Gonorrhoea (gonorrhea): symptoms, treatment and how it is passed on

The NHS says not everyone gets symptoms of gonorrhoea, which is why it is important to get tested if you think you might have it. NHS inform makes the same point, and adds that gonorrhoea in the throat usually has no symptoms.

The NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have gonorrhoea, or think you might have it, and you have red, itchy or painful eyes or pus that sticks to your eyelashes, a high temperature, joint pain or swelling, or a bumpy, spotty or blotchy rash. It says these can be signs of a more serious gonorrhoea infection that needs to be treated quickly.

Go to a sexual health clinic or see a GP if you or a sexual partner think you might have gonorrhoea, if you or a sexual partner have had sex without a condom, or if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant and think you might have it.

The NHS says gonorrhoea is treated with a single dose of antibiotics, which can be an injection or tablets. You can start treatment before getting your test results. You will need to go back to the GP surgery or sexual health clinic about a week after starting treatment to be tested again, to check you no longer have gonorrhoea.

NHS inform says some strains of gonorrhoea are becoming resistant to antibiotics, which can make it more difficult to treat, and that you may be tested again 3 weeks later to check the antibiotics have worked. Tell the doctor or nurse if you are pregnant, think you might be, or are breastfeeding, as this may make a difference to the antibiotic you are prescribed.

The NHS says not to have vaginal, anal or oral sex until you and your partner (if you have one) have completed treatment and tests show you no longer have gonorrhoea.

The NHS says the doctor or nurse will ask about your symptoms and sexual partners and may need to check your penis or vagina. They may use a swab (like a large cotton bud) to take a sample of fluid from the penis or vagina, and you may be able to do the swab yourself. You may also be asked for a pee sample, or have a swab of the anus, throat or eyes if those areas are affected. You can be tested even if you do not have any symptoms, and you may have tests for other STIs at the same time.

NHS inform describes the test as simple, painless and very reliable. Some clinics can give rapid results; otherwise you may wait up to 2 weeks. If you have no symptoms, you can order a home test kit. The NHS says you may be able to get a free self-test kit from a sexual health clinic or some pharmacies, and can buy one from some pharmacies.

NHS inform adds that if you are diagnosed with gonorrhoea you should be tested for all STIs including syphilis, HIV and chlamydia, and should be offered an HIV test.

The NHS says gonorrhoea is spread through vaginal fluid and semen and can pass from person to person by having vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom. NHS inform adds that it can also be passed on by sharing sex toys that are not washed or covered with a new condom each time, by infected semen or vaginal fluid getting into your eye, and to a newborn during childbirth.

The NHS lists ways to reduce the risk: use condoms for vaginal or anal sex, use a condom over the penis or a latex or plastic square (dam) over the vagina for oral sex, get tested once a year or when you have a new sexual partner, complete the full treatment if you or your partner have gonorrhoea, and do not share sex toys. It also says the MenB vaccine can give some protection against gonorrhoea and may be offered to men who have sex with men at higher risk.

The NHS says untreated gonorrhoea can cause serious problems, including an eye infection if you touch your eyes after touching infected fluid, an infection of the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries (pelvic inflammatory disease), which can lead to infertility if not treated, and infection in the testicles or prostate. It says the sooner you get treatment, the easier these complications are to treat.

NHS inform says untreated infection in women can spread to the womb and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, a major cause of ectopic pregnancy and infertility, and in men it may spread to the testicles and could affect fertility. You may also pass the infection to other sexual partners.

The NHS says having gonorrhoea during pregnancy can increase the risk of premature birth and of the baby having a low birth weight. There is also a risk that the infection could spread to your baby's eyes (gonococcal conjunctivitis) during birth, which can cause blindness if it is not treated with antibiotics.

If you are pregnant and think you might have gonorrhoea, the NHS says it is important to get tested and treated before your baby is born. NHS inform says to speak to your GP practice or midwife.

NHS inform says you can get tested for free at a local sexual health service, through your GP practice, or by ordering a home test kit if you have no symptoms. Services vary depending on where you live. Sexual health clinics can also help you contact sexual partners.

Private sexual health services and pharmacy test kits also exist. If you use one, check how a positive result will be followed up, because the NHS advice is to complete treatment, have a repeat test, and make sure recent partners are tested.