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Gonorrhea without symtoms for years?
Hi, my boyfriend and I have been together for 5 years. He has recently this week had irritation problems with his penis (burning when peeing and feeling like he needs to urinate when he doesn't). Both of us have been faithful to each other.
Throughout these 5 years, I've occasionally had abdominal pains during sex on the right side, and one case of abdominal stabbing pains so bad I kept keeling over, but it went within one day. I didn't think this could possibly be linked with an STI until I've been looking into this on his account. I've had an ultrasound scan because of this pain and they said everything looked fine. I've never been tested.
I just took a home test for Gonorrhea, and it's come out positive! I feel absolutely terrible about it, I must have caught it from an old partner years ago. But is it strange that he has not shown any symptoms until now? And I've never had any other symptoms? I'm not sure how accurate this home test would be? I know we both need to go and get screened ASAP now, but I would just like a little light shed on how we both (him more than me), have not had any symptoms until now 5 years later? I know it's more uncommon in men to not have symptoms, and everywhere I've read has said if you DO get symptoms, it's usually in the first couple of weeks. But I've had my pains intermittently for the 5 years we've been together, so it's not like he's cheated and developed it suddenly...
Please help,
Thank you
Throughout these 5 years, I've occasionally had abdominal pains during sex on the right side, and one case of abdominal stabbing pains so bad I kept keeling over, but it went within one day. I didn't think this could possibly be linked with an STI until I've been looking into this on his account. I've had an ultrasound scan because of this pain and they said everything looked fine. I've never been tested.
I just took a home test for Gonorrhea, and it's come out positive! I feel absolutely terrible about it, I must have caught it from an old partner years ago. But is it strange that he has not shown any symptoms until now? And I've never had any other symptoms? I'm not sure how accurate this home test would be? I know we both need to go and get screened ASAP now, but I would just like a little light shed on how we both (him more than me), have not had any symptoms until now 5 years later? I know it's more uncommon in men to not have symptoms, and everywhere I've read has said if you DO get symptoms, it's usually in the first couple of weeks. But I've had my pains intermittently for the 5 years we've been together, so it's not like he's cheated and developed it suddenly...
Please help,
Thank you
I'll be interested to hear the outcome. You might consider printing this discussion and showing it to the GUM folks. I would be interested in how they react to my comments and advice. Good luck!
Thank you for helping me to understand the facts a little better. We will pay a visit to our local GUM clinic and just see what they say. Fingers crossed!
The reason the home self tests haven't been approved for marketing in the US is that they simply are not very good -- both false negative and false positive results occur. To my knowledge, no better technology is available in the UK or anywhere else. So I remain suspicious about your test -- and I doubt very much it's the same test used in most NHS GUM clinics or labs.
"possible for gonorrhea to go away by itself, but also that it's very unlikely": Exactly the opposite, but a common misconception. In the pre-antibiotic era, gonorrhea rarely could be detectable after a few months. Of course it is ethically impossible to allow someone to go without treatment, so theer's no way to confirm with modern research. But spontaneous clearance of bacterial infections always was the rule. Recovery was the norm even for life threatening things like bacterial pneumonia; 10% died but 90% recovered. Antibiotics were lifesavers for the 10%, and speeded cure for the others -- but the immune system is a potent thing and almost always works if gonorrhea is left alone. (Trust me, I know what I'm talking about in this area.)
As for symptoms, I was referring to both yours and your BF's symptoms in my initial comments. Absence of dishcarge (pus) dripping from the penis is, all by itself, strong evidence against gonorrhea.
Having said all that, stranger things have happened, and I wouldn't say it is impossible that you or he carried gonorrhea all these years. Still, if the diagnosis is confirmed, you and he will need to have to have a forthright (but sensitive) conversation about it.
The NHS GUM clinics by and large are excellent, both in expertise and lifestyle sensitivity. You won't go wrong if you and your BF decide to go to your nearest GUM clinic for professional advice and testing.
