Q: What are the symptoms of gonorrhea?

A: Most men develop symptoms of gonorrhea (sometimes called "the drip" or "the clap") within two to five days after being exposed, with a possible range of one to thirty days. Although most women are asymptomatic (without symptoms), for those who do have symptoms, they usually appear within 10 days after being exposed.

If you're infected with gonorrhea in the throat, there are usually no symptoms, except a possible sore throat.

Men who have gonorrhea in the penis or anal area may experience:

A discharge from the head of the penis or the anus;
Pain or itching of the head of the penis;
Swelling of the penis or testicles;
Pain and/or burning upon urination;
Frequent urination;
Anal or rectal itching;
White to green anal discharge (often seen on the inside of underwear or pants); and/or
Pain during bowel movements.

Men with untreated gonorrhea can occasionally develop epididymitis, a painful infection of the testicles. Untreated gonorrheal infections can also cause inflammation of the prostate and urethral scarring, sometimes leading to infertility.

Gonorrhea and HIV

If you are HIV+ and have genital inflammation due to gonorrhea, the inflamed tissues contain highly concentrated amounts of the HIV virus. If the gonorrheal infection is in your penis, you can shed 8-10 times more HIV in your semen.

If you are HIV- but have gonorrhea, the disease-fighting cells of your immune system are especially susceptible to HIV if you have unprotected sex with an HIV-infected partner. Rectal gonorrhea increases the risk of contracting HIV by ten to twenty times.


Thanks to Howard Brown Health Center for providing this information.

Check out more gonorrhea info via the CDC.