Gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is caused by bacteria that can live in the urethra (the pipe in the penis that urine comes down), the throat or rectum.
Symptoms
Symptoms can be:
- white-ish/yellow liquid (a ‘discharge’) coming from the end of the penis or the rectum
- pain when passing urine
- irritation or itching in the penis or rectum.
It’s possible to have gonorrhoea and not have symptoms, especially in the throat or rectum. In the throat it might cause a sore throat but usually causes no symptoms.
How it is transmitted
Gonorrhoea is most easily passed on during sex between men through anal sex without a condom, and oral sex. The bacteria can also spread on fingers from one part of the body to another (or to someone else’s body).
Drug-resistant gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is changing and the antibiotics used to treat it are getting less effective. But in the UK it can still be cured. Find out more about drug-resistant gonorrhoea here.
What can I do if I think I have gonorrhoea?
You can go to a free and confidential NHS sexual health clinic. You can go to any, not just the nearest. Your local or family doctor (GP) might also test and treat for STIs – if not, they will refer you to a clinic. You can read more about clinics and find your nearest one here.
By law sexual health clinics cannot tell anyone about your visit. But if you are referred by your GP to a clinic they will send a letter to your doctor saying what tests and treatment you had; this will go on your GP records. If you don’t want this to happen it’s better to go straight to the clinic without involving your GP.
Testing
Some clinics test for gonorrhoea by testing a sample of urine, so before a clinic visit don’t pass urine for up to 2 hours.
If a urine test isn’t used, a doctor or nurse will test by taking a small sample with a cotton swab from the throat, tip of the penis or from inside the rectum.
A swab is not painful, but may be uncomfortable for a second or two. Samples are then tested for gonorrhoea.
Treatment
Gonorrhoea is treated with antibiotics but you will need to see the doctor again to make sure the treatment worked. You should avoid sex until given the ‘all clear’.
Why get treated?
Leaving gonorrhoea untreated means you will infect others. It can also lead to serious health problems, including: inflammation of the prostate gland and joints, also testicles (this can stop him having children).
Protect yourself and others
If you have gonorrhoea your partner(s) should be told so they can get checked. The clinic can do this for you if you prefer. Avoid sex until gonorrhoea is treated and tests show treatment has worked.
A condom can lower your risk of getting gonorrhoea and other sexually transmitted infections. The more sexual partners you have, the more likely you are to get gonorrhoea or another infection.
Reducing your numbers of partners, using condoms and having sexual health check-ups all lower the risk of infections being picked up or passed on. If you’re starting a relationship a sexual health check-up is a good idea, especially if you’re thinking of not using condoms.
This article was last reviewed on: 21/10/11
Date due for next review: 21/10/13
