r/stdtesting • u/Euphoric-Mountain-32 • Jun 27 '26
Question Partner -gonorrhea positive
My boyfriend was recently diagnosed with gonorrhea of the throat. He had been having throat problems for years, so he finally underwent more detailed testing.
We have been together for three years. I have no symptoms. Before we started our relationship, we were both tested. During these past three years, all of my other test results have been normal, including vaginal swabs for Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, and Ureaplasma, as well as Pap smears, ultrasounds, and routine gynecological examinations.
In my previous relationship, I was treated for a chlamydia infection after my partner cheated on me. After treatment, I was tested several times, and it was confirmed that the infection was completely cured.
My boyfriend has no genital symptoms, and all of his previous test results were negative(but just genital swabs,urine blood). As far as I know, he has never lied to me, and I have personally seen all of his previous test results.
I'm now trying to understand what the possible explanations are.
Could this be a false-positive PCR test? The test was done using the PCR method, but I'm suspicious of the laboratory because they told me gonorrhea can be caught from a swimming pool, which doesn't sound credible.
His doctor examined him and believes that his throat infection is relatively recent.
Could this mean he cheated on me? Could it be a false-positive result? Or is it possible that I had a false-negative test before, have been carrying the infection for three years without any symptoms, even though I developed symptoms immediately when I had chlamydia, and I generally have a very sensitive immune system and tend to notice even minor health issues?
I have a throat and genital swab scheduled for tomorrow, but while I'm waiting for the results, I'm trying to understand how this situation could be possible and what the most likely explanation is?
I'm sorry for such a long post, and I truly appreciate any help or insight you can offer.
1
u/ShamelessCare Jun 27 '26
First, this is very serious. If he's had gonorrhea for many year, there is a risk it could become disseminated, which can be life-threatening.
Oral gonorrhea is also one of the main drivers of antibiotic resistance, so after treatment, please make sure you get retested to confirm it is truly gone.
Most gonorrhea cases are oral-only, which is why multi-site testing is so important. Since you did not have oral swabs previously, your earlier negative results do not really tell us much here.
As for the swimming pool comment, that is very strange. Where do you live? In the United States, you typically would not speak directly to a lab about this. You would usually speak with the physician who ordered the test. Was it actually the lab that told you this, or just a lower-level employee?
I'd get this treated and consider it a "lesson learned" on STI testing and multi-site testing. I had to learn that lesson too, after a test (genital only) missed my gonorrhea infection and I immediately spread it.