Gonorrhea

Gonorrhoea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacteria that grows and multiplies quickly in moist, warm areas of the body such as the cervix, urethra, mouth, or rectum. In women, the cervix is the most common site of infection. However, the disease can also spread to the uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease which can cause infertility. Gonorrhoea is most commonly spread during genital contact, but can also be passed from the genitals of one partner to the throat of the other during oral sex. Gonorrhoea of the rectum can occur in people who practice anal intercourse. In pregnant women, gonorrhoea can be passed from an infected woman to her newborn infant during delivery if left untreated.

The early symptoms of gonorrhoea are often mild, and many women, who are infected, have no visible symptoms of the disease. If symptoms of gonorrhoea develop, they usually appear within 2 to 10 days after sexual contact with an infected partner, although a small percentage of patients may be infected for several months without showing symptoms.

Symptoms in women include:
• Painful, burning sensation when urinating
• Yellowish or bloody discharge from the vagina
• Bleeding between periods
• Abdominal or pelvic pain

Symptoms in men;
• A burning sensation during urination
• Yellowish-white discharge from the penis

Testing for Gonorrhoea
Your specialist will test for Gonorrhoea by either collecting samples taken from the urethra, cervix, throat or rectum. The condition is treated with antibiotics, and treatment should also be given to your partner following testing. As with Chlamydia, further testing is recommended once treatment has ended to check whether the infection has cleared. Home testing kits are also available. Home kits are available for women and men for both chlamydia and gonorrhoea where samples, taken yourself at home are sent to a laboratory. Men send a urine sample and women take a swab from the vagina or a urine sample. It is recommended that positive results on urine samples are confirmed by appropriate genital swab, to check correct antibiotic been given.