Gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is a sexually acquired infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium. It is caught through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal intercourse or genital contact with an infected partner. The more partners you have, the higher the risk of getting gonorrhoea.
Protection
Protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections by using a condom every time you have sex.
Symptoms
The early signs of gonorrhoea are often mild and many people show no symptoms and so can be unaware of their infection. Men show symptoms more often than women.
Symptoms appear 2-10 days after getting infected and can include:
- a painful and burning sensation when passing urine
- discharge from the anus, penis or vagina that is yellow or bloody
- anal discomfort and pain on anal intercourse.
Testing
It is important to test at the right time to be sure the result is accurate. If you test too early, gonorrhoea may not be detected as there is a 2 week ‘window period’ of time during which the infection needs to develop sufficiently to show up on a test.
The test can be done using a genital swab or urine sample to.
Treatment
Gonorrhoea is treated with injectable antibiotics. If you need treatment, you will be contacted by the results bureau and advised on how to access further testing and treatment.
Talk to us
Contact a sexual health professional in confidence (available Monday to Friday, 2pm to 4pm). Find out more on the NHS website.