Gonorrhoea

What are the symptoms of gonorrhoea? 

Symptoms can be mild or absent, especially if you have it in the throat or anus (which is why it’s important to test often).  

It usually takes between 2 to 10 days for symptoms to appear, but sometimes it can take longer.  

If symptoms do occur, they can include:  

• Increased and/ or abnormal (clear or yellow) discharge from your penis, vagina or anus (particularly during bowel movements) 
• Pain or discomfort when you’re having sex, peeing or during bowel movements  
• Pain or swelling in your testicles, abdomen, or anus 
• Bleeding after sex, or between periods  
• In some cases, throat infections may cause a sore throat or swollen lymph nodes, but they are often symptomless. 

How is gonorrhoea transmitted?

Gonorrhoea can be passed on through condomless oral, anal or vaginal sex (this includes rimming, fingering and sharing sex toys). It’s not only passed on through penetration though – touching an infected area and then touching your own penis, vagina or anus can also pass on the infection.

How can gonorrhoea be prevented?

There are two key ways that you can prevent or reduce the risk of getting gonorrhoea: 

• If you’re having sex with a penis, using condoms are the most effective way to reduce the risk (however, keep in mind that the site of infection may be outside where condoms cover). Using lube with condoms can reduce friction, lowering the risk of breakage (and STI exposure), while also enhancing pleasure. 
• Washing your hands with soap and water immediately after sex can help prevent or reduce the risk of transmission, especially if you’re having sex with multiple partners.

How do you test for gonorrhoea?

Gonorrhoea is one of the STIs that a standard STI test will look for – so when you want to get tested, you’ll also be able to find out whether you have other common STIs like chlamydia or syphilis at the same time.  

These STI tests involve collecting a sample of your urine, and also swabbing your mouth, vagina, urethra and/or anus. Usually, you will also need to give a blood test, which specifically checks for syphilis (and HIV, if you have opted to test for HIV as well).  

There are several ways you can get an STI test: 

• Through your GP (keep in mind your GP’s fees) 
• At your local sexual health clinic for FREE 
• At a Burnett Foundation Aotearoa clinic or pop-up clinic for FREE
• In the comfort of your own home with a Home Test Kit (from $20)

Your sample will be sent to a laboratory for testing, and you should hear back about your result within a week.  

Some pharmacies offer point-of-care tests or self-test kits for gonorrhoea, but their effectiveness is limited, so we don't recommend them. 

What happens if you test positive for gonorrhoea?

If you test positive for gonorrhoea, don’t worry, and don’t feel bad or embarrassed about it! It is very common, and it is easily treatable with either of two antibiotics: 

• A single dose of an injection called ceftriaxone (this is usually in the butt) 
• A single dose of tablets called azithromycin  

Unlike other STIs like chlamydia, your GP or sexual health nurse will administer these antibiotics for you in person, rather than giving you a prescription to take to a chemist.  

There’s no shame in having gonorrhoea – it’s just important that you get it treated, as untreated gonorrhoea can lead to more severe medical issues and complications. Also, recent strains of gonorrhoea are becoming increasingly antibiotic resistant, so it’s really important you take the entire course of antibiotics prescribed to you, and a follow-up test may be required to ensure the antibiotics are effective. 

Sexual contact should be avoided for at least one week from treatment to ensure the infection has cleared and that you’re no longer infectious. If you really want to have sex though, just make sure you use condoms correctly.  

If you have contact details and you can do so safely, we also recommend that you let anyone you’ve had sex with recently know that you have tested positive, and that they may want to get tested as well.  

Some important things to know about gonorrhoea

• There’s a testing window of up to 2 weeks for gonorrhoea, which means it may not appear on an STI test if you have just had sex with someone who had it 
• If left untreated, gonorrhoea can seriously affect fertility, so it is very important that you get regularly tested if you are sexually active and/or having condomless sex, and that you get treated as soon as possible if you do get gonorrhoea 
• If you’re able to get pregnant or are pregnant, keep in mind that gonorrhoea can be passed on to a baby if not treated before childbirth
• If you’re living with HIV, gonorrhoea is easily treatable if you get tested and identify it early.  
• You may have heard about DoxyPEP – an effective preventative tool for syphilis and chlamydia. However, it is not effective  for gonorrhoea in Aotearoa New Zealand, as most gonorrhoea in Aotearoa is already resistant to doxycycline (the antibiotic).