We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
WiseGeek

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

What are the Most Common Oral Gonorrhea Symptoms?

Nicole Madison
By
Updated May 17, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGeek is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGeek, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

The most common symptom of oral gonorrhea is a sore throat that develops suddenly and is not accompanied by symptoms of a cold or the flu. In addition to a sore throat, a person with oral gonorrhea may also experience vomiting, pain when swallowing, and fever. It is important to note, however, that a person with oral gonorrhea may not have any symptoms at all or may have oral gonorrhea symptoms that are easily ignored or overlooked. When these symptoms do develop, they are usually noticed within 10 days of exposure.

A person who has been exposed to gonorrhea via his mouth may develop symptoms of oral gonorrhea. The symptom he is most likely to develop is a sore throat that develops suddenly. His throat may also appear reddened and inflamed. Sometimes a person with this condition may also find swallowing painful. Vomiting or fever may develop as well, but these symptoms are less common.

While a person may develop oral gonorrhea and not have any obvious symptoms, some people do develop signs that they have been infected with the sexually transmitted disease (STD). When a person does have symptoms, he is likely to notice them within about a week to 10 days after infection. An individual who thinks he may have a case of oral gonorrhea is typically advised to see his doctor right away for treatment with antibiotics. Prompt treatment may help a patient to not only enjoy relief from oral gonorrhea symptoms, but also avoid potential complications of the disease.

Often, people who develop oral gonorrhea symptoms do not even suspect an STD when symptoms develop. They may not be aware that the STD can affect a person’s throat. Gonorrhea infections are not limited to those that affect the genitals, however. A person may contract oral gonorrhea through oral-to-genital contact. An individual may even develop a gonorrhea infection of the rectum after anal sex.

Most people are more familiar with genital gonorrhea. This is probably due to the fact that the genital version of this STD is more likely to cause symptoms than the oral version. Regardless of whether or not it causes symptoms, however it should not be left untreated. In some cases, oral gonorrhea may cause tonsillitis or throat ulcers if left untreated. In others, especially in patients with weakened immune systems, it may also contribute to the development of serious infections that can threaten a patient’s overall health.

WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Nicole Madison
By Nicole Madison , Writer
Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGeek writer, where she focuses on topics like homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. Her passion for knowledge is evident in the well-researched and informative articles she authors. As a mother of four, Nicole balances work with quality family time activities such as reading, camping, and beach trips.
See our Editorial Process Share Feedback

Related Articles

Discussion Comments

By anon966231 — On Aug 18, 2014

Does someone know if a simple swab test would indicate a problem like this one? I'm a foreigner and today I went to the lab and there they told me that they can only perform a simple swab test. So if I do this, would the test show something? Please, I'm so confused.

By anon323339 — On Mar 04, 2013

Does the treatment of gonorrhea work on all of the gonorrhea infections, Such as oral, anal and genital gonorrhea?

By irontoenail — On Jun 30, 2011

@Agni3 - I believe the treatment for both oral and genital gonorrhea is antibiotics, taken in the form of pills. So, yes, it would just be the one course of pills to get rid of all the infections.

Of course if you want to treat the symptoms a person might be doing different things depending on what's happening. For example, using a numbing throat spray to help with the symptoms for oral gonorrhea.

The best way to prevent this kind of infection is to only have sex with people you know (from test results) are clean.

And if there is any doubt, there are special shields you can purchase so you can still have oral sex (or in the case of a man, you can use a condom).

By croydon — On Jun 29, 2011

@Domido - Gonorrhea can't be contracted from kissing. Even though it can infect the throat, it is "designed" to be infecting the genitals and it only spreads through semen or vaginal fluids.

Saliva doesn't carry the virus in other words. All the information I've found online says that there are no documented cases of oral gonorrhea being transmitted through kissing, although that's not to say it is absolutely impossible.

Most of the time I think a throat infection is asymptomatic anyway. Which is one of the dangers, really since it can eventually cause bigger problems if it is left untreated.

By Domido — On Jun 29, 2011

Here is an incredibly scary thought and suggestion. Perhaps someone out there in the big, ole wiseGEEK world will have a good answer for me.

Is it possible that oral gonorrhea, which might or might not come along with regular gonorrhea symptoms, could be contracted through simple kissing?

Because let me tell you, I am in no way a lose woman, so to speak. But, being a single lady of middle age, I will flat lay one on a man if I’m of a mind to. I always thought it was pretty innocuous and a way to test chemistry.

Now, I’m not so sure. Untreated oral gonorrhea does not sound fun to me, or innocuous for that matter.

By Agni3 — On Jun 28, 2011

I had no idea that there was even such a thing as oral gonorrhea – gees! I suppose this means that a person who contracted genital or anal gonorrhea from a partner might have also contracted gonorrhea of the throat. I’m also guessing the oral kind comes from oral sex.

So, here is the real question – does the same treatment take care of all of these gonorrhea infections at once? I sure hope so for the poor people who are having to deal with all of it. It seems like they’ve got a good shot at having at least two of them at once, if not all three.

Nicole Madison

Nicole Madison

Writer

Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGeek writer, where she focuses on topics like...
Learn more
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.