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Further STD Patient Information Sheets: resource list - see also NYHD sheet

GONORRHOEA

• Gonorrhoea is a common condition that is easily spread through sexual contact.
• Gonorrhoea is usually readily treated with antibiotics.
• Gonorrhoea can be prevented by using condoms for sex.

What Causes Gonorrhoea?

Gonorrhoea is a common sexually transmissible disease, affecting both men and women. It is caused by a microscopic organism, a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoea. Gonorrhoea most commonly infects the genital areas, but may also occur in the anus or throat of either sex.
Although usually easily treated, gonorrhoea can have serious consequences if undetected or left untreated. It can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women and infertility in both women and men.

How Do You Know You Have Gonorrhoea

In men, gonorrhoea most commonly infects the urethra (the inside of the penis). Between two and ten days after infection it causes symptoms:

• A pus-like, white or yellow discharge from the penis.
• A burning sensation when urinating.

Sometimes there is no discharge; just the pain. In a small percentage of men, there are no symptoms at all, and gonorrhoea is detected only by a swab test.
In men, symptoms of urethral infection usually appear within a couple of days, although they may take up to three weeks. In women, infection may be undetected longer because of the lack of specific symptoms. In women, gonorrhoea often produces no symptoms, although there is sometimes an unusual discharge from the vagina or pain when urinating.
Anal gonorrhoea in either sex is also often without symptoms. Gonorrhoea in the throat may cause a sore throat, but usually has no symptoms.

If left untreated, gonorrhoea may cause the symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women, that is:

• Lower abdominal pain and tenderness.
• Deep pain during sexual intercourse.
• Heavy and painful periods.
• Fever.

Untreated gonorrhoea in men may lead to swelling and pain in the testicles.

How Gonorrhoea is Spread

Gonorrhoea is readily spread by vaginal intercourse and by anal or oral sex, whether heterosexual or homosexual.

How Gonorrhoea Is Treated

Traditionally, gonorrhoea has been treated with a single dose of penicillin. Newer strains of gonorrhoea, however, are penicillin-resistant. For this reason, other antibiotics, such as spectinomycin or ceftriaxone may be used.

Many new strains of gonorrhoea originate outside Australia (though they are becoming more common here); if you have gonorrhoea symptoms you should tell your doctor if you have recently been overseas.

How To Prevent Gonorrhoea

The use of condoms for vaginal or anal sex provides effective prevention against gonorrhoea. Because of the lack of specific symptoms of early infection in women, sexually active women are advised to have checks for gonorrhoea at least annually.

Women who have had PID need to be particularly vigilant against gonorrhoea, since the risk of infertility increases greatly with renewed inflammation.