Symptoms

In men symptoms of Gonorrhoea can be:

• drops of white or green liquid on the end of the penis (a discharge)
• pain when passing urine
• itching in the anus or rectum.

In women symptoms of Gonorrhoea can be:

• a white or green liquid discharge from the vagina
• pain when passing urine
• itching in the anus or rectum.

However, many men or women who have Gonorrhoea do not have any symptoms.

How it is transmitted

You can get Gonorrhoea by having sex with someone who already has it. It is most easily passed on through penetrative vaginal and anal sex without a condom, although it can also be transmitted on fingers from one person’s penis or vagina to the other person’s.

A pregnant woman who has Gonorrhoea can pass it on to her baby when it is being born.

What can I do if I think I have Gonorrhoea?

If you think you have Gonorrhoea you can go to a NHS sexual health clinic. You can read more about clinics and find your nearest one elsewhere on this website. You can also visit one of our Fastest clinics or your local or family doctor (GP).

By law sexual health clinics cannot tell anyone about your visit. However, these rules do not apply to your GP who can tell other people that you have had an appointment with them.

Testing

The doctor or nurse will test you for Gonorrhoea by taking a small sample with cotton wool or a swab:

• In women swabs are usually taken from the cervix (entrance to the womb) and urethra.
• In men swabs are usually taken from the tip of the penis.
• In both men and women swabs may also be taken from the throat or the rectum.

Having a swab taken is not painful, although it may be uncomfortable.

The samples are then tested for Gonorrhoea.

Treatment

It is usually easy to get rid of Gonorrhoea with antibiotics. Your doctor may ask you to return later to check that the Gonorrhoea has gone.

Why get treated?

It is important to get rid of Gonorrhoea because if it stays in your body it can lead to serious health problems, including:

• pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women, where the fallopian tubes are infected, become inflamed and can cause infertility (stopping a woman from being able to have children)
• inflammation of the testicles in men which can cause infertility (stopping a man from being able to have children).

Protect yourself and others

If you have Gonorrhoea it is best to tell your boyfriend or girlfriend or anyone else you have had sex with recently so that they can get a checkup. Remember that until the Gonorrhoea is treated, and you have taken all the antibiotics, you can still pass it on to anyone you have sex with.

Using a condom can help protect against getting Gonorrhoea. Remember too that using a condom will help protect you against getting or passing on other sexually transmitted infections.