This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

Gonorrhea is a common bacterial infection, and it is one of the easier STIs to treat once it is found. The hard part is finding it. Many people have no symptoms at all, so the only way to know is a test.

This guide explains the symptoms of gonorrhea by body site, why the site of the test matters, what gonorrhea treatment looks like under CDC guidance, and how antibiotic resistance fits in. It also covers what the numbers look like in Fulton and DeKalb counties and where to get tested in Atlanta.

What gonorrhea is

Gonorrhea is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The CDC says it spreads through vaginal, anal or oral sex. It can infect the genitals, the rectum and the throat. It can also pass from a pregnant person to a baby during birth.

Anyone who has sex can get gonorrhea, whatever their gender or orientation. Having it says nothing about a person's character. It is a bacterial infection, and bacteria do not care who you are.

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) are the main source for this page. Local numbers come from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the CDC.

Symptoms of gonorrhea by site

The CDC says many people with gonorrhea have no symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they depend on where the infection is. Symptoms alone cannot tell anyone whether they have gonorrhea, because other conditions cause similar signs. Only a test can answer that.

Genital infection

According to the CDC, symptoms of gonorrhea in a penis can include:

Burning or pain when urinating
White, yellow or green discharge from the penis
Pain or swelling in one or both testicles

The CDC says symptoms in a vagina or cervix can include:

More discharge than usual
Burning when urinating
Bleeding between periods or after sex
Pain in the lower belly during sex

These signs are easy to mistake for a urinary tract infection or a yeast infection. That is one reason testing matters.

Rectal infection

The CDC lists several possible signs of rectal gonorrhea. They include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding and painful bowel movements. Many rectal infections cause no symptoms at all.

Throat infection

The CDC notes that gonorrhea in the throat usually causes no symptoms. Some people have a sore throat, but sore throats have many common causes. A throat infection can go unnoticed for a long time unless someone tests that site.

What can happen without treatment

The CDC says untreated gonorrhea in women and other people with a uterus can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. That can cause long-term pelvic pain and problems with becoming pregnant. In people with a penis, it can cause a painful infection of the tube behind the testicle called epididymitis. Rarely, the bacteria spread to the blood or joints. The CDC also says that having gonorrhea can make it easier to get or pass HIV.

These outcomes are the reason for testing, not a reason for fear. Finding the infection early lets a clinician treat it before it causes harm.

Why site-specific testing matters

A urine sample can only detect infection in the urinary tract and genitals. It will not show whether bacteria are in the throat or rectum. The CDC recommends testing each site where sex has happened, because an infection at one site does not mean the other sites are infected, and a negative result at one site says nothing about the others.

In practice, a clinician can use:

A urine sample or a swab from the vagina for genital infection
A swab from the throat for oral exposure
A swab from the rectum for anal exposure

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) use a nucleic acid amplification test, called a NAAT, as the preferred test. It looks for the genetic material of the bacteria and is sensitive.

The CDC recommends at least yearly screening for gonorrhea in sexually active women under 25, and in older women with risk factors such as a new partner or a partner with other partners. The USPSTF makes a similar recommendation. For gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, the CDC recommends at least yearly screening at each site of contact, and more often for people at higher risk. Pregnant people at risk should also be screened, according to the CDC.

If you are not sure which sites to test, tell the clinician what kinds of sex you have. They will not judge. Choosing the right swabs is their job, and it depends on that information.

The CDC does not publish one window period that applies to every gonorrhea test. If you had a recent exposure and want to know when a test is most useful, ask the clinic. They can tell you what their own test is able to detect and when.

Is gonorrhea curable?

Yes. Gonorrhea is curable with the right antibiotics from a clinician. The CDC says this plainly in its treatment guidelines. Unlike HIV, herpes or HPV, which are treatable and manageable but not curable, a bacterial infection like gonorrhea can be cleared.

Two limits are worth knowing. First, treatment clears the infection but does not protect against getting it again. The CDC says reinfection is common, which is why retesting is part of care. Second, treatment cannot undo damage that has already happened, which is another reason not to wait.

Gonorrhea treatment under CDC guidance

Gonorrhea treatment is something only a clinician prescribes. This page does not give amounts or schedules, and you should not treat yourself with leftover medicine. The right choice depends on the site of infection, other infections, allergies and pregnancy.

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend a single injectable antibiotic called ceftriaxone for uncomplicated gonorrhea. Because chlamydia often occurs together with gonorrhea, the CDC says a clinician may add a second antibiotic for chlamydia if that infection has not been ruled out. Your clinician decides what applies to you.

The CDC also gives these general steps:

Avoid sex until treatment is finished and for 7 days afterward, until any partners have also been treated.
Tell recent partners so they can be tested and treated. The CDC recommends partner notification for people who had sex with the patient in the 60 days before symptoms or diagnosis.
Get retested about 3 months after treatment, since reinfection is common.

The CDC legal-status page for Expedited Partner Therapy lists the rules that apply in Georgia. Georgia DPH says expedited partner therapy services can be located through local public health departments. Ask your clinic whether it applies to your situation.

Test of cure for throat infections

For most gonorrhea infections, the CDC does not recommend a routine follow-up test if the person was treated with the recommended medicine and symptoms went away. Throat infections are different. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend a test of cure for pharyngeal gonorrhea, done 7 to 14 days after treatment. The reason is that throat infections have historically been harder to clear than infections at other sites. If symptoms continue after treatment at any site, the CDC says to go back to a clinician for further testing.

