Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection (bug) that is quite common in New Zealand, especially in people under the age of 25. It is very easy to catch, and easy to treat.
Gonorrhoea is transmitted during oral, vaginal or anal sexual contact, or sharing of sex toys. Penetration (full sex) does not need to happen to spread the infection. It can also be passed from mothers to their babies during childbirth.
Some people with gonorrhoea may not notice any symptoms and don't know they have the infection - that is why testing is really important! If they do, symptoms can show up within a week to a month of exposure to the infection and can include pain when peeing or when having sex, unusual discharge from the vagina or penis, or bleeding between periods or after sex (in people with a vagina).
Gonorrhoea can lead to serious health problems if left untreated, including infertility.
People with a vagina will have a vaginal swab. People with a penis will have a swab from the urethra (where pee comes out). In some parts of New Zealand, gonorrhoea can be diagnosed through testing a small sample of your urine (pee). You can be checked for gonorrhoea by your doctor, nurse or at a
sexual health clinic.
Gonorrhoea is treated with antibiotics. Some people may need multiple courses of antibiotics to clear the infection.
Gonorrhoea can be prevented by using
condoms correctly every time you have sex from start to finish.
If you are diagnosed with gonorrhoea it is important that you tell anyone you have had sex with in the last 3 months.
Note: External genitalia is commonly referred to as the ‘vagina’, although the correct term is actually the vulva. We’ll stick with vagina as that’s the term most people use.