When the infection occurs in the genital tract, mouth, or rectum of a child, it is due most commonly to sexual abuse. The early symptoms of gonorrhea often are mild. Symptoms usually appear within two to 10 days after sexual contact with an infected partner. A small number of people may be infected for several months without showing symptoms. More advanced symptoms, which indicate development of PID, include cramps and pain, bleeding between menstrual periods, vomiting, or fever.
Men have symptoms more often than women.
Symptoms of rectal infection include discharge, anal itching, and occasional painful bowel movements with fresh blood on the feces. Many doctors prefer to use more than one test to increase the chance of an accurate diagnosis. The staining test involves placing a smear of the discharge from the penis or the cervix on a slide and staining the smear with a dye. Then the doctor uses a microscope to look for bacteria on the slide. You usually can get the test results while in the office or clinic.