"possible for gonorrhea to go away by itself, but also that it's very unlikely": Exactly the opposite, but a common misconception. In the pre-antibiotic era, gonorrhea rarely could be detectable after a few months. Of course it is ethically impossible to allow someone to go without treatment, so theer's no way to confirm with modern research. But spontaneous clearance of bacterial infections always was the rule. Recovery was the norm even for life threatening things like bacterial pneumonia; 10% died but 90% recovered. Antibiotics were lifesavers for the 10%, and speeded cure for the others -- but the immune system is a potent thing and almost always works if gonorrhea is left alone. (Trust me, I know what I'm talking about in this area.)
As for symptoms, I was referring to both yours and your BF's symptoms in my initial comments. Absence of dishcarge (pus) dripping from the penis is, all by itself, strong evidence against gonorrhea.
Having said all that, stranger things have happened, and I wouldn't say it is impossible that you or he carried gonorrhea all these years. Still, if the diagnosis is confirmed, you and he will need to have to have a forthright (but sensitive) conversation about it.
The NHS GUM clinics by and large are excellent, both in expertise and lifestyle sensitivity. You won't go wrong if you and your BF decide to go to your nearest GUM clinic for professional advice and testing.
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. It was a swab test bought online and used at home, not to be sent off to a lab. I am in the UK, and it SAID it was the same type used by the NHS, but also this was ebay, so who knows.
I have read that is is possible for gonorrhea to go away by itself, but also that it's very unlikely. We had spoken about the fact it could be a long term STI, hence why I bought the test (I am also awaiting a chlamydia home test), and seeing it read positive confirmed my fears. I am now hoping what you have said is true, and it is not gonorrhea after all.
From what I have described in the original post, do you have any idea what this could be? Like I said, I've had pains in the past, but that could be purely unrelated.
What do you think it could be from my boyfriends symptoms? He has not has any discharge from his penis, only the need to urinate frequently and then the burning sensation. He also said it felt more aggravated after we had sex, so we haven't in a few days and he says it feels a little better than it has done. He has been for a UTI test, and there was no sign of an infection there. It's been about a week now, and he still says it doesn't feel quite right. Do you think it could be an STI?
Thank you
I have read that is is possible for gonorrhea to go away by itself, but also that it's very unlikely. We had spoken about the fact it could be a long term STI, hence why I bought the test (I am also awaiting a chlamydia home test), and seeing it read positive confirmed my fears. I am now hoping what you have said is true, and it is not gonorrhea after all.
From what I have described in the original post, do you have any idea what this could be? Like I said, I've had pains in the past, but that could be purely unrelated.
What do you think it could be from my boyfriends symptoms? He has not has any discharge from his penis, only the need to urinate frequently and then the burning sensation. He also said it felt more aggravated after we had sex, so we haven't in a few days and he says it feels a little better than it has done. He has been for a UTI test, and there was no sign of an infection there. It's been about a week now, and he still says it doesn't feel quite right. Do you think it could be an STI?
Thank you
I should have acknowledged that you're already planning for both of you to be retested. That's the right thing to do. In the meantime, do not be tempted to take any leftover antibiotic or other treatment, which probably would make testing invalid. Feel free to return with a comment to let me know the outcome.
Responding first to the title of your question: No way. Without treatment, the immune system clears gonorrhea in a few weeks (men) to a few months (women). Persistent infection for a year or more is extremely rare, if it occurs at all.
Now having read the question itself: First, your symptoms are not typical gonorrhea. Second, there is no accurate home self test for gonorrhea, and none approved or recommended in the US by public health agencies or the Food and Drug Adminstration. So you cannot trust your test result. (If you collected a vaginal swab or specimen at home and sent it to a reliable lab, then the result probably is valid.)
Both you and your partner should now see a doctor or clinic in person for professional exam and proper testing. If gonorrhea is confirmed in either of you, I'm afraid you're going to need to look to more recent exposures; almost certainly you or he would have had to have another sex partner.
Good luck!
Now having read the question itself: First, your symptoms are not typical gonorrhea. Second, there is no accurate home self test for gonorrhea, and none approved or recommended in the US by public health agencies or the Food and Drug Adminstration. So you cannot trust your test result. (If you collected a vaginal swab or specimen at home and sent it to a reliable lab, then the result probably is valid.)
Both you and your partner should now see a doctor or clinic in person for professional exam and proper testing. If gonorrhea is confirmed in either of you, I'm afraid you're going to need to look to more recent exposures; almost certainly you or he would have had to have another sex partner.
Good luck!
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