Quick Exit (or press ESC)
Clients holding hands in clinic

Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is a common bacterial infection, easily passed on through unprotected sex.

Find a BPAS clinic in your area:

Find a clinic
Print this page

About gonorrhoea

Untreated gonorrhoea can spread to the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can lead to lasting pelvic pain, fertility problems and ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the womb). In men, gonorrhoea can cause a painful infection in the testicles and prostate gland, and could reduce fertility.

Clients holding hands in clinic
Testing

The same swab is used to test for both gonorrhoea and chlamydia.

Treatment

Gonorrhoea is treated with a single dose of antibiotic tablets together with an antibiotic injection. To avoid re-infection your partner must also be treated. You will need to repeat your gonorrhoea test to make sure that the treatment was successful.

Clients holding hands in clinic

Confidentiality

We have strict rules to ensure that the information collected about you is kept safe and secure.

You can choose to get your results ideally by text, or email for convenience, or we can call you. We will ask if it is OK for us:

  • To leave a message (when we contact you to give you your results)
  • To contact the NHS about your results (if we cannot contact you in person)

A password and unique reference number will be agreed at your consultation. This is to check your identity, and confirm that it is safe to discuss your test results over the phone.

If we cannot confirm your identity over the telephone (for example, if you have forgotten your password/reference number), you will be asked to return to the BPAS unit where your tests were done to discuss your results.

Tell us which personal telephone number and email address is best for you to receive your test results in private.