How gonorrhoea is treated
Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection that can usually be easily treated.
The symptoms of gonorrhoea typically develop within two weeks from the point of infection, although it is important to note that symptoms aren’t always clear. In an Elite Daily article, Dr O’Connell White states that it is possible you won’t feel any different, even if you have been infected. Half of all infected women and around one in ten infected men won’t display any symptoms at all, resulting in an untreated sexually transmitted infection.
Greenwich Sexual Health is a useful resource that has compiled information and advice on understanding how to avoid sexually transmitted infections, obtaining contraception, and where to go if you need help or further advice.
Treating Gonorrhoea
The usual treatment for gonorrhoea is a short course of antibiotics. This typically involves an injection and one tablet, although it is occasionally possible to have two antibiotic tablets instead.
Treatment will be recommended to you if your test for gonorrhoea has come back positive or if your partner has been infected and has possibly passed the infection on to you. Treatment will also be offered to you even if your test results haven’t been processed yet if there’s a high risk of you having the infection.
Informing Sexual Partners
Gonorrhoea is infectious, so it’s important that you contact anyone you have recently been sexually intimate with to inform them you have it. Your sexual health clinic should be able to help with this. Typically, your sexual partners will receive a letter that will suggest they get themselves tested as they may have been exposed to an STI. This letter won’t contain your name, protecting your confidentiality at all times.
Gonorrhoea testing kits in London are available from a number of clinics including https://www.checkurself.org.uk and it is important to take one if you suspect you have contracted an STI. It will put your mind at rest and inform you whether you then need to go on to seek appropriate treatment.
A follow-up appointment will typically be scheduled for two weeks after you have taken your short course of antibiotics, and you should avoid all sexual contact during this time. During your second appointment, a further test will usually be carried out to confirm whether the infection has been properly treated.
