[Question #11527] More confused

13 months ago

Hello, I recently asked a question concerning oral gonorrhea due to a persistent sore throat I had. This was very painful, red, lasted 2 weeks with no end in sight. It included a sore base of my tongue and the pain in my throat seemed to alternate from one side to the other.

I basically self diagnosed this and ended up getting antibiotics treatment without actually getting tested. My concern:

1) my wife has developed the exact same persistent painful sore throat now. Same pain, and not going away. Does this sound at all likely to be STI related? There has been no sexual contact at all, no kissing, so is it even possible for her sore throat to be oral gonorrhea related?

2) this is very confusing as my throat got better almost immediately after taking the antibiotics but what could it have been?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

13 months ago

Welcome back to the Forum. I'm sorry your wife has developed a sore throat. For all of the reasons discussed in our recent exchange, I am confident that you do not have gonorrhea and that your wife's sore throat is not due to the casual encounter several months ago that you described. Thus:

1. This is NOT oral gonorrhea. It could be a strep throat which, like your sore throat, responds quickly to antibiotics or to a virus that the two of you have passed back and forth.

2. See my comments above.

Your wife might benefit from a strep test. She does not need testing for STIs, including gonorrhea (please remember, as I said before, most oral gonorrhea is asymptomatic) EWH

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