• Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection passed on during sex (vaginal, anal or oral).
• Gonorrhoea is the second most common sexually transmitted infection.
• Both men and women can get gonorrhoea.
• Some people with gonorrhoea have no symptoms.
• It's important to treat gonorrhoea and ensure the infection has cleared up completely.

Testing for Gonorrhoea

When visiting a clinic, you will be asked for a urine sample and staff may use a swab to collect a sample of cells from your penis, vagina, throat or anus. This only takes a few seconds and is not painful although you may feel a bit uncomfortable for a very short time.

Treatment for Gonorrhoea

Most STIs can be treated with antibiotics and it is important that you complete the course. For gonorrhoea it is important to use the right type of antibiotic and to make sure you have been cured once the course of treatment has ended. Staff will explain your treatment and discuss how to avoid getting infected again in the future. You should tell a member of staff if you think you may be pregnant as this can affect the type of antibiotic given. Remember, using condoms every time you have vaginal, anal or oral sex will really reduce the risk of getting or passing on STIs. Condoms can be used for different types of sex (anal, oral and vaginal), although they are not specifically made for anal and vaginal sex, flavoured condoms can be used for anal & vaginal sex if they are the only condom you have at the time.

Protecting Myself

Just like any other STI, to protect yourself and others it is important to use a condom whenever you have vaginal or anal sex. It is also advisable to avoid sharing sex toys or to wash them or cover them with a new condom before anyone else uses them. Remember, you can get hold of free condoms in any sexual health clinic.