In medical circles, chlamydia and gonorrhea are referred to as silent diseases because their signs and symptoms are hard to notice. Sometimes they are totally absent, so one can have either of the two without knowing it.
This is one of the reasons why it is so easy to spread any of these sexually transmitted diseases to your partner. Worse, they can be spread during any kind of sex, so you are advised to test for these diseases at least once every year.
Often, the signs and symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhea are similar and are not different from those in women, so you should have a test if you or your spouse gets any of the following:
Painful urination
Unusual penis discharge (or vaginal discharge in women)
Burning or itchy sensation around the penis (vagina in women)
Gonorrhea also manifests through painful or swollen testicles
A sore throat
For women, the above signs may also come with bleeding between menstrual periods, abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever or painful sex.
If you or your partner experiences any of these signs, especially if either or both of you have more than one partner, stop all kinds of sexual activity and seek medical help for yourself and all your partners.
You should not have sex until you have taken all your medicine and you are declared free of infection.
