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Gonorrhoea
Introduction
Gonorrhoea is the most common STI after Chlamydia and in the case of infections in men it is normally accompanied by a discharge from the urethra. Most men will display symptoms within 3 to 5 days of infection. Women do not always display obvious symptoms of gonorrhoea but if they do it can include a yellow vaginal discharge, bleeding between periods and pain when passing urine. It is possible that this infection can affect the throat area if oral sex has taken place with an infected person. This will normally manifest itself as a sore throat. Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems in both women and men.
About Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in a woman’s reproductive tract, and in the urethra in women and men. The bacterium can also grow in the mouth, throat, eyes, and anus. Gonorrhea is spread through contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus.
Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhea to be transmitted or acquired. Gonorrhea can also be spread from mother to baby during delivery.
Gonorrhea can spread to the blood or joints, a condition which can be life threatening. Also people with gonorrhea can more easily contract HIV. People with HIV who have gonorrhea can transmit HIV more easily to another person than if they did not have gonorrhea.
Symptoms
Men
Some men with gonorrhea may have no obvious symptoms at all, but usually they appear two to five days after infection. Sometimes, symptoms can take as long as 30 days to appear. Symptoms include a burning sensation when urinating or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis. Sometimes men will develop painful or swollen testicles.
Women
In women, the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild, most have none at all. Even when a woman has symptoms they may be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. The initial symptoms in women include a painful or burning sensation when urinating and vaginal discharge or bleeding between periods. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, regardless of the presence or severity of symptoms.
A pregnant woman with gonorrhea may give the infection to her baby as the baby passes through the birth canal during delivery. This can cause blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby. Treatment of gonorrhea as soon as it is detected in pregnant women will reduce the risk of these complications.
Symptoms of rectal infection in both men and women may include discharge, anal itching, soreness, bleeding, or painful bowel movements. Rectal infection sometimes has no symptoms. Infections in the throat can cause a sore throat but usually causes no other symptoms.
Testing and treatment
Gonorrhoea can be tested using a genital swab or urine tests. The infection can be treated with an antibiotic called ciprofloxacin but this has shown resistance to certain strains of gonorrhoea so our preferred treatment is cefixime which is a type of antibiotic called cephalosporin. Cefixime is taken as a single dose of two pills. If you test positive then we will send out your medication for next day delivery.
If you are suffering any symptoms such as genital discharge or a burning sensation when you urinate, we recommend the Full STI Screen in order to determine all factors which may be at the root of the problem.
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