How To Test For Gonorrhea At Home

Testing for chlamydia at home can be convenient, easy and affordable. Really, what’s better than that? Well, we’ll tell you! When you use one of myLAB Box’s chlamydia home test kit options, you will be screened for gonorrhea as well. That sounds like a win-win to us!

Here’s How At Home Gonorrhea Test Kits Work:

• Order your STD panel kit online. Don’t worry, we even include free shipping!
• Test yourself at any time and from any place using the easy-to-follow instructions. This part only takes five minutes!
• Send your sample back to the lab with the pre-paid return envelope that comes with your kit.
• Get results online in a matter of days. Once you receive our email, you can log into a secure portal for your private results.

When you order myLAB Box’s gonorrhea test kit, it comes in one combo mail-in kit, which tests for both gonorrhea and chlamydia. Both are bacterial infections and often occur at the same time. They also both rarely show symptoms, but if they do show the symptoms are similar for both. For this reason, testing for them together makes the most sense.

What Is Included With a Gonorrhea Test Kit?

When testing for gonorrhea, it is important to test for oral and anal infections as well as genital infections, particularly for people who have engaged in oral or anal sex. In some cases, your gonorrhea test kit will be part of a panel that also screens for additional infections. In these combination packages, you can test for multiple infections using a single sample. These tests allow you to have a more comprehensive awareness of your overall health.

In some cases, your gonorrhea test kit is part of a panel that also screens for additional infections. In these combination packages, you can test for multiple infections using a single sample.  These tests allow you to have a more comprehensive awareness of your overall health.

Single Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Test:

Fortunately, when you use any home gonorrhea test from myLAB Box, you are also testing for chlamydia. This test kit is the perfect option if you know or believe that you were exposed to these particular infections. It tests for genital gonorrhea and chlamydia. Single infection tests are also available for trichomoniasis, genital herpes, bacterial vaginosis, yeast, HIV, HPV (for women 30+ years old), mycoplasma genitalium, syphilis and hepatitis C.

Extragenital Test:

This option allows for three-site testing. It detects gonorrhea and chlamydia in the genitals, just like the single infection test above. However, it also tests for these infections in the mouth and rectum. This test is most appropriate if you participate in oral or anal sex.

V-Box:

This test screens for common causes of abnormal vaginal discharge, including yeast, bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis.

Safe Box:

This five-panel test screens for some of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. This includes HIV (I & II), Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Trichomoniasis.

Uber Box:

This 8-panel test kit screens for the same infections as the Safe Box (HIV I & II, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Trichomoniasis), but also includes HSV-2 genital herpes, Hepatitis C and Syphilis as well.

Total Box:

The Total Box is the most comprehensive at-home test on the market. Period. This test is perfect for those who want to get a full picture of their health. It screens for the fourteen most common infections in the United States: HIV (I & II), Hepatitis C, HSV-2, Syphilis, Chlamydia (genital, throat and rectal), Gonorrhea (genital, throat and rectal), Trichomoniasis and Mycoplasma Genitalium. Women who are 30 years of age and older can also add the option to test for HPV.

Love Box:

This test kit includes two Uber Box tests so that partners can test together for an honest and safe relationship.

Since this is the fourth most common infection in the United States, using a home gonorrhea test is the way to go. While symptoms may not be present, the infection still may be growing in your body and causing not-yet-seen complications.  Being tested is a vital step toward staying healthy.

How Much Does a Gonorrhea Test Cost?

Your gonorrhea test cost depends on which gonorrhea test you are taking. You can go to a clinic or a medical facility to be tested, but if you are paying out-of-pocket, your gonorrhea test cost will be double what you would pay with an at-home health test. A Gonorrhea + Chlamydia test from myLAB Box costs $79. Adding extragenital tests (screens for anal and oral infections in addition to genital infections) for both STDs costs $179.

There are also a number of combination panel test kits that allow you to test for multiple common STDs and infections with a single sample set. The cost of these kits vary, but they give you a full picture of your health and put you on the right path to being a happier and healthier you.

Anyone who is sexually active is at risk for contracting gonorrhea and should be testing for it regularly. As one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the country, it pays to know the facts. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 820,000 new infections occur in the United States each year. More than 2/3 of those infections are among people who are 15-24 years old.

When detected early, gonorrhea is curable. If it is left undetected or untreated, this Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) can cause serious health complications. It is a good idea to take a gonorrhea test if you know that you have had sexual relationship with someone else who has the infection.

Common Gonorrhea Symptoms and Warning Signs

While symptoms of gonorrhea can be difficult to recognize, there are some signs that both men and women should look out for. Some of these can include:

• itching
• swelling
• redness
• abnormal discharge
• tenderness
• an urge to urinate

In addition, men may notice a white, yellow, or green urethral discharge or testicular and scrotal pain. Women may experience symptoms that are similar to a common bladder or vaginal infection, increased vaginal bleeding or discharge between her periods.

Gonorrhea is especially serious for women since it can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). PID can lead to chronic pain and damage the fallopian tubes, causing infertility.  In addition, a pregnant woman can pass gonorrhea to her baby during delivery, leading to blindness and joint infection among other complications.

Remember that most sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhea, often don’t show any symptoms. If you are sexually active, you should be testing for sexually transmitted infections and diseases on a regular basis regardless of whether you notice any of the symptoms listed above.

If you are taking a routine test, you may consider taking a panel test, which screens for multiple infections at once.

If You Engage in Oral or Anal Sex

Many people only associate sexually transmitted infections with the genital area. However, it is also possible to get gonorrhea and chlamydia in the throat and rectum areas as well. The glaring problem here is that clinics and doctor’s offices do not automatically test these areas. If someone goes down on you, it can be transferred from their mouth to your genitals. If you go down on another person, it can be transferred from their genitals to your mouth. This means that localized infections in the mouth or rectum often go undiagnosed, even if you get a genital test. For this reason, testing the mouth and rectum is especially important for individuals who engage in oral or anal sex.

Extragenital Signs and Symptoms of Gonorrhea

• discharge
• itching
• soreness
• bleeding
• painful bowel movement

What Happens If I Have Gonorrhea?

If you test positive, gonorrhea is treatable with medications that will both alleviate symptoms and cure the infection. Let your partner know that you’ve tested positive so they can take a gonorrhea test as well.

Obviously, safe sex is smart sex. But condoms can never fully protect you. They could potentially break or slip. In the case of gonorrhea, they also might not even cover the entire infected area.

Bad Ideas: Leaving These Infections Undiagnosed

The fact is, chlamydia is the second most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Gonorrhea is the fourth most common. When left untreated, these infections can spread to your partner. In fact, it can also cause serious health difficulties for you as well. For example, men and women can both develop rectal or throat infections, if exposure occurs in either areas. In particular, it may be difficult or impossible for women with untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea to get pregnant. If they do, these infections may still lead to complications, such as pregnancy outside the womb and long-term pelvic/abdominal pain. 

That’s why everybody needs to get tested. Many men and women will contract gonorrhea during their lifetimes. As we mentioned earlier, gonorrhea is absolutely curable when detected early. But the only way to treat it is to know that you are infected in the first place. Regular testing is the key to a clean bill of sexual health. It’s the only way to avoid the potential complications that untreated gonorrhea can cause.

Think you have gonorrhea symptoms? Don’t wait, get tested!