Gonorrhoea Dr Rob Hicks Infection with gonorrhoea is increasing in the UK. We look at the best ways to prevent infection, common symptoms and treatment.

In this article

What is it? Symptoms

Prevention Diagnosis and treatment

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection and both men and women can become infected.

It's possible to have gonorrhoea and not have any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, men are more likely to notice them than women.

The symptoms depend on the site of the infection, as gonorrhoea can infect the cervix, urethra, rectum, anus, throat and eyes.

Men may experience:

• Yellow or white discharge from the penis
• Pain or burning when urinating
• Increased need to urinate
• Irritation and/or discharge from the anus
• Inflammation of the testicles and prostate gland

Women may experience:

• Change in vaginal discharge - it may increase in amount, change colour to yellow/green and have a strong smell
• Increased need to urinate
• Burning when urinating
• Lower abdominal pain or tenderness
• Irritation and/or discharge from the anus may also occur
• Bleeding between, or heavier periods

Left untreated, gonorrhoea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women, inflammation of the testicles and prostate gland in men, and eye infections in babies if it's passed on during birth.

Practising safer sex reduces the risk of infection with gonorrhoea. Testing and treating (if appropriate) all sexual contacts helps to prevent the infection being passed on to others.

The infections can be treated effectively with antibiotics.

You can find a clinic to help with genital herpes by phoning directory enquiries and asking for genitourinary medicine, sexually transmitted disease or venereal disease.

This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in April 2008