Gonorrhoea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae and is transmitted through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex. In 2024 the GGD centres recorded almost 14,000 diagnoses; detection rates among women, heterosexual men and men who have sex with men were the highest in years.
Symptoms
- Men: a burning feeling when urinating and green-yellow discharge from the penis — about 90% have symptoms.
- Women: 30–60% have no symptoms; when present, abnormal discharge, spotting between periods or pain when urinating.
- Throat and anal infections usually cause no symptoms — so they are missed without targeted testing.
Testing multiple sites
The standard test is a NAAT (a sensitive PCR) on first-catch urine, a vaginal self-swab and — for oral or anal sex — a throat and anal swab. Men who have sex with men are routinely tested at three sites. A culture is also often needed to determine antibiotic resistance. A reliable result is usually possible from about two weeks after the risk contact.
Treatment: an injection, not pills
Gonorrhoea is treated with a single intramuscular ceftriaxone injection: 500 mg for a urogenital or anal infection and 1000 mg for a throat infection. Pills are not first-line because they clear the bacterium — especially in the throat — too unreliably. Resistance to older antibiotics is rising, which makes the injection and resistance testing all the more important.
Partner notification and follow-up
Notify sexual partners from the past three months (or from the onset of your symptoms) so they can get tested. Avoid sex until seven days after both partners have been treated. A test of cure is not routine after the injection, but is advised for a throat infection (about two weeks later), in pregnancy or with persistent symptoms.
Complications if left untreated
Untreated gonorrhoea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and reduced fertility in women, and epididymitis in men. Rarely the infection spreads to blood and joints. Timely treatment almost always prevents these consequences.
This information is general and was compiled with care from public sources, but it does not replace medical advice. For symptoms or doubt, always consult a doctor.
