Mono makes the WORST looking throats, much worse than strep. There isnt a medicine for it, though cortisone type steroids can help shrink the tonsils if they're so big that the the airway's getting squeezed. Time will heal mono.
Strep pyogenes, teh strain that causes strep throat, is essentially fully sensitive to penicillin in the US. Strep pneumoniae, which can cause pneumonia, ear infections, sinusitis -- is getting pretty resisitant.
Depending on...ummm....intimate practices, throat infections can be caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia.
Other causes for sore throat include viral infections (should be over in a week), sinus infections (irritation from drainage), trauma, smoking, and acid reflux. Rarely, lymphoma can show up as a sore throat.
My bet would be on mono with info provided.
Could consider either bloodletting (using leeeches ONLY -- this isnt the dark ages!) ; if further tests were needed consider consulting a professional for interpretation of chicken entrail augery.
