Gonorrhoea

Treatment for gonorrhoea

Antibiotics will treat the gonorrhoea infection. These can be given in pill form or as an injection.

Some strains of gonorrhoea are becoming resistant to antibiotics. This can make it more difficult to treat. You may be tested again 3 weeks later to check the antibiotics have worked.

If there’s a high chance you have gonorrhoea, you may be given treatment before you get your results back.

You may also be offered treatment if your partner (s) is found to have gonorrhoea.

Tell the doctor or nurse if you:

• are pregnant
• think you might be pregnant
• are breastfeeding

This may make a difference to the antibiotic you’re prescribed.

If your infection is untreated you may pass it on to other sexual partners.

If gonorrhoea is left untreated in women, it can spread to the womb and cause a serious condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This is a major cause of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women.

If men are not treated, the infection may spread to the testicles and cause discomfort. This could affect your fertility.

Do not have sex until you and your partner have both finished the treatment. You should also wait until you’ve had the results of the 2 week test to prevent being infected again.

How gonorrhoea is passed on

Gonorrhoea is passed through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex (without a condom).

It can also be passed on by:

• sharing sex toys that aren’t washed or covered with a new condom each time they’re used
• infected semen or vaginal fluid getting into your eye
• it can also be passed to a newborn during childbirth

Reducing the risk of gonorrhoea

The best way to prevent all sexually transmitted infections is to practice safer sex. This means using a condom for vaginal, anal or oral sex.

Other STIs

If you have been diagnosed with gonorrhoea you should get tested for all STIs including:

• syphilis
• HIV
• chlamydia

Gonorrhoea is a health condition that occurs more often in people living with HIV. If you have been diagnosed with gonorrhoea, you should be offered an HIV test. If you have been diagnosed with gonorrhoea but you haven’t been offered an HIV test, you can:

• speak to your healthcare provider about getting tested for HIV
• get a free test using one of these options

Testing for HIV when you have gonorrhoea can help with early diagnosis, treatment and preventing passing it on.

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