Treatment for Gonorrhea in Gay Men

Transmission of gonorrhea within the male homosexual community has been on the increase since 2008, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of 2008. Simple strains can often be treated easily; other strains are more challenging because of antibiotic resistance. Gonorrhea tests often do not detect the disease, which can thrive for a long time before being treated.

Tests

• A routine urine test is not designed to detect oral or rectal gonorrhea in gay men. Nucleic acid amplification tests, or NAATs, originally were used just on genitalia but are now approved for use on oral and rectal sites as well.

Treatments

• Treatment for gonorrhea depends on the stage of the disease. If it's a simple case detected early, a short round of antibiotics is typically effective. But if the patient's disease is more advanced or he's resistant to certain drugs, alternative methods will be needed. Also, the area infected–the penis, rectum, or mouth–also influences the drugs prescribed.

Injections

• The CDC recommends injections of ceftriaxone, which is effective in all three infected areas. Spectinomycin is used when the rectum or penis are infected.

Oral

• Oral treatment is administered to patients with mild symptoms who were recently infected with the disease. Antibiotics are typically taken for 48 to 72 hours. If additional treatment is required, antibiotics can be administered for seven to ten days.

Notification

• People who learn they have gonorrhea must inform those with whom they've had sexual contact. Otherwise, incidents of the disease will rise in the gay community.