Gonorrhoea
Symptoms of gonorrhoea usually develop within abouttwo weeksof being infected, although they sometimes don't appear until many months later.
About1 in 10 infected men and half of infected women won't experience any obvious symptoms, which means the conditioncan go untreated for some time.
In women, symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:
In men, symptomsof gonorrhoeacan include:
Both men and women can develop an infection inthe rectum, eyes or throat by having unprotected anal or oral sex. If infected semen or vaginal fluid comes into contact with the eyes, you can also develop conjunctivitis .
Infection in the rectum can cause discomfort, pain or discharge. Infection in the eyes can cause irritation, pain, swelling and discharge. Infection in the throat usually causes no symptoms.
It's important tobe tested for gonorrhoea if you think there's a chance you'reinfected, even if you have no obvious symptoms or the symptoms have gone away on their own.
If gonorrhoea is left undiagnosed and untreated, you can continue to spread the infection and there is a risk of potentially serious complications, including infertility .
Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus. It used to be known as 'the clap'.
Symptoms of gonorrhoea usually develop within about two weeks of being infected, although they sometimes don't appear until many months later.
The only way to find out if you have gonorrhoea is to be tested. If you suspect gonorrhoea or any other sexually transmitted infection (STI), it's important not to delay getting tested.
Gonorrhoea is usually treated with a short course of antibiotics.
If treated early, gonorrhoea is unlikely to lead to any complications or long-term problems. However, without treatment, it can spread to other parts of your body and cause serious problems.