Because symptoms are not always present, you may be infected with gonorrhea and not know it. You can be tested for gonorrhea at Student Health Services. To test for gonorrhea, the physician will use a cotton swab to collect cells from your genitals. If present, symptoms appear within 2 to 14 days. Fifty percent of persons with gonorrhea may show no symptoms.
Men are more likely than women to show signs of infection.
When treated early, there are no long term consequences of gonorrhea. Serious complications can result, however, when left untreated. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - an ascending infection that spreads from the vagina and cervix to the uterus and fallopian tubes. PID can lead to sterility. This is characterized by fever, skin lesions and arthritis type pain.