[Question #12523] STD

7 months ago

Hi there, basically me and my partner were at a dog private swimming pool thing for our dogs birthday. A day or two Afterwards myself and my partner were really sore downstairs with symptoms of an std. my partner has since been tested and tested positive for gonnorhea. We are in a closed relationship and none of us have cheated to my knowledge. Is it possible to have contracted this from the water which felt unchlorinated or through putting dog toys in our mouths on the day? Really confused

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

7 months ago

Welcome to the forum. Thank you for your confidence in our services.

I'm happy to address this question. There may be a possibility it isn't gonorrhea at all; or that symptoms only now are showing for an infection acquired some time ago.

But for a more cogent reply, it would be helpful to know more about you and your partner. What sex(es) are the two of you? How long have you been committed partners, and how recently have each of you had sex with anyone else? Does "down there" mean penis, vaginal area, anal area, or some combination of them? Is there only soreness -- no discharge? If discharge, from where? Like mucus or milky or yellow (like pus)? Any visible sores? I understand the symptoms began after "a day or two", but can you be more precise? As soon as 24 hours? 48? Maybe actually 2-3 days or more? How long has it been since the symptoms started? And finally, what test(s) were done to diagnose gonorrhea?

I'm looking forward to hearing more!

HHH, MD

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7 months ago

Hi there, pain was roughly 48-72 hours later. Closed relationship for 4 years so no sex with anyone else. pain in vagina (blood in urine, general pain down there, and a scab like feeling there too). She tested positive from a home kit and I have since tested negative using the same brand of home kit from the NHS. We have had sex roughly 4 times since that day unprotected so I am wondering if it’s even a possibility that I wouldn’t catch it from her and more importantly if it was possible she could have caught it that day in the dog pool/through having dog toys in her mouth.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

7 months ago

Thanks for the additional information, but some important aspects remain missing. How long has it been since onset of her symptoms -- since you've had sex 4 times since then, it must be at least a few days, right? Also, your original question says you also have had symptoms: please describe them. Has either you or your partner seen a doctor or clinic and have either of you been treated? With what? Can you provide the details of the home self test for gonorrhea you and your partner used?

Your partner's symptoms are not typical for gonorrhea, which generally does not cause genital area pain or blood in urine. Does it hurt when she urinates? Is there urinary frequency or urgency (like "Gotta go RIGHT NOW")? Does "scab like feeling" mean genital area sores? Is there any painful swelling in her groin? Abdominal pain?

Gonorrhea could not have been acquired by contact with pool water, no matter how clean or unclean it appeared; and certainly not by oral contact with the water, either directly or on a dog toy. (Were you bathing in it as well?) Almost certainly none of this has anything at all to do with the dog bath event. The explanation probably will be either a) misdiagnosis by the rapid test, with something other than gonorrhea explaining her symptoms, or b) in fact, one of you must have acquired gonorrhea from another partner. (Gonorrhea can last a long time, but nowhere near 4 years.)

If you and she have not had in-person care, you need to do that ASAP. Mention of NHS implies you're in UK; if so, a superb plan would be for the two of you together to visit your nearest NHS genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. It now being Sunday evening, I would advise doing so first thing Monday. In the meantime, I'll be interested in your answer to my additional questions and may have still further advice.

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7 months ago

She has the need to go when peeing yes but most of the time nothing comes out, and yes also like genital sores alongside general discomfort and need to itch down there, if not gonnorhea what would you say these symptoms sound like? What do you mean gonnorhea wouldn’t last 4 years does that mean it would go away on its own if untreated? Thanks for the help so far

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

7 months ago

With these additional details for her symptoms, newly acquired genital herpes is a consideration. If there is good news in that possibility, this would not necessarily imply either of you had other sex partners recently; but it could mean that you have genital herpes, perhaps without symptoms, and recently infected her. However, this remains only a reasonable guess. It reinforces my advice for getting in-person care ASAP: both accurate diagnosis of genital herpes and effective treatment depend on getting care within a few days of symptom onset, so don't delay!

Threads normally are closed after two follow-up comments and replies, and this makes three already. I'll leave the thread open so you can report the outcome after your partner (and preferably you as well) have seen the GUM clinic or other doctor. But I will have no other comments or advice until then. Good luck with all this.

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7 months ago

Okay no problem, last thing if possible which could be a yes or no answer. Is it possible to have had sex with an infected person a few times and not catch an std from them

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

7 months ago

"Is it possible to have had sex with an infected person a few times and not catch an std from them?" Yes indeed: this happens all the time, but it varies between different STDs. If your wife had gonorrhea, probably you would have been infected after unprotected vaginal sex four times, but not necessarily. If it's herpes, then you had to be the source of her infection, and will never catch it again from her. (People are immune to new infections with the HSV they already have.)

That's my last comment unless and until you report the outcome of in-person medical care. I'll close the thread if I don't see that comment in the next few days.

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