Causes and Symptoms
Gonorrhoea is caused by bacterial infection and transmitted through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sexual intercourse or the sharing of sex toys with an infected person without a condom or washing between uses.
It can also be passed to a pregnant woman’s unborn child.
Symptoms in the genital area usually appear 1-14 days after you are infected or may not appear until many months later.
Symptoms in women may include:
- Abnormal vaginal discharge that can have an unpleasant smell and is yellow, green or thin and white in colour
- May experience lower abdominal pain
- The need to urinate more often and a burning sensation when passing urine
- Can cause heavier periods and bleeding between periods
Symptoms in men may include:
- Unusual discharge from the tip of the penis
- The need to urinate more often and pain when passing urine
- Pain or tenderness in the testicles
- Occasionally the foreskin can become inflamed
There are usually no symptoms if the infection is in the throat, however if it is in the eyes, it can cause irritation, swelling and discharge.
If the infection occurs in the rectum, you may experience pain, discharge or bleeding.
Treatment
It is important to be tested for Gonorrhoea as if left untreated it can lead to infertility and inflammation of the joints.
A swab test will be carried out and then treated with an antibiotic. It is important to remember that antibiotics can affect the effectiveness of certain contraceptives such as The Pill or the contraceptive patch so an alternative method should be used.
You should abstain from sexual intercourse until the treatment is complete to avoid re-infection.
