My heterosexual, constantly famished, hell of a nice kid and frequent European travelling companion, nephew has just figured out that Uncle Dan is a little bent. After reality hit (like a ton of bricks...), after a lot of questioning, a lot of weird questions about sex and sexuality erupted. Well, at least the lines of communication are open. As a physician, I am constantly dumbfounded at the general level of ignorance that exists out there when it comes to matters sexual. In my case, ignorance begins at home, so I'm not too upset that these questions finally get vented, and answered!
Okay, here goes.
Gonorrhea is a bacteria that infects mucous membranes, preferably vaginal or urethral (pee tube). It will also infect the throat (and eyes). It causes a very red, very sore throat and some pretty bad breath (which is a clue, especially in single men). The bug is extremely delicate, and won't survive in a full oxygen environment, or at temperatures much above or below 98.6. Since most doctors can't even imagine that their patients just might be cock suckers, the thought of GC being in a differential diagnosis is almost unheard of. Therefore, if you a) have a sore throat, and b) the rapid strep test comes back negative, than c) clearly you have a viral infection. Unless your doctor is a pervert, (like I am) and has a brain between his ears.
Symptoms of a "non GC" sore throat? Most of us usually get non GC sore throats. Symptoms? It hurts! Tends to be red, swallowing hurts, and tomato soup makes you wish for death. GC is the same. I want a sexual history of all of my patients, the overwhelming majority of whom just happen to be straight. But there is the occasional guy who is willing to be honest with me, and for him, a routine sore throat is not necessarily a simple sore throat. It usually is, but not always.
So cutting through the bull shit here, gonorrhea resides in the urethra of the penis. Any leakage during oral stimulation will result in bugs being released, and exposed to your oral membranes (or rectal, or foreskin, or whatever). The bug as a rule won't make it into the seminal vessicles or your prostate (not that it can't, you understand), which means even if the guy doesn't ****** a wad into your mouth or rectum, you can still get infected. Chlamydia, the main source of non gonococcal infection, behaves the exact same way. It however, has an incubation period of almost a month. Which means, if you sucked Bruce off last month, and haven't done anything other than beat your peter in the interim, you could have non GC pharyngitis. Or you could have old fashion viral pharyngitis. Or even strep you were exposed to last week. This is where patient history comes into the picture. BUT, and it's a big but, if you haven't done ANYTHING for months, you sucked a guy off 2 days ago, and now you have a slightly sore throat, and your kid brother also has a sore throat and a runny nose, and everyone at work is sneezing, its a good bet that you have a cold, and nothing more exotic.
Sorry for the verbosity, I'm sure my old bud Scruffy would approve, but I hope this answers your question(s).
Just because you are gay doesn't mean you can't come down with a routine illness. But, and this is a big caveat, BECAUSE you are gay, you are open to a host of illnesses that most other people do not come down with. And unless your doctor is aware that you engage in naughty behavior that can, at least in theory, result in the more exotic, it is unfair not to inform him or her what really does go on in your life.
Enough!
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