceftriaxone (1 g for people weighing 150 kg or more). Oral cefixime is an alternative only when the injection is not available. If chlamydia has not been ruled out, doxycycline is added. Private testing includes a doctor consultation for positive results and a prescription or referral for the injection.
After treatment:
- No sex for 7 days and until partners are treated.
- Tell partners from the past 60 days. Expedited partner therapy is allowed in many states.
- Retest in 3 months for reinfection, which is common.
- Throat infections: a test-of-cure 7 to 14 days after treatment is recommended, because throat gonorrhea is harder to clear.
- Symptoms that persist after treatment need a culture to check for resistance.
Complications if untreated
In women, pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. In men, epididymitis and, rarely, infertility. In both, increased HIV risk and, rarely, disseminated infection affecting joints, skin, and heart. In pregnancy, it can cause eye infections in the newborn.
Prevention
Condoms for vaginal, anal, and oral sex reduce transmission. Test after each new partner, and ask partners to test. No vaccine is available, though research is active.
The bottom line: a gonorrhea test is a quick urine sample or swab, reliable 2 weeks after exposure, with results in 1 to 2 days from a walk-in lab. Treatment is one injection, and a retest at 3 months catches the reinfections that are all too common.
Frequently asked questions
How is gonorrhea tested?
With a NAAT on a first-catch urine sample for men and women, or a swab of the throat or rectum for infections at those sites. Results take 1 to 2 days from a private lab.
How soon after exposure can gonorrhea be detected?
About 1 to 2 weeks. Symptoms, when they occur, start 2 to 14 days after exposure. Test at 2 weeks for a reliable result, or immediately if you have symptoms.
What does gonorrhea discharge look like?
In men, white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis, often with burning urination. In women, increased discharge that may be yellow, sometimes with bleeding between periods. Many infections, especially in women and in the throat, cause no discharge at all.
How is gonorrhea treated?
A single injection of ceftriaxone. Because of antibiotic resistance, older oral regimens are no longer recommended. Avoid sex for 7 days, treat partners, and retest in 3 months.
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See Tests & Prices →This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. It does not replace an evaluation by a licensed clinician. If you have symptoms or a known exposure, seek care promptly. RapidSTDTests.com is an informational referral website and may be compensated when you order testing through our links.