Dr Gill Jenkins last medically reviewed this article in August 2009.
Read our Full Disclaimer and see our Links Policy for more information. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.
Gonorrhoea - or 'the clap' - can have serious consequences for your health if not treated promptly.
Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection. It's caused by a bacteria found mainly in semen and vaginal fluids.
It’s usually passed from one person to another during vaginal, oral or anal sex, or by sharing sex toys. It can live inside the cells of the:
Gonorrhoea can also be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby.
About 50 per cent of women and 10 per cent of men who are infected will not have any obvious signs or symptoms.
Symptoms can appear any time from one to 14 days after coming into contact with gonorrhoea, or many months later, or not until the infection spreads to other parts of you body.
Women might notice:
Men might notice:
If the infection is in the rectum or eye, you may experience discomfort, pain or discharge. Gonorrhoea in the throat usually has no symptoms.
It's important to be tested quickly if you think you might have gonorrhoea. Testing's free on the NHS from genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics, sexual health clinics, some contraception clinics and your GP.
The test for gonorrhoea is simple and painless. Either a urine test is done or a swab (like a cotton bud) is used to take a sample of cells from the vagina or urethra. If you've had anal or oral sex, a swab will be taken from your rectum or throat. Your eyes will be tested if you have conjunctivitis (discharge from the eye).
Gonorrhoea is easy to treat with a single dose of antibiotics, either by tablets or injection. The antibiotics used to treat gonorrhoea interact with the combined oral contraceptive pill and the contraceptive patch making them less effective, so check this with your doctor or nurse.
To avoid reinfection, any sexual partners should be treated too. If complications occur, another treatment might be needed.
Without treatment, the infection can spread to other parts of the body causing damage and long-term health problems, including infertility.
In women, gonorrhoea can spread to the reproductive organs causing pelvic inflammatory disease. This can lead to:
In men, gonorrhoea can lead to painful infection in the testicles and the prostate gland. It may reduce fertility.
Less commonly, gonorrhoea can cause inflammation of the joints and tendons. Rarely, it can cause inflammation of the brain, spinal cord and heart.
Go to your GP, a genitourinary medicine clinic or a sexual health clinic. All services are confidential.
You can call fpa's helpline on 0845 122 8690. or the NHS Sexual Health Helpline on 0800 567 123.
Dr Gill Jenkins last medically reviewed this article in August 2009.
Read our Full Disclaimer and see our Links Policy for more information. Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.