A test of cure is separate from the 3-month retest. One checks that treatment worked. The other checks for a new infection.

Antibiotic resistance and why it shapes treatment

The CDC reports that N. gonorrhoeae has developed resistance to nearly every class of antibiotic used against it over the decades. This is why recommendations change. The CDC has updated its gonorrhea guidance more than once as resistance patterns shifted, and the 2021 guidelines reflect the current approach.

Resistance is a reason to finish treatment as directed and to return for follow-up testing when a clinician asks. It is also a reason to avoid medicine that was not prescribed for you.

The CDC's 2024 guidance on doxycycline taken after sex (doxy-PEP) is relevant here. It notes that doxy-PEP showed less protection against gonorrhea than against chlamydia and syphilis. Resistance to doxycycline is also common in gonorrhea. Doxy-PEP is a prescription option to discuss with a clinician, and the Fulton County Board of Health lists DoxyPep among services at its 10 Park Place Health Center. It does not replace regular testing.

Gonorrhea in Atlanta: what the numbers show

Atlanta sits mostly in Fulton County, with a portion in DeKalb County. The Georgia DPH OASIS data tool reports 6,167 gonorrhea cases in Fulton County in 2023, a rate of 569.4 per 100,000 people. DeKalb County had 3,310 cases, a rate of 430.8 per 100,000.

For comparison, the CDC's 2023 STI Surveillance state ranking tables show 30,307 cases in Georgia, a rate of 274.8 per 100,000. That means the Fulton and DeKalb rates are above the statewide rate. Georgia DPH reported 27,649 gonorrhea cases statewide in 2024, but it published no 2024 rate.

These are reported cases. They reflect who got tested and which infections were reported, so the real number of infections is likely higher. The takeaway is simple: gonorrhea is common in metro Atlanta, and regular testing is a normal part of health care here.

Where to get tested in Atlanta

Several clinics in the city offer gonorrhea testing and treatment. This is a short overview. For a fuller list with details, see our guide to STD testing in Atlanta, where to get tested and what it costs.

Clinic	Address and phone	Cost and access
AID Atlanta Wellness Center	1438 W Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30309; (404) 870-7741 for STI testing	AID Atlanta says STI screening is free, treatment is free for reactive screening results, and walk-ins are welcome. Testing is listed Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.
10 Park Place Health Center (Fulton County Board of Health)	10 Park Place S.E., 5th floor, Atlanta, GA 30303; (770) 520-7500	Sliding-scale fees. Walk-in listed Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm, with the last walk-in at 3:00 pm.
Adamsville Regional Health Center (Fulton County Board of Health)	3700 MLK Jr. Drive S.W., Atlanta, GA 30331; (770) 520-7323	Sliding-scale fees. The Board of Health says services may be walk-in or by appointment, and recommends appointments.
Neighborhood Union Health Center (Fulton County Board of Health)	186 Sunset Avenue N.W., Atlanta, GA 30314; (770) 520-7351	Sliding-scale fees. The Board of Health's pages list different days, so call to confirm hours.
Planned Parenthood East Atlanta Health Center	440 Moreland Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30316; 404-688-9300	Insurance not required; accepts insurance and self-pay. Walk-ins are welcome, but Planned Parenthood says only appointments guarantee service. Confirm current hours with the center.

The Fulton County Board of Health says its sexual health clinics serve Fulton County residents ages 14 and up. Its Teen Health Clinic at Adamsville serves ages 12 to 21, and the Board of Health says no teen is turned away for inability to pay. DeKalb Public Health serves the DeKalb portion of Atlanta, and you can check its website for services.

You can also use the CDC's locator at gettested.cdc.gov to find testing sites by ZIP code. Hours and services change, so call before you go. If a clinic's page does not list a price, ask when you call.

Georgia rules worth knowing

Minors and consent. Georgia law, O.C.G.A. section 31-17-7, says a minor who is or says they are affected by a venereal disease may consent to treatment. No parent, guardian or spouse consent is required. The statute also says providers may, but do not have to, inform a parent or guardian. The statute defines venereal disease in section 31-17-1 as syphilis, gonorrhea and chancroid. The statutory text we read does not name every STI, so a teen with questions about other tests should ask the clinic.

Reporting. Georgia DPH lists gonorrhea as a condition that health care providers and laboratories must report within 7 days. Reports go to the health department for public health tracking and partner services.

Questions to bring to a visit

Which sites should be tested, based on the kinds of sex I have?
Do I need a throat swab or a rectal swab as well as urine?
If I am treated, when should I return for a test of cure or a retest?
Should my partners be tested or treated, and how do I tell them?
Would testing for chlamydia, syphilis and HIV make sense at the same visit?

Clinicians hear these questions every day. Asking them is routine, not awkward.

The short version

Many people with gonorrhea have no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know. Symptoms of gonorrhea, when they appear, differ by site: burning and discharge for genital infection, discharge, itching or bleeding for rectal infection, and usually nothing in the throat. A test at each relevant site gives the clearest picture.

Gonorrhea is curable. Gonorrhea treatment is a prescription from a clinician, and the CDC recommends follow-up steps, including a test of cure for the throat and a retest at about 3 months. Free or low-cost testing is available in Atlanta through AID Atlanta, the Fulton County Board of Health and others, and gettested.cdc.gov can help you find more.

Gonorrhea: Symptoms, Testing and Treatment in Atlanta