This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

A positive result after testing for gonorrhea can feel like a lot to take in. It is also a very manageable situation. Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection, and the CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) say it is curable with treatment from a clinician.

This guide walks through what usually happens next, in order. It is written for people in Boston, and it applies to every gender and orientation.

What a positive result means

A positive result means the test found genetic material from the bacteria that cause gonorrhea. Only a clinician can interpret your result alongside your symptoms, your history and the body sites tested. Treat this page as a guide to the process, not a diagnosis.

Gonorrhea can affect the genitals, the throat and the rectum. The CDC notes that many infections cause no symptoms at all. That is why a result often arrives before any sign of illness.

A positive result says nothing about your character or your relationships. It is a common infection, and clinics treat it every day.

In Boston, it is also not rare. Using CDC county data republished by Boston 25 News and Stacker, Suffolk County (which contains Boston) had 2,298 reported gonorrhea cases in 2021, or 298.0 per 100,000 people. That figure covers the whole county, not only the city.

What to have ready (materials needed)

You do not need special supplies. A few things make the next steps smoother:

Your result, either a portal message, a call record or a paper copy.
A list of any medicines you take and any allergies, especially to antibiotics.
A rough timeline of recent sexual partners and when you last had sex with each.
Your insurance card, if you have one. Many Boston options are free or low cost, as described below.
A phone and a calendar for follow-up visits and reminders.

Step-by-step: what to do after a positive result

Step 1: Take a breath and read the whole message

Results often come with instructions, such as a number to call or a visit to book. Read all of it before acting. If something is unclear, calling the clinic is a normal and welcome thing to do.

The Mayor's Health Line (617-534-5050) offers free, confidential, multilingual health information and referrals, according to the City of Boston.

Step 2: Contact a clinician about treatment

Gonorrhea is treated with antibiotics that a clinician prescribes or gives you in the clinic. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) list the recommended approach, and your clinician will choose what fits your situation, including allergies and the site of infection.

Do not use leftover antibiotics or borrowed medicine. The wrong medicine can fail to clear the infection and can add to antibiotic resistance, which the CDC tracks closely for gonorrhea.

If your original test was at a clinic, start there. The clinic already has your result. If you tested somewhere that cannot treat you, ask them for a referral.

Step 3: Pause sex until your clinician says it is safe

The CDC advises people being treated for gonorrhea to avoid sex until treatment is finished and any symptoms have gone away. The CDC also advises waiting until partners have been treated. Your clinician will give you the exact timing for your treatment.

This protects you from passing the infection back and forth. It also protects partners who may not know about it yet.

Step 4: Tell recent partners so they can get care

This is often the hardest step, and it matters. The CDC recommends that recent sex partners be evaluated and offered treatment. The CDC guidance covers partners from roughly the two months before diagnosis, and your clinician can tell you which partners apply to you.

A few ideas that help:

Keep it short and factual: "I tested positive for gonorrhea. You may want to get tested and treated."
Choose a private moment and a calm tone. Blame does not help anyone.
Offer information, such as the clinics listed below.
Ask your clinician or the Boston Public Health Commission (617-534-5395) about help reaching partners if a direct conversation feels unsafe or impossible.

Massachusetts has a law on expedited partner therapy, which lets clinicians prescribe for partners of a patient diagnosed with chlamydia (M.G.L. c. 111, s. 121B and the CDC's summary of Massachusetts law). The CDC page lists chlamydia only. For gonorrhea, ask your clinician what they can offer your partners.

Step 5: Ask about testing other sites and other infections

Gonorrhea can be present at more than one body site, and it sometimes travels with other infections such as chlamydia. The CDC recommends that people with gonorrhea also be offered testing for other STIs, including HIV and syphilis. Ask your clinician which tests make sense for you.

If you are not on HIV prevention medicine, ask about PrEP too. Several Boston clinics list it among their services.

Step 6: Plan your follow-up

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) say most people with uncomplicated gonorrhea do not need a repeat test just to confirm the treatment worked. There are exceptions, such as a throat infection or symptoms that continue. Ask your clinician whether a follow-up visit applies to you.

The CDC also recommends retesting about three months after treatment, because reinfection is common. This is not a sign that you did something wrong. It often happens when a partner was not treated at the same time.

Where to go in Boston

These clinics are listed with the details they publish. Hours change, so call before you go. For the full local list, see the Boston clinic list. For costs and what each visit involves, see our guide to STD testing in Boston, where to get tested and what it costs.

Clinic	What the clinic says	Contact
Boston STD Clinic (Boston Medical Center), 725 Albany St., 9th Floor, Suite 9C	Free routine testing and treatment. Cost help for people without insurance. The page does not say whether walk-ins are accepted, so call first.	617-414-2803
Fenway Health Sexual Health Clinic, 1340 Boylston Street, 4th floor	Walk-in hours on several days, with check-in closing 30 minutes before the end time. Results in 3 to 5 business days. Uninsured patients can be seen free through grant funding. The clinic page is aimed at gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, transgender and gender diverse people, and their partners.	617-267-0159
X-Clinic at Codman Square Health Center, 637 Washington St., Dorchester	Sliding fee scale. Testing and treatment regardless of citizenship status. Its two pages list different schedules, so confirm hours by phone.	617-822-8350
TrueCare@MAC testing (Multicultural AIDS Coalition), 9 Palmer Street, Roxbury	Free testing. An appointment is optional.	617-442-1622

The clinic pages do not all say which treatments are given on site. Ask when you call.

If you are under 18

Massachusetts law, M.G.L. c. 112, s. 12F, lets a minor who reasonably believes they are at risk of exposure through sexual activity consent to care to diagnose or treat the disease without a parent's consent. The City of Boston tells people 13 or older that they can get a confidential STI test without parental permission. The law has narrow exceptions, such as when a provider must notify a parent if a minor's life or limb is seriously endangered.

What about privacy and reporting?

Clinicians report certain infections to public health authorities. Under M.G.L. c. 111, s. 111, venereal disease cases are reported to local boards of health under state department rules. Under M.G.L. c. 111, s. 119, those reports and records are non-public, with disclosure only by judicial order or to officials whose duties entitle them. Ask your clinic exactly what is reported and how your information is handled.

Tips and common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for symptoms to change. Many gonorrhea infections cause none, so a lack of symptoms is not a reason to delay care.
Stopping early. Follow the clinician's instructions exactly, and tell them if a medicine causes a problem.
Resuming sex too soon. Ask for a clear date.
Skipping partner notice. Untreated partners can pass the infection back.
Skipping the three-month retest. Put it in your calendar now.
Self-treating. Only a clinician can choose the right antibiotic for you.
Blaming yourself or a partner. Infections spread quietly, and timing is often impossible to pin down.

What to expect afterward

With appropriate treatment from a clinician, gonorrhea is expected to clear in most people, according to the CDC. Symptoms, if you had any, often improve within days, though this varies. Some people need a follow-up, and a clinician will tell you if you do.

Past infection does not protect you from getting gonorrhea again. Regular testing, and talking openly with partners, are what keep it manageable. The CDC's 2024 doxy-PEP update describes a prevention option for some people, and a clinician can tell you whether it fits your situation. Fenway Health lists doxy-PEP among its services.

Testing for Gonorrhea: What a Positive Result Means Next