Oral Gonorrhea
Oral (pharyngeal) gonorrhea is exactly what it sounds like — a gonorrhea infection in the throat, acquired through oral sex with an infected partner. It's more common than most people realize, and notably quiet about it.
Why it's so often missed
The majority of oral gonorrhea infections cause no symptoms at all. When symptoms do show up, they tend to look like a fairly unremarkable sore throat — some redness, mild discomfort swallowing — nothing that would prompt most people to think "STD" rather than "cold." This is compounded by the fact that a standard strep throat swab doesn't test for gonorrhea; a separate, specific swab is needed.
Testing and treatment
A throat swab is the standard way to test for it — worth specifically requesting if you've had oral sex with a new or non-monogamous partner, since it won't be caught by a routine urine or blood test. Treatment is antibiotics, though oral gonorrhea has become a particular focus of antibiotic-resistance concern, which is part of why current treatment guidelines are more specific about which antibiotics to use than they were a decade ago.
Related Testing Topics
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