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Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that often doesn’t have symptoms. But even if you’re asymptomatic, you can transmit the STI to another person.
Left untreated, gonorrhea can spread to the reproductive and urinary tracts, and in rare cases, it could travel to your bloodstream and damage your heart. It’s helpful to know that once detected, gonorrhea is highly treatable with antibiotics.
Testing for gonorrhea is the first step to help prevent complications. You can do this in a medical setting, or you can take an at-home gonorrhea test. The tests on our list are easy to use, offer results within days, and are highly accurate.
We carefully review products before we recommend them to ensure they meet high standards for medical credibility, good business practices, privacy practices and security, and social impact. Specific to at-home STI tests, we further consider:
Methods used for collection: Test collection methods may involve saliva, urine, or blood through a finger-prick.
Speed of results: You may need to wait longer than a week for some options. We prioritize tests that return results in a few days.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that in 2022, a total of 648,056 cases of gonorrhea were reported, but that because of disruptions to reporting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these numbers may not reflect the true number of infections.
If left untreated, the infection can affect the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and urethra in people with vaginas. In those with a penis, it can also affect the urethra.
N. gonorrhoeae can infect other areas of the body as well, including the mouth, throat, eyes, and rectum.
Symptoms usually appear between 2 and 14 days after exposure. However, most cases of gonorrhea are asymptomatic.
When someone does experience symptoms, they usually include:
burning or pain while urinating
yellow, white, or green discharge
itching, soreness, or skin irritation
abdominal, pelvic, rectal, or genital pain
Regardless of whether someone has symptoms, a person can transmit the bacteria. That’s why it’s important to get tested regularly.
If untreated, gonorrhea can cause complications such as:
Note that the incubation period for gonorrhea, or the amount of time it takes to test positive after exposure, ranges from 1–14 days. That’s why experts recommend getting tested for gonorrhea 2 weeks after potential exposure and then again several weeks later.
If you get tested before that, you might receive a negative result, even if you’re positive. Or if you receive a positive diagnosis, it could be because you came into contact prior to your last sexual encounter.
Getting treatment quickly
If you find out the person you had sex with has gonorrhea, talk with a healthcare professional right away. If it’s within 1–3 days after exposure, you may be able to get an antibiotic as a precaution against infection. You can also talk with your partner about expedited partner therapy, or EPT.
Getting test results can be potentially confusing or a source of anxiety. Every test on this list gives you the option of quickly connecting with a healthcare professional at no or low cost.
If there’s a healthcare professional you trust, you can also speak with them to discuss your results, treatment for a positive diagnosis, and next steps.
Yes, testing for gonorrhea at home is a safe, accurate, and secure alternative. Most at-home STI testing brands use the same type of samples as an in-office collection.
In addition, most at-home testing companies send your samples to the same exact labs that in-person healthcare professionals use. This means the accuracy of the results is the same.
Finally, all the tests listed here are completely confidential and private — they have to be under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Even the packaging for these tests is discreet. The only indication of where the package is coming and going is the shipping label.
Instant tests for gonorrhea do exist at slightly higher price points. Though there are no instant STD tests on our list, the ones we do recommend return results quickly — anywhere from 2–7 days.
Instant gonorrhea tests are available at certain health facilities, and there are some companies that also make instant home kits.
Not all rapid STD tests have the same level of accuracy. For gonorrhea, vaginal swab sample tests are considered more accurate and preferable to urine tests.
Regularly testing for STIs is important for anyone who is sexually active, for your own health and to protect others. And at-home gonorrhea tests, like the ones on our list, make it easier to do so.
Note, if you’re looking for free or reduced-cost STI testing, there are programs and resources that can help.
You can also find at-home STI tests at some retail stores like Walmart or Walgreens.
Last medically reviewed on February 27, 2024
How we reviewed this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
