[Question #11504] Oral Gonorrhea Concern
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14 months ago
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I had a brief oral exposure with a TS masseur without any fluid. This lasted a few minutes of me performing. This occurred on Feb 1 of this year. 4 months later, following a bad cold (chest congestion, sneezing, coughing) in which I was put on antibiotics for a possible sinus infection, I developed a bad sore throat. All other cold symptoms were gone by now but the sore throat was very painful and would not go away after 2 weeks. I tested negative for strep, and Covid, so a minute clinic prescribed me antibiotics again. This time they looked to be what the prescribe for oral gonorrhea, but did not test. My sore throat immediately started to get better but now I am freaked out.
1) how likely is it that I developed oral gonorrhea from this brief exposure with no fluid.
2) how likely is it that symptoms of oral gonorrhea would develop 4 months after exposure following another sickness where I had already received antibiotics.
3) since my throat is better should I forget about this or test for oral gonorrhea a few weeks after this new treatment is over to make sure it is gone if in fact it was oral gonorrhea?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
14 months ago
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Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your questions. Thanks as well for your implied confidence in our service. The likelihood that you acquired or have gonorrhea from the brief receipt of oral sex you describe is low for a number of reason. These include:
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-Most people, even most commercial sex workers, do not have STIs
-Oral STIs are less comment than genital infections. The oral cavity does not seen to "like" to get gonorrhea
-In infected persons, most single exposures do not result in transmission of infection even if a partner does have gonorrhea
- You don't mention which antibiotics but many antibiotics used for sinus infections also are active against gonorrhea.
- Most symptomatic sore throats are due to non-STI viruses, not bacterial.
Thus in reply to your questions:
1) how likely is it that I developed oral gonorrhea from this brief exposure with no fluid.
Very very low, for all of the reasons above.
2) how likely is it that symptoms of oral gonorrhea would develop 4 months after exposure following another sickness where I had already received antibiotics.
This is virtually unheard of
3) since my throat is better should I forget about this or test for oral gonorrhea a few weeks after this new treatment is over to make sure it is gone if in fact it was oral gonorrhea?
Testing is always a personal choice. I see no reason to test for oral gonorrhea at this time but of course, that is up to you
I hope this information is helpful. EWH
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14 months ago
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Thank you very much for the reply. My concern about the sore throat was that it would not go away over a 2 week period and really could only be managed for pain using ibuprofen.
I can not remember the antibiotic I was first given due to the possible sinus infection but they also gave me the following once I went back with just the sore throat and no other symptoms.
Cefixine 400 mg (2 capsules taken as single dose)
Doxycycline 100mg (1 capsule every 12 hours for 7 days)
Would you think this antibiotic regiment would clear oral gonorrhea of it fact I had it?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
14 months ago
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If you had oral gonorrhea, which I doubt, it is likely that the combination of cefixime plus doxycycline would have cured it.
If you are having trouble accepting that you do not have oral gonorrhea at the present time, then get a throat swab for gonorrhea- it's easy, it will be negative, and it
might do much to address your concerns. EWH
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13 months ago
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I really appreciate your responses. Two things I would like some reassurance on is the antibiotic treatment I received being sufficient. I have seen some old things in the internet that the only approved treatment for oral gonorrhea was something given by injection so I am not sure why I would have received the treatment I received unless is was approved.
Secondly, I would assume that if my wife has since developed a sore throat that there would be zero way it could be related to my issue. The only contact would have been casual such as maybe me touching the inside of my mouth and then maybe handling household items or utensils. Not sexually activity of any kind including kissing. I would hope that oral gonorrhea could not be passed that easily if I failed to wash my hands well enough.
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
13 months ago
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As you know, this will be my 3rd and final response to you questions, after which the thread will be closed.
We spend much of our time on the Forum working to address the widespread misleading and incorrect information found on the internet. Much of what is there is out of date, taken out of context, misinterpreted or just plain wrong. Your questions reflect the problems associated with going to the internet for information.
Let me remind you that you do not know that you had gonorrhea and that, as I explained is is quite unlikely that you do/did. Now on to your questions:
1. The preferred therapy for gonorrhea, including oral gonorrhea is an injection of ceftriaxone however both or the drugs you know you took (cefixime and doxycycline) as well as possibly the one you do not remember the name of cure over 90% of cases of oral gonorrhea. These drugs were previously approved and are easier to administer than the injectables and for that reason are still commonly used. If you had oral gonorrhea (again, very unlikely) the antibiotics you took would have almost certainly cured it.
2. The scenarios you describe would not lead to transmission of gonorrhea in the unlikely circumstance that you had it. Gonorrhea is NOT transmitted through casual contact or on inanimate objects. It is also not transmitted from person to person through transfer of bacteria on a person's hands. Your wife's sore throat is far, far more consistent with a viral sore throat.
This will complete this thread. I hope that the information I have provided will help you to move forward. EWH
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