Your doctor, nurse practitioner or sexual health professional's job is to help patients prevent and treat illnesses such as gonorrhea. It is important to be candid and honest with the health care professionals you talk to in order to receive accurate medical advice that could lead to curative treatment of your gonorrhea.
Instructions
1. Make an appointment to discuss your concerns with a sexual health specialist if you would prefer to speak to someone other than your primary care physician. Specialists can be more attentive to the specific needs of patients facing possible infection with sexually transmitted diseases.
2. Prepare a list of questions to ask your doctor before your visit. If you want to know more about the spread of gonorrhea, potential complications and treatment options, make a note of these topics. Write the questions down and bring the list with you to prevent the possibility of forgetting to ask an important question.
3. Remember that you are protected by doctor-patient confidentiality. It is essential to be completely open and honest with your doctor about your situation to have the best chance of receiving effective treatment.
4. Discuss all the physical symptoms you have experienced that lead you to suspect you may be infected with gonorrhea in as much detail as possible. Again, your doctor may ask you highly personal questions. She needs to in order to assess your situation. You may be asked to submit to physical examination during your consultation. You should be prepared to do so, and cooperate if asked.
5. Be frank about your sexual history, primarily the encounter(s) that you suspect led to your possible infection with gonorrhea. Your doctor may ask you follow-up questions about the specifics of the encounter(s). Bear in mind that your doctor will be posing those queries in an attempt to assess the probability that you have become infected.
6. Talk to your doctor about any resources in your community that can help you cope with a positive gonorrhea diagnosis. Sexual health clinics frequently offer group-based or individual counseling sessions to help infected individuals manage the psychological consequences of contracting gonorrhea.
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