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 curable with treatment from a clinician. Many people who have it notice nothing at all. That is the main reason testing matters.

This guide covers what the bacterium is, symptoms of gonorrhea at each body site, why the swab location matters, how CDC describes treatment, and what the research says about antibiotic resistance. It also covers where free and low-cost testing is available in Los Angeles.

The short version

Gonorrhea is caused by a bacterium, so it is a bacterial infection. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) say it can be cured with antibiotics a clinician prescribes.
Symptoms can appear in the genitals, throat or rectum, and each site can also have no symptoms.
A test only checks the site it samples. Site-specific testing is how a clinician finds infections that a urine sample alone would miss.
Resistance to antibiotics is a real concern. CDC has changed its recommended treatment over time because of it.
Los Angeles County has several free sexual health clinics, and the county runs a hotline for finding testing.

What gonorrhea is: the organism behind it

Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that grows on warm, moist surfaces of the body. These include the urethra, cervix, rectum, throat and, less often, the eyes. CDC notes that it passes through vaginal, anal or oral sex, and from a pregnant person to a newborn during delivery.

Under a microscope, the bacterium appears as paired round cells. It carries hair-like surface structures that help it attach to the lining of the body. Research suggests it can change those surface proteins often. That may help explain why a past infection does not appear to give lasting protection, so a person can be infected more than once.

The same adaptability shows up in its record with antibiotics. CDC reports that the bacterium has developed resistance to nearly every class of antibiotic used against it over the decades. We return to this below.

Symptoms of gonorrhea by site

CDC describes symptoms that differ by body site and by anatomy. It also stresses that many infections cause none. Because of that, symptoms are not a reliable way to know whether a test is worthwhile. Only a test, read by a clinician, can say.

Genital infection

CDC says people with a penis who have symptoms often notice discharge from the penis and burning with urination. Some have pain or swelling in one testicle.

People with a vagina are more likely to have no symptoms. When symptoms occur, CDC lists increased vaginal discharge, burning with urination and bleeding between periods. These can resemble other common conditions, such as a urinary tract infection or a yeast infection. That overlap is one more reason a test is more useful than guessing.

Throat infection

Gonorrhea in the throat usually causes no symptoms, according to CDC. Some people have a sore throat. A sore throat has many causes, and most are not an STI.

Throat infection can happen after oral sex. A clinician can swab the throat to check for it.

Rectal infection

Rectal gonorrhea also often causes no symptoms. When it does, CDC lists discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or pain during bowel movements.

Rectal infection can occur after receptive anal sex. CDC also notes it can occur in people who have not had anal sex, for example through spread from a nearby site.

Symptoms that mean it is a good time to call a clinic

Discharge, burning with urination, pelvic or testicular pain, or rectal pain or bleeding are all reasons to be seen. So is a partner telling you they tested positive. A clinician can examine you, test the right sites and, if needed, prescribe treatment.

Why site-specific testing matters

A urine sample or a swab of one location tells you about that location. It does not tell you about the throat or rectum. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend testing at each site of exposure. For example, a person who has had oral and anal sex can be tested at the throat and rectum as well as the genitals.

This is why many people are surprised to learn that a negative urine result does not cover every site. If you tell the clinician which kinds of sex you have had, they can choose the swabs that match. You do not need to describe more than you are comfortable with, but the more they know, the better the test choice.

CDC describes the main lab method as a nucleic acid amplification test, or NAAT. It looks for the genetic material of the bacterium and is the preferred test for most sites. A clinician may also send a culture, which grows the bacterium. A culture matters when treatment may have failed, because it allows a lab to check which antibiotics still work against that strain.

Who CDC and USPSTF say should be screened

Screening means testing someone who has no symptoms. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends gonorrhea screening for sexually active women aged 24 or younger, and for older women at increased risk. CDC's 2021 guidelines add that sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men should be screened at least once a year at the sites where they have had sex. CDC says more frequent screening, at intervals of 3 to 6 months, may be useful for those at higher risk.

CDC also recommends that people with HIV be screened and that pregnant people at increased risk be screened. Ask a clinician which of these applies to you.

On timing, CDC does not give a single short window for every test and situation. If you are testing after a possible exposure, tell the clinician when it happened. They can tell you whether to test now, test again later, or both.

