How can I be positive for gonnorea and my husband negative ?

My husband and i  had no symptoms for gonorrea and  i have been monogomus and he claims he has as well.  We have sex with each other everyday. I had a geneprobe done which resulted in a positive for gonorrea.because of the circumstances my doctor treated both of us and testing me again before treatment, she believed it was a false positive.  My results came back positive again and his results came back negative. How can this be possible ? i want to save my marraige but don't understand and don't know what to believe.pls help

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Your doctor probably is right about the false-positive results, but it depends in part on which GenProbe test she did.  The GenProbe company makes 2 gonorrhea tests.  If it was the older "non-amplified probe" test (brand name Pace II), then your result probably is falsely positive--assuming your and your husband's sexual history is accurate.  This is one of the main reasons more and more health care providers are shifting over to the newer "nucleic acid amplification" tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia; GenProbe's is named "Aptima".  If you had the Aptima test, your result probably is real--in which case you and/or your husband have some explaining to do with one another.

My bet is that the laboratory used the older Pace II test and you don't have gonorrhea.  I hope so!

Good luck--   HHH, MD

[steve123]

When my wife and I first met,  we were together for about 4 months having non-protected sex,  using the rhythm and withdrawl (withdrawal) methods.  Then she went to get on birth control and during her tests, she came back as having Chlamydia,  she was showing symptoms that she thought was a yeast infection.  Both of us hadn't been with anyone else since we met, but when I went to go get examined,  It came back negative.  Not sure why in my situation it was like that.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

It could be the same explanation; the situation for chlamydia testing is much the same as for gonorrhea.  However, for a variety of reasons, in this situation a chlamydia test is more likely to be accurate (i.e., truly and not falsely positive) than a gonorrhea test.  Also, chlamydia can persist without symptoms for several months, so either of you might have brought the infection into the relationship.  In other words, even if the test was a true-positive, it may have no implications for your partner's fidelity to you or vice versa.

Anticipating your next question:  False negative test results for chlamydia are even more likely than false positive ones, especially in men (although this also depends on the specific test, how the specimen was collected, and other factors).  Also, the infection eventually resolves entirely on its own, without treatment--i.e., you might have been infected but it cleared up before you were tested.  So your negative result doesn't say one way or the other whether either you or your partner were infected.

So in your case, the wise thing is for you both to be treated, just to be safe.  But this probably isn't necessary for "confusedlove" and her husband.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[scaredlilgirl]

just this afternoon i heard from my doctor thati tested positive for gonorrhea.  i have been completely faithful in my relationship and my botfriend says that he has as well.  i believe him with all my heart but i dont understand how it is possible.  i have had one previous partner and the last time i was with him was almost a year ago.  my boyfriend has had, i believe, five, and the last was even longer ago than mine.  he has been tested since that previous relationship and it came up negative.  is it possible that he could be carrying it for that long and not notice any symptoms?  or that i could be from my exboyfriend?  i dont know if my exboyfriend was faithful or not, but he said that he had no previous partners before me.  and ive been tested since then anyway.  is there a way to be carrying it for months and not show symptoms or have it detected by a test?  i believe my boyfriend but how else could i have gotten it?  could it be a false test?  help me please.  im only 16 and im so scared.  i love my boyfriend so much, and i know that he loves me and would never do this.  what if he doesnt have it and thinks that i have been with someone else?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Well, first, it is possible that your test is a false positive; my replies above discuss the possible reasons.  But in your case, it is more likely that the test is truly positive, that you have gonorrhea.  Most positive tests in 16 year olds are true.

Gonorrhea doesn't hang around for almost a year.  If you haven't had sex with other partnerrs, then your boyfriend has.  Sorry, I can't sugar-coat it.  You may need to open your eyes a little wider to the ways of the world.  Your boyfriend indeed may love you, but still could have found himself in a high-risk situation without the strength or will to resist.  Most young men (the odds are your boyfriend is somewhere between 17 and 20 years old) who have had 5 or more partners are unlikely to go a year without sex--which is why I tend to doubt his story.

Whatever else happens, do 3 things:

1) Get treated; if your provider hasn't yet given you antibiotics, take care of it immediately.  You also need treatment for chlamydia, which is present almost half the time in young women with gonorrhea.

2) Make sure your boyfriend gets treatred.  You're going to have to have a frank, mature conversation with him.  If he refuses to get examined and treated, at least ask your doctor to give you extra antibiotic to give to him.  (Or your doctor may call the health department and ask them to notify him--but most health departments don't do this for gonorrhea.)

3) DO NOT HAVE SEX again with your boyfriend until you know for absolute certainty he has been treated for gonorrhea.

As I said, it is always possible the test is falsely positive.  But to protect your health you need to act as if it is real.

Good luck--  HHH, MD

[theboyfriend]

my girlfriend posted about her having gonorrhea and wondering how she got it... i believe its the above post. "Scaredlilgirl"

I went and got tested and came up negative... I am about to end the relationship unless someone can talk to me... what are the odds that her test was false. She cant go get retested because they gave her antibiotics. They also gave them to me as well right after they took the test (before I obtained results)

so there is no way to know for sure... i'm just wondering what the odds are of a false test.

Please get back to me. Thank You.

[monkeyflower]

I've read it's fairly common to have false-negative results. So, I think it's probably just as likely that your test had the false results.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Boyfriend:

I can't say more than I have about the likelihood that scaredlilgirl's test or your test was either falsely positive or falsely negative.  Relationships that are important should end or continue based on a test result, but on trust and communication.  I'm not Dear Abby and won't counsel you on your relationship--but a mature, mutually caring, honest conversation seems in order.

HHH, MD

[HHH,MD]

The 2nd sentence in my response above should read "...relationships that are important should NOT end on...

Sorry for the typo--   HHH, MD

[rubia22]

A related discussion, gonorrhea was started.

[sickliness]

A related discussion, Dont get it!! was started.

[prego123]

A related discussion, Is it possible to have a false positive for a chlamydia test? was started.

[marriage121]

I am married and my wife went to the hospital 3 weeks ago and was told she had trich, and they gave her and I medication. She did a follow up a week ago at the board of health and their test came back saying she now has gonnorea. I am gonna get tested today but my questions are. 1 are there different ways to contract these 2 stds other than sex? 2. Can the trich test pick up gonnorea? We both are faithful but its driving us crazy

[marriage121]

I am married and my wife went to the hospital 3 weeks ago and was told she had trich, and they gave her and I medication. She did a follow up a week ago at the board of health and their test came back saying she now has gonnorea. I am gonna get tested today but my questions are. 1 are there different ways to contract these 2 stds other than sex? 2. Can the trich test pick up gonnorea? We both are faithful but its driving us crazy