What it means
Gonorrhoea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It infects the cervix, urethra, rectum, throat or eyes, and spreads through vaginal, anal and oral sex.
What can vary
- Symptoms are often absent, particularly in women and girls, where most infections produce no symptoms at all.
- When symptoms occur, they commonly appear within 2-14 days: discharge that is thicker or a different colour than usual, pain or burning when urinating, and pain in the lower abdomen or testicles.
- Rectal infection is often symptomless, or causes only mild discomfort.
- Throat infection usually looks like an ordinary sore throat, or nothing at all.
- Untreated infection can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in both sexes.
Possible explanations
Gonorrhoea is confirmed by testing. Testing is with a swab of the affected site or a urine sample.
Treatment is with antibiotics chosen according to local resistance patterns, which vary by country and change over time. This is why leftover antibiotics never work and why the specific drug matters.
Warning signs
- Pelvic or testicular pain — the infection may have spread upward.
- A painful, red eye with discharge — needs same-day care, because gonococcal eye infection can threaten sight quickly.
- Fever with severe pelvic pain — same-day assessment, because this can indicate pelvic inflammatory disease.
What to do next
Get tested if you have had unprotected sex, particularly with a new partner.
If you have been treated, your partner should be tested and treated as well.
Self-care
No self-care treats gonorrhoea, and there is no over-the-counter antibiotic that works.
What helps: complete the full course, avoid sex until treatment is finished, and use barrier protection, which substantially reduces transmission.
When to seek help
Routine: testing after unprotected sex.
Prompt: symptoms, or a partner has been diagnosed.
Emergency: a painful red eye with discharge, or fever with severe pelvic pain.
How to talk about it
“I had sex without a condom and want to get tested.”
“I noticed a discharge that isn’t normal for me.”
“My partner tested positive for gonorrhoea.”
Myths and stigma
“Gonorrhoea means someone was unfaithful.” It cannot tell you who it came from or when, and assuming it does causes real harm — including delaying testing and treatment.
“It is the same as chlamydia.” They are different bacteria, they are tested differently, and because antibiotic resistance to gonorrhoea is rising, using leftover chlamydia antibiotics will usually fail.
“Nobody can tell if you have it.” Gonorrhoea frequently produces no symptoms in people with a vagina, which is part of why it can be passed on without anyone knowing.
Related articles
Sources
Public sources are linked so you can read the detail rather than take this site’s word for it. None of this has yet been reviewed by a qualified clinician — see how we handle medical review.
References
Where this comes from
Linked so you can check it against a recognised public health source rather than take this site's word for it.
- Gonorrhoea — CDC US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (opens in a new tab)
- Gonorrhoea — NHS NHS (opens in a new tab)
These are public sources from recognised health organisations, linked so you can read the detail rather than take this site's word for it. Reading them does not tell you whether any of it applies to you, and none of these articles has yet been reviewed by a qualified clinician. How we handle sourcing and review.