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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you think you have gonorrhea, you're likely to start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. If your gonorrhea causes complications, you may be referred to specialists.
Because appointments can be brief and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For gonorrhea, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Is gonorrhea causing my symptoms?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- Should I be tested for other sexually transmitted diseases?
- Should my partner be tested for gonorrhea?
- How long should I wait before resuming sexual activity?
- How can I prevent gonorrhea in the future?
- What gonorrhea complications should I be alert for?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What Web sites do you recommend?
- What will determine whether I should plan for a follow-up visit?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may allow more time later to cover other points you want to address. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have your symptoms been continuous, or occasional?
- How severe are your symptoms?
What you can do in the meantime
Abstain from sex until you see your doctor. Alert your sex partners that you're experiencing signs and symptoms, so they may consider seeing their doctors for testing.
- Handsfield HH, et al. Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's: Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2005:2514..
- Gonorrhea - CDC fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/gonorrhea/STDFact-gonorrhea.htm. Accessed Nov. 11, 2008.
- del Rio C, et al. Update to CDC's "Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2006:" Fluoroquinolones no longer recommended for treatment of gonococcal infections. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. 2007;56:332.
- Swygard H, et al. Patient information: Gonorrhea. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Nov. 19, 2008.
- Workowski KA, et al. Emerging antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Urgent need to strengthen prevention strategies. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008;148:606.
- Holder NA. Gonococcal infections. Pediatrics in Review. 2008;29:228.
- Screening for gonorrhea: Recommendation statement. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf05/gonorrhea/gonrs.htm. Accessed Nov. 24, 2008.
