The Better2Know Blog

Gonorrhoea, also known as The Clap, is caused by a highly contagious bacteria called neisseria gonorrhoeae, which is spread through infected semen or vaginal fluids. During unprotected sex, gonorrhoea can be passed onto anything that comes into contact with the infection, including the penis, vagina, anus, throat and eyes.

Anyone who is sexually active can catch gonorrhoea, especially if they change partners regularly and do not use a barrier method of protection. Once infected, an individual is more at risk of contracting other forms of STD’s including HIV.

The symptoms of gonorrhoea typically show up within the first two weeks after infection, but may not appear for a number of months, or until it has moved to another part of the body. Around 50% of women and 90% of men that have contracted gonorrhoea experience some sort of symptoms, which include:

• A thick and often smelly yellow or green coloured discharge from the penis or vagina.
• Pain and tenderness of the genitals.
• Irritation or discharge from the anus, and
• A need to urinate frequently.

Women may also experience bleeding between periods or heavier periods.

If left untreated, gonorrhoea can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) in women, which can lead to infertility and causes infections of the prostate gland and testicles in men.

If you think you have been exposed to gonorrhoea or another STD, Better2Know can provide you with confidential STD tests with fast results at any of our clinics across the UK.

Harrow Primary Care Trust sent out over 10,000 STD letters to children by mistake. Sparking nearly 1,000 complaints by parents, who were left thinking their children had Chlamydia, a leaked report states.

The confidential documents, which were released under the Freedom of Information Act, stated that children as young as seven years old received the letter, urging them to have an STD test.

The inquiry blames a mistake that happened when a worker put the wrong date of birth into the database. The letters had not been checked by the Harrow Primary Care Trust.  They were sent out to over 10,000 homes in the surrounding area.

The letter, sent out on the 22nd of October was intended for 15-24 year olds and offered a chance of winning an iPod if a Chlamydia test was taken. From now on all mail shots that are posted by the Trust will be checked, before they are sent out.

In a statement Dr Andrew Howe, the Director of Public Health said, “I would like to sincerely apologise to the families affected by this mistake, and assure them that, of course, Chlamydia screening is only necessary for sexually active adults and young people, in line with the national programme to offer Chlamydia screening to those aged 15 to 24.”

In a bid to encourage young people to be tested for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s), a new trial has been set up to offer clubbers and pub goers home testing kits. The trial will be offered to under 25’s in the Ealing, Greenford and Southall areas of London and will test for the most common STD, Chlamydia.

If the trial is successful, the initiative will be made available across the UK. The Chlamydia home testing kits will be available in dispensers located in pub and club toilets and contain a urine sample jar and a leaflet about Chlamydia as well as a form to fill in and a freepost envelope.

The test will be totally confidential and the results can either be received by post, text or by visiting a doctor.

Chlamydia is the most common STD in the UK, and up to 50% of males and 70% of females who are infected show no symptoms at all. If undiagnosed, Chlamydia can affect different parts of the body and cause infertility.

Welcome to the Better2Know blog. We understand the worry of sexually transmitted diseases and the need to get a quick and confidential test in a convenient location. Better2Know have STD testing clinics in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham and other UK locations.

All of our clinics maintain strict anonymity. When booking an STD test with us a PIN code will be received that will not in any way identify your