Is gonorrhea curable? Treatment as CDC describes it

Yes. According to CDC, gonorrhea is curable with the right antibiotic treatment. That treatment is prescribed or given by a clinician. This page does not list doses or schedules, and you should not try to treat it on your own or with leftover medicine.

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) recommend an injectable antibiotic called ceftriaxone for uncomplicated gonorrhea of the genitals, rectum or throat. The guidelines say that if chlamydia has not been ruled out, the clinician may add a second antibiotic for that infection. People with certain allergies, and people with more complicated infections, may be handled differently. A clinician decides based on your health history.

What to expect after treatment

CDC advises avoiding sex until treatment is complete and symptoms have gone away, and until any recent partners have been treated. This lowers the chance of passing the infection back and forth.

CDC also recommends that people treated for gonorrhea be retested about three months later, because repeat infection is common. Retesting at three months is different from a test-of-cure. The first is routine. The second is for specific situations.

Test-of-cure for throat infections

A test-of-cure is a follow-up test to confirm treatment worked. CDC's 2021 guidelines say it is generally not needed for genital or rectal infection treated with the recommended regimen. For throat infection, CDC advises a test-of-cure when a person was treated with an alternative regimen, about 14 days afterward, using culture or NAAT. Throat infections are harder to clear, and alternative regimens are less proven.

CDC adds that anyone whose symptoms continue after treatment should be re-evaluated. A clinician may send a culture so the lab can check antibiotic susceptibility. Tell your clinician if symptoms continue or return.

Treating partners

CDC recommends that recent sex partners be evaluated and offered treatment. California allows a clinician, in some situations, to provide treatment for a partner without examining them first. This is called expedited partner therapy. The CDC's legal summary for California cites Health and Safety Code section 120582. Not every clinic or situation will use it, so ask your clinician.

Doxy-PEP and gonorrhea

In 2024, CDC issued guidance on doxycycline taken after sex, called doxy-PEP, to lower the chance of some bacterial STIs. CDC recommends it be discussed with gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and with transgender women, who have had a bacterial STI in the past 12 months. CDC says the evidence of benefit is strongest for syphilis and chlamydia, and weaker for gonorrhea.

Doxy-PEP is a prescription decision made with a clinician. It does not replace regular testing. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) sexual health clinics list DoxyPEP among their services, at no patient charge.

Complications and why early care matters

CDC explains that untreated gonorrhea can cause serious problems. In people with a uterus, it can spread to the reproductive organs and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to long-term pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, or trouble getting pregnant. In people with a penis, it can cause painful swelling of the tube near the testicle. Rarely, it can spread into the blood or joints.

CDC also notes that having gonorrhea can make it easier to get or pass HIV. A pregnant person with untreated gonorrhea can pass it to the baby, who can develop eye infections or other problems.

These are reasons for testing and prompt care. They are not reasons for fear. When found, the infection is treatable.

Antibiotic resistance: what the research suggests

CDC describes antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea as an urgent public health threat. Over the decades, the bacterium developed resistance to penicillin, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, and later to azithromycin in some strains. CDC's surveillance system tracks how well drugs still work.

As resistance changed, so did CDC's advice. The 2021 guidelines moved to ceftriaxone as the main recommended drug, partly because other drugs were becoming less reliable. Researchers continue to watch for strains with reduced response to ceftriaxone. Such strains have been reported in other parts of the world, and surveillance aims to catch them early.

For readers, three practical points follow from this research:

Take only what a clinician prescribes, and follow their instructions.
Get retested if symptoms continue, since a culture can show which drugs work.
Do not share or save antibiotics. Using the wrong drug can both fail to cure and add to resistance.

Gonorrhea in Los Angeles: the local numbers

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD Programs, published a 2024 STI surveillance snapshot. It reports a gonorrhea rate of 252 per 100,000 people, or 23,272 cases. These figures are provisional and cover Los Angeles County excluding Long Beach and Pasadena, which have their own health departments.

For comparison, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports a 2024 statewide gonorrhea rate of 173.3 per 100,000 (67,869 cases). The county and state sources use different geographies and data dates, so treat the comparison as a general picture, not an exact ranking.

The county also reports early syphilis at 36 per 100,000 in the same snapshot. Gonorrhea and syphilis can be tested for in the same visit, so many people choose a full panel.

