Has gonorrhea been cured if there has been no recurrence for 5 years?

Written by Wang Zhi Guo
Dermatology
Updated on May 21, 2025
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Gonorrhea has been cured without relapse for five years, which generally indicates recovery. To confirm recovery from gonorrhea after treatment, clinical practice typically requires follow-up examinations, involving the collection of urethral secretions from men and cervical secretions from women, to test for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Men can have a smear test; whereas women generally have a culture of cervical secretions for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, as vaginal secretions contain many other bacteria and cannot be used for definitive diagnosis through smear testing alone. If Neisseria gonorrhoeae tests negative twice, it indicates that the gonorrhea has been cured.

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Written by Luo Hong
Dermatology Department
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Can gonorrhea relapse?

Gonorrhea (gonococcus) is caused by a bacterial infection. If it is an initial infection of gonococcus, it can be completely cured using sensitive antibiotics in the prescribed treatment course at a standard hospital. However, if the medication is used irregularly or intermittently by oneself, this can easily lead to drug resistance in gonococcus. Therefore, if drug resistance in gonococcus occurs, the effectiveness of the treatment is relatively poor. Hence, it is crucial to receive treatment at a standard hospital through formal medical procedures. Of course, if it is recurrent gonococcal infection, repeated infections may require a longer treatment course.

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Written by Zhai Yu Juan
Dermatology Department
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Gonorrhea infection route

Gonorrhea is primarily a sexually transmitted disease caused by infection with the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium. The main transmission routes include sexual contact, close living contact such as sharing bathtubs and toilet seats, and mother-to-child transmission. After infection, the symptoms of gonorrhea differ between males and females. Males typically exhibit signs of acute urethritis, characterized by urethral pain and discharge; females, on the other hand, generally show no symptoms, or only mild signs of cervical inflammation.

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Written by Zhai Yu Juan
Dermatology Department
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Is gonorrhea serious?

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the infection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Its primary mode of transmission is through sexual contact, though some patients can also be infected through direct contact, mother-to-child transmission, or close living contact. Early symptoms of gonorrhea in males can include acute urethritis, painful urination, and frequent urination, with pus from the urethral opening in the morning. In females, the symptoms of gonorrhea are generally atypical, possibly presenting only as mild vaginitis or cervicitis. After a diagnosis of gonorrhea, comprehensive formal treatment is necessary. Without proper treatment, gonorrhea can recur and become chronic.

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Written by Qu Jing
Dermatology
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Has gonorrhea gotten better if there is no more pus discharge?

Gonorrhea no longer discharging pus does not necessarily indicate improvement. True improvement can only be confirmed by testing negative. The standard treatment for gonorrhea involves an intramuscular injection of cephalosporin-class medication. Symptoms must be completely controlled, and follow-up checks should be conducted two to three times subsequently. Only if all tests are negative can it be declared cured. If the disease is still detected, further treatment is necessary, and avoiding sexual activity during treatment is crucial. Sexual partners must also be examined. Common complications of gonorrhea include, in males, gonococcal urethritis, which due to improper treatment, alcohol abuse, or sexual activity, may develop further, spreading to the posterior urethra and causing complications such as posterior urethritis, prostatitis, seminal vesiculitis, and epididymitis. These conditions can cause repeated inflammation, leading to scars, urethral stricture, or even blockage of the vas deferens, potentially resulting in infertility. In females, the main complication is gonococcal pelvic inflammatory disease, including acute salpingitis, endometritis, secondary tubo-ovarian abscess and complications from rupture like pelvic cysts and peritonitis. Misdiagnosis or mistreatment can easily advance to pelvic and adnexal infections. Recurring episodes may cause fallopian tube constriction, leading to ectopic pregnancy, infertility, or chronic lower abdominal pain.

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Written by Qu Jing
Dermatology
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Can gonorrhea be transmitted through a washing machine?

The probability of transmitting gonorrhea through a washing machine is very low, but it is still recommended to wash separately for safety. Gonorrhea is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, with patients of the disease being the source of infection. In a few cases, it can also be transmitted through contact with secretions containing gonococci, or through contaminated items such as clothing, bedding, towels, bathtubs, and toilets. Gonococci do not grow well outside the human body and have poor resistance to physical and chemical factors. They can survive for 15 minutes at 42°C, only 5 minutes at 52°C, and die within 1 minute at 60°C. In completely dry environments, they die within 1-2 hours, but in not completely dry environments, and in solutions, they can maintain infectivity for more than ten hours, or even several days. However, gonococci are very sensitive to common disinfectants. If sharing a washing machine, you can add hot water or a disinfectant for washing.