Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria.

Infection usually occurs in the genitals but can affect the throat, eyes and anus.

Symptoms of gonorrhoea

Many people with gonorrhoea won’t notice any symptoms.

If you do get symptoms, it’s usually between 1 to 14 days after getting the infection.

Symptoms of gonorrhoea may include:

• green or yellow fluid coming out of the penis
• pain or a burning sensation when peeing
• discomfort and swelling of the testicles
• increased discharge from the vagina
• pain in the lower tummy, particularly during sex
• bleeding in between periods or after sex

Gonorrhoea can also infect the throat, eyes or anus. You may experience pain or discharge in these areas. Gonorrhoea in the throat usually has no symptoms.

Having the infection during pregnancy can result in giving birth to the baby early (premature birth). Gonorrhoea can be passed on to the baby during birth and can result in eye infections in the infant.

When to get medical advice

Speak to your GP practice or midwife if:

• you’re pregnant and think you have gonorrhoea

Testing for gonorrhoea

If you think you might have gonorrhoea, get tested for free by:

• booking an appointment at your local sexual health service (if you have symptoms)
• contacting your GP practice for an appointment (if you have symptoms)
• ordering a home test kit (if you do not have symptoms)

Services available may vary depending on where you live.

What does a gonorrhoea test involve?

The test for gonorrhoea is simple, painless and very reliable. It involves sending a sample from the area of the body thought to be infected to a lab for analysis.

You usually don’t have to be examined by a doctor or nurse and can often collect the sample yourself.

The 2 main ways the sample can be collected are:

• using a swab – a small cotton bud is gently wiped over the area that might be infected, such as inside the vagina, throat, or inside the anus
• urine sample (if you have a penis) – this is more accurate if it’s at least 1 or 2 hours after you last peed

People who have had anal or oral sex may have a swab taken from their anus or throat.

Some sexual health clinics may be able to carry out rapid tests and give you your test results straight away. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait up to 2 weeks to get the results.

If you have gonorrhoea, your partner will be offered testing and treatment.

Treatment for gonorrhoea

Antibiotics will treat the gonorrhoea infection. These can be given in pill form or as an injection.

Some strains of gonorrhoea are becoming resistant to antibiotics. This can make it more difficult to treat. You may be tested again 3 weeks later to check the antibiotics have worked.

If there’s a high chance you have gonorrhoea, you may be given treatment before you get your results back.

You may also be offered treatment if your partner (s) is found to have gonorrhoea.

Tell the doctor or nurse if you:

• are pregnant
• think you might be pregnant
• are breastfeeding

This may make a difference to the antibiotic you’re prescribed.

If your infection is untreated you may pass it on to other sexual partners.

If gonorrhoea is left untreated in women, it can spread to the womb and cause a serious condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This is a major cause of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women.

If men are not treated, the infection may spread to the testicles and cause discomfort. This could affect your fertility.

Do not have sex until you and your partner have both finished the treatment. You should also wait until you’ve had the results of the 2 week test to prevent being infected again.

How gonorrhoea is passed on

Gonorrhoea is passed through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex (without a condom).

It can also be passed on by:

• sharing sex toys that aren’t washed or covered with a new condom each time they’re used
• infected semen or vaginal fluid getting into your eye
• it can also be passed to a newborn during childbirth

Reducing the risk of gonorrhoea

The best way to prevent all sexually transmitted infections is to practice safer sex. This means using a condom for vaginal, anal or oral sex.

Other STIs

If you have been diagnosed with gonorrhoea you should get tested for all STIs including:

• syphilis
• HIV
• chlamydia