Causes and symptoms of Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is an extremely infectious sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by a bacteria know as Neisseria Gonorrhoea. It affects the mucous membranes of the genitals which become swollen with no other initial complications. In men and women, symptoms vary. In males, gonorrhoea initiates as an infection of the urethra. In females, it usually attacks the cervix. Should this disease be left untreated, severe medical conditions may arise.

Incidences of gonorrhoea, also known as “the clap”, have declined consistently since the 1980’s. This is attributed to campaigns to educate the public about the risks and complications of becoming infected by STDs. Nonetheless, there are up to one million cases in the UK each year. It is difficult to gauge the actual number of cases because of the privacy afforded to patients that may lead to under-reporting.

Gonorrhoea affects people of all creeds, ages, and social status. However, statistics show that individuals of different age groups are at higher risk than others. Teenagers and young adults (ages 15-29) make up over eighty percent of all reported cases each year. People that engage in sexual intercourse with multiple partners and practice “unsafe sex” are at the highest risk of contracting the disease.

As with most STDs, gonorrhoea is transmitted through an array of sexual activities. Men and women alike can contract the disease through oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse. The disease has a very high rate of transmittal from one person to the next. After just one encounter with an infected male a women will contract the disease up to ninety percent of the time.

If you are worried that you may have contracted an STD such as gonorrhoea, Better2Know is here to help. 100% confidential testing with fast results (one to five days depending on the test), and you don’t even have to give us a name. The sooner you diagnose and treat gonorrhoea the better, so go get tested!