Gonorrhoea

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Gonorrhoea is a common bacterial sexually transmitted disease. The most common groups affected are young people – young men aged between 20 and 24 years and young women aged between 16 and 19 years. The annually recorded figures have shown enormous rises since the early to mid 1990’s, probably as people relaxed their use of condoms in response to the AIDS epidemic of the early 1980’s.

Gonorrhoea symptoms will vary depending on which part of your body is affected and if you are male or female.

How it can be caught?

Gonorrhoea is highly infectious but can’t be caught through casual contact such as hugging, kissing or holding hands., sharing food, utensils, cups or toilet seats.

It can be caught through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex. It is present in semen (or pre-cum), vaginal and anal secretions. You can also catch it from touching your eye if you have infected fluids on your finger.

Gonorrhoea Symptoms in Females

In females the inside part of the cervix – called the endocervix – may be infected without symptoms in around 50% of cases. This is particularly important because undiagnosed infection in this area may cause damage and scarring to reproductive organs and cause difficulty with conception later.
Increased vaginal discharge is the most common symptom with it occurring in around 50% of cases.
Low abdominal pain may occur in around 25% of women with gonorrhoea.
Infection of the urethra – the tube you pee through – will cause symptoms in around 12% of women.
Rectal infection will occur – but usually through spread through the mucosal wall from the vagina rather than by anal sex.
Infection in the throat does not give any symptoms in over 90% of cases.

Gonorrhoea Symptoms in Males

Infection of the tube you pee through – the urethra – will give a discharge in up to 80% of men with another 50% or so having pain when they pee. It is possible not to have any symptoms at all.
Rectal infection in men is usually due to anal sexual activity – which can include rimming, penetration or partial penetration without a condom and also with fingers which have been contaminated with infected fluids. It usually does not cause symptoms, although when it does discharge and pain are the commonest.
Infection in the throat is usually without symptoms – in over 90%.

Gonorrhoea Testing

We use the most advance testing methods in partnership with The Doctors Laboratory for all our analysis. Wherever possible we will take urine samples instead of urethral swabs. We will try to combine detection with determining the antibiotic sensitivity of the gonorrhoea species.

There are two testing options:

FAST 4 hour turnaround: £115 + £165.00 consultation
2 day turnaround: £85 + £165.00 consultation.

Gonorrhoea Treatment

Gonorrhoea is very quick to become resistant to different antibiotics and so we make sure we are fully acquainted with local and global resistance patterns before formulating our treatment strategy.
Our current treatment of choice is to use ceftriaxone 1g injection. This is the most up to date recommendation from the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV. (BASHH).

Gonorrhoea Test Appointments

To make a convenient appointment please book online or call us on 0207 139 1833 or just walk-in Monday to Friday.

Test of Cure ‘TOC’

Given the relatively high degree of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea species in the community, it is recommended that you have a test of cure 4 weeks after having received treatment. To encourage you to do this, we will not charge for a consult for this, just for the test.