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Gonnorrhea? Please help.
Dear Doctor,
I just found out from my boyfriend that he tested positive for gonorrhea. We were sexually active from December to April. Most of the time we used condoms, but definitely NOT all of the time. In April we had a week of unprotected sex (I had just gone on the pill). In February, I was tested, and was clean. He is currently in a drug rehab and is forced to be honest about everything. He told me that he was completely faithful to me. My question is, is it possible that I just never contracted gonorrhea and he had it the whole time (since December)? What are the chances of this, or should I just assume he cheated? Please help, as I have no where to turn.
I have reason to believe he's telling the truth, but this doesn't seem to add up.
P.S.- I was re-tested yesterday, and will find the results out soon. I have experienced no symptoms.
I just found out from my boyfriend that he tested positive for gonorrhea. We were sexually active from December to April. Most of the time we used condoms, but definitely NOT all of the time. In April we had a week of unprotected sex (I had just gone on the pill). In February, I was tested, and was clean. He is currently in a drug rehab and is forced to be honest about everything. He told me that he was completely faithful to me. My question is, is it possible that I just never contracted gonorrhea and he had it the whole time (since December)? What are the chances of this, or should I just assume he cheated? Please help, as I have no where to turn.
I have reason to believe he's telling the truth, but this doesn't seem to add up.
P.S.- I was re-tested yesterday, and will find the results out soon. I have experienced no symptoms.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You are exactly right. And it is very rare for men to carry gonorrhea for 6 months before diagnosis. It is likely he has been infected only recently, i.e. that his other sex contact(s) were within a couple weeks before he was diagnosed.
Thank you very much for responding.
I was tested in November, and was clean, so he's the one that would've had to have it. I know that you have said before that having unprotected sex with a person that has gonorrhea doesn't GUARANTEE you will contract it, but with the amount of times we were intimate, it seems odd. I would think by now, I would have contracted it- if in fact he is telling the truth, and had it before we started being sexually active (in December).
I was tested in November, and was clean, so he's the one that would've had to have it. I know that you have said before that having unprotected sex with a person that has gonorrhea doesn't GUARANTEE you will contract it, but with the amount of times we were intimate, it seems odd. I would think by now, I would have contracted it- if in fact he is telling the truth, and had it before we started being sexually active (in December).
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the STD forum.
I agree with your own conclusion: this doesn't add up. It is possible for the gonorrhea tests to miss the infection, and it is possible you could have been infected for almost 6 months without knowing it, and it is possible your partner could then become infected after a few months (instead of catching it back in December or January). But it is extremely unlikely that all these things would happen.
In STD clinics, we deal with situations like this all the time. It almost always turns out that the male partner has in fact had other sex partners, regardless of whether he admits it or not. I stress "almost", and you can judge your partner much better than I can from a distance; perhaps he is being truthful. But my bet is that he has been having sex with at least one other partner.
You need treatment for gonorrhea even if your new test also comes back negative. Treatment of partners always is recommended regardless of test results. Also, the drugs you get must be active against chlamydia as well as gonorrhea.
Perhaps this isn't what you were hoping to hear, but I hope it helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
I agree with your own conclusion: this doesn't add up. It is possible for the gonorrhea tests to miss the infection, and it is possible you could have been infected for almost 6 months without knowing it, and it is possible your partner could then become infected after a few months (instead of catching it back in December or January). But it is extremely unlikely that all these things would happen.
In STD clinics, we deal with situations like this all the time. It almost always turns out that the male partner has in fact had other sex partners, regardless of whether he admits it or not. I stress "almost", and you can judge your partner much better than I can from a distance; perhaps he is being truthful. But my bet is that he has been having sex with at least one other partner.
You need treatment for gonorrhea even if your new test also comes back negative. Treatment of partners always is recommended regardless of test results. Also, the drugs you get must be active against chlamydia as well as gonorrhea.
Perhaps this isn't what you were hoping to hear, but I hope it helps. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
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