Gonorrhea Test
Why It Is Done
Tests for gonorrhea are done to:
- Determine if a gonorrhea infection may be causing symptoms such as painful urination, anal itching or bleeding, vaginal bleeding after intercourse, or abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina.
- Screen women who are at high risk for a gonorrhea infection. Because a gonorrhea infection does not always cause symptoms, screening is important. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends routine gonorrhea screening for:1
- Women with high-risk sexual behaviors.
- Pregnant women who have an increased risk for a gonorrhea infection.
- Check for infection in a newborn whose mother had gonorrhea at the time of delivery.
Treating a pregnant woman who has a gonorrhea infection can prevent an infection in her newborn. Screening is often done at the first prenatal visit. An additional test may be done during the last 3 months of pregnancy.
In some cases, gonorrhea tests may be done to determine if a recently treated infection has been successfully treated. This is not routinely necessary unless gonorrhea has occurred during pregnancy or your sex partner was not treated.
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| Author: | Sandy Jocoy, RN | Last Updated: April 27, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH - Infectious Disease | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
 | Why It Is Done |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
| Results | |
| What Affects the Test | |
| What To Think About | |
| References | |
| Credits | |