How long does STI screening take to work for gonorrhoea?

Gonorrhoea may affect the genitals, throat, rectum or eyes. A urine sample or swab checks the site sampled, so tell the clinician about oral or anal sex as well as genital exposure. Testing too soon can miss an infection, and the service may recommend a repeat test when the exposure was recent. Some settings use a rapid molecular test; others send the sample to a laboratory, so reporting times differ.

Symptoms are not required for infection. A negative result means the test did not detect gonorrhoea in the samples taken at that time. If symptoms continue, a recent partner has tested positive, or the wrong site was sampled, arrange follow-up rather than assuming the result explains everything.

Give the clinic the exposure date, symptoms, previous antibiotics and all body sites involved. Avoid sex until you have received the result and specific advice; use barriers afterward as recommended. Do not take leftover antibiotics, because the correct treatment depends on the diagnosis and local resistance patterns. Partners may need assessment, and follow-up testing can be needed after treatment.

Seek prompt assessment for discharge, burning when passing urine, pelvic pain, testicular pain, rectal pain or a sore throat after sexual exposure. Urgent care is needed for severe pelvic or testicular pain, fever, eye pain or vision changes. Contact a clinic promptly if a partner has gonorrhoea, even if you have no symptoms.

Ask which sites need swabbing, whether the timing of your test is suitable, how results will be sent, and whether a partner assessment or follow-up test is needed.