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Advice Column
Gonorrhea - How Did I Get
It?
Dear STD Advice,
I recently found out I have
gonorrhea. I think my partner was cheating on
me. He says he went to get checked and his test
came back negative. Can this be true as I have
only had sex with him?
~ Please
Help
Dear Please Help,
Gonorrhea is
a highly contagious STD. If you have it then your partner should have it too.
If he is lying about his test then that may answer your question
as to whether or not he has been cheating. The majority of STD testing centers
(and health clinics) mail the STD results, thus there should be a printed record
that confirms your boyfriend "doesn't have" gonorrhea.
You may want to ask him or offer for both of you to go get a full STD test
and show each other
the results so that both of you are clear on what STDs you do or don't have.
If this is the only partner you have ever had, then
it is highly unlikely that you got it from anyone but
him. However, if you have had past partners, then it
is possible that you had it and didn't know. For men,
symptoms of gonorrhea usually show up in 2-30 days.
For women, gonorrhea symptoms may not be as apparent
because women can carry it for awhile without knowing.
Here's what
the
CDC
says on the subject:
"In women, the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild,
and many women who are infected have no symptoms. Even
when a woman has symptoms, they can be so non-specific
as to be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection.
The initial symptoms and signs in women include a painful
or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal
discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods. Women
with no or mild gonorrhea symptoms are still at risk
of developing serious complications from the infection."
Gonorrhea can be spread via oral sex or by touching
an infected person's private area then your own. Visit
our gonorrhea
section for more in-depth information
on this STD.
One other thing to note from a psychological standpoint.
Most men who get an STD from their partner (or find
out a partner has an STD) may accuse the partner
of cheating on them. However, many
men
who cheat then make the same claim may not
accuse the partner of cheating because of their guilt
over giving the partner an STD. Instead they may just
make excuses, lies, or avoid the subject altogether.
If you have a question for the STD Advice column, simply put your question in the anonymous form below and click Submit. Once you click Submit, your question will be anonymously emailed to us. While we can't answer or publish all questions, we do try to questions within a one week period of submission. Check back to see if yours is answered.
Only a physician can properly diagnose whether or
not you have an STD. Thus it is important that you
get an STD test done if you have a concern. None of the
advice given in this column is a substitute for physician
advice.
If you think you may have a sexually transmitted
disease, you should see a physician immediately to
be properly diagnosed and treated. You should not try
to diagnose or treat symptoms on your own.
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