How reporting works

Under California regulations (Title 17, section 2500), health care providers must report gonococcal infections to the local health officer. Laboratories report results under section 2505. This reporting is how counts like those above are produced. DPH says its clinics will not report immigration status.

Where to get tested in Los Angeles

There are several free and low-cost options. For a fuller list with details, see our guide to STD testing in Los Angeles. The clinics below come from the county's published information. Hours and walk-in policies can change, so check with the clinic or the health department before you go.

Los Angeles County DPH sexual health clinics

DPH says its sexual health clinics provide STD testing, HIV testing, treatment, PrEP, PEP and DoxyPEP at no patient charge. Insurance is billed if you have it, with no copay or coinsurance. DPH lists these Los Angeles locations:

Central Health Center: 241 Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Appointments are preferred, with limited walk-ins. DPH's schedule lists registration Tuesday through Friday and closed Monday.
MLK Jr. Center for Public Health: 11833 S. Wilmington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90059. Appointments are preferred, with limited walk-ins.
Pacoima Health Center: 13300 Van Nuys Blvd, Pacoima, CA 91331. This site is screening only. DPH says people with symptoms or a possible exposure should book at another DPH clinic for evaluation and treatment.

All DPH appointments go through one scheduling line, (213) 449-7009. DPH says telehealth visits can be booked by phone, and that results come through the LA Health Portal in 2 to 10 business days.

Community clinics

Los Angeles LGBT Center, McDonald/Wright Building: 1625 N. Schrader Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028. County listings show walk-ins accepted and same-day appointments, Monday to Friday, 10am to 7pm. Call (323) 993-2997. The Center's page does not state the price of STI testing.
AHF Wellness Center, Western: 1811 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027. AHF says testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV is free and no appointment is needed. County listings show Tuesday to Friday 10am to 8pm and Saturday 9:30am to 5:30pm. Call 1 (855) 783-2434.
APLA Health, Gleicher/Chen Health Center Annex (Baldwin Hills): 3741 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90016. Call (213) 201-5000. APLA says its Out Here locations offer free or low-cost sexual health services. Its pages direct patients to book an appointment, and it does not publish fee details.
Watts Health Center: 10300 Compton Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90002. County listings show STD screening and treatment, daily 9am to 2pm. Call 1 (323) 564-4331. The clinic's page was not checked for cost or walk-in policy, so ask when you call.

Teens and young adults

Children's Hospital Los Angeles lists STD services for youth aged 12 to 24 at 3250 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Call 1 (323) 361-7550. The county listing shows weekday hours. Cost and walk-in details were not available, so ask when you call.

California Family Code section 6926 allows a minor aged 12 or older to consent to care for STIs. Guttmacher Institute's summary of state policy lists no parental-notification requirement for California. DPH says its clinics tell patients 12 and older they can be tested and treated without their parents knowing.

Testing from home

The county's Division of HIV and STD Programs runs a free home test kit for chlamydia and gonorrhea, called I Know, for people with a vagina aged 12 to 44 in Los Angeles County. The kit, lab test and return postage are free, and results are online or by phone. The program's hotline is (800) 758-0880. A vaginal swab kit does not test the throat or rectum, so ask a clinician if you need those sites checked.

Other ways to find a clinic

The LA County STD hotline for finding free testing is 800-758-0880, and the HIV hotline is 800-367-AIDS (2437). You can also use CDC's locator at gettested.cdc.gov.

Questions to ask at your visit

Which sites should be swabbed, based on the kinds of sex I have had?
Will I be tested for chlamydia, syphilis and HIV at the same visit?
How will I get my results, and how long will they take?
If I need treatment, can it be given at this clinic?
When should I be retested, and does a throat infection need a follow-up test?
Is expedited partner therapy available for my partners?

A note on stigma

Gonorrhea is one of the most commonly reported bacterial infections in the country. It affects people of every gender, orientation and background. Getting tested is a routine part of health care, and clinicians see these visits every day.

Key takeaways

Is gonorrhea curable? CDC says yes, with antibiotics prescribed by a clinician.
Symptoms of gonorrhea vary by site and are often absent, so testing is the only way to know.
Gonorrhea treatment follows CDC guidance that has changed as resistance has grown.
Throat infections may need a follow-up test, depending on the treatment used.
Los Angeles has free and low-cost testing, including county clinics and hotlines.

Gonorrhea: Symptoms, Testing and Treatment in Los Angeles