How Gonorrhea Is Diagnosed?
Testing for gonorrhea can be as easy as testing for pregnancy by peeing in a cup. A doctor or nurse might test for any presence of an unusual discharge that leaks from the urethra, anus, or vagina. Sometimes, the doctors use a swab to collect the cell samples from the throat, penis, urethra, anus, or cervix. The samples further go for gonorrhea bacteria’s presence. In addition, gonorrhea might have symptoms that are apparently similar to other commonly present STDs such as chlamydia, so the doctor or nurse will further test a patient for a series of infections. (7)
The idea of going for testing might look scary but you need to relax and test yourself for the presence of gonorrhea infection. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) testing is one of the regular parts of becoming a responsible adult and taking care of your well-being. Fortunately, the infection and the consequent symptoms of gonorrhea are totally curable with a proper course of medicine. Moreover, the sooner you get the diagnosis of gonorrhea, the faster it is to get rid of the disease.
A healthcare provider or professional can confirm the diagnosis of gonorrhea in a number of different ways:
- Testing the urine: Often, a urine test can help in the detection of gonorrhea.
- Testing a fluid sample: a healthcare provider might also swab the vagina, rectum, throat, or penis to obtain a sample of fluid for diagnostic testing. The fluid sample testing needs a laboratory culture that can take numerous days.
- Testing the blood: A healthcare provider might use a blood sample to diagnose gonorrhea in some rare cases. However, blood testing might not always be conclusive.
You will normally get the results of gonorrhea testing within a few days, though it can depend upon the testing or clinic location. A few clinics might give the results of the tests within a few hours. If you believe that you might be suffering from gonorrhea, it is necessary to avoid engaging in any sexual activity until you get a negative test result. You might also consider buying a gonorrhea testing kit that you can perform at home.
In order to evaluate whether a person has gonorrhea or not, the healthcare professional will analyze the sample of cells. The cell samples can come through:
Urine testing
A urine test can help in identifying the bacteria residing in the urethra.
A swab from the affected area
Taking a swab from the throat, vagina, rectum, or urethra can trap the bacteria that can get identified in the lab later on.
In the case of women, the at-home test kits are present to test for the presence of gonorrhea. The at-home test kits consist of vaginal swabs to self-test and then send these samples to a specified lab for the confirmation of gonorrhea. Furthermore, you can choose to get notifications of your test results via email or text message. You can also view your test results online or get them by ringing a toll-free hotline. The doctor might suggest tests for other STDs or infections as well. Chlamydia most often accompanies gonorrhea in many people and raises the risk of getting other sexually transmitted infections. (8)