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Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It can infect a person’s penis, vagina, rectum (bum), throat or eyes.

Gonorrhoea spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, including:

  • Condomless vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
  • Sharing uncleaned sex toys or not changing condoms between use.
  • During childbirth, potentially causing complications in babies.

The bacteria cannot survive outside the human body, so casual contact like kissing, hugging, or using public toilets does not transmit the infection.

General Onset:
Symptoms usually appear within 2 weeks of infection, but many people may have no symptoms at all. , This means people can have the infection and not know it, and therefore they don’t get tested. This is why having sexual health checks regularly is important. For more information on sexual health testing, click here.

Genital Symptoms:

  • Discharge: May be thin, watery, and green, yellow, or white and can leak from the penis, vagina, rectum or eyes.
  • Painful Urination: A burning sensation when urinating.
  • Lower Abdominal or Testicular Pain: Lower abdominal pain or pain in the testicles (balls) or pain during sex.
  • Irregular Bleeding: Includes spotting between periods, heavier periods, or bleeding after sex (in menstruating individuals).

Rectal, Throat, and Eye Infections:

  • Rectum: Discomfort, pain, or discharge from your anus.
  • Throat: Often asymptomatic but may cause a sore throat. 
  • Eyes: Redness, swelling, pain, or discharge (if infected fluid contacts the eyes). This is an emergency and you should see a doctor straight away and let them know if you think it’s related to a sexual infection

To reduce the risk of gonorrhoea and other STIs:

  1. Use Condoms: Condoms during all forms of sexual activity, from beginning to end. To learn how to use condoms correctly, please click here. .
  2. Practice Safe Sharing: Wash and cover sex toys with a new condom before use.

Regular Testing: Especially important with new or multiple partners. It’s recommended to test at least once a year, or more often if you have multiple partners.

Gonorrhoea is treated with antibiotic injection.

Post-Treatment Care:

  • Symptoms improve within a few days, though pain or irregular bleeding may take up to 2 weeks to get better.
  • A follow-up test may beis recommended within 2 weeks to confirm the infection has cleared.
  • Avoid sexual activity until all partners are tested and treated and given the all-clear.

Complications if Untreated:

  • Reproductive Health Risks: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) due to infection of the womb and surrounding areas, leading to chronic pain, infertility, or ectopic pregnancy; testicular infections causing pain and swelling. These are potentially severe and need immediate treatment.
  • General Risks: Having gonorrhoea or any other STI increases your risk of catching other STIs, such as HIV. More rarely, it can cause cases of joint or skin infections which can be severe or dangerous.

Why Testing Matters:

  • Early testing reduces complications like PID and prevents long-term health risks.
  • Testing is essential even in the absence of symptoms.
  • Testing means you can get treatment to not only help you, but to prevent passing the infection on to others. 

Testing Process:

  • Urine Sample: A first pass urine (hyperlink on how to do urine sample) if you have no symptoms and are testing as a checkup. 
  • Swab Tests: From the throat, rectum, genitals, or eyes, depending on potential infection sites. This is necessary especially if you have symtpoms..
  • Pre-Test Tips: Avoid urinating for 2 hours before a urine sample or the test may not pick up the infection. It has to be the first bit of urine, known as first pass urine.