Gonorrhea

Throat swab positive, no symptoms, completely blindsided

Went in for a routine check, asked for all sites to be swabbed because a friend told me to, and the throat one came back positive. No sore throat, nothing. If I hadn’t asked they’d only have done urine and I would never have known.

Is throat-only common? I feel like nobody talks about this.

almostfine 4 months ago

NoteMember experience, not medical advice. Symptoms overlap between infections and only a test can tell them apart.

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longwayround 4 months ago

It’s more common than people realise and it’s exactly why site-specific testing matters. A urine test doesn’t tell you anything about your throat or rectum. If you’ve had that kind of exposure and only one sample is taken, an infection can sit there undetected.

Your friend gave you good advice. I now ask every time rather than waiting to be offered.

tinbird 4 months ago

Same here, rectal rather than throat, found only because I asked. Worth knowing that throat infections can be a bit more stubborn to clear, so if they offer you a follow up test after treatment, take it.

spare_key 3 months ago

The part that follows from this and is easy to miss: a throat infection can be passed on, so your partners need testing at whichever sites apply to them, not just a urine sample.

When you tell them, say which site yours was found at. It changes what they should ask to be swabbed, and most people will not think to ask on their own for exactly the reason you did not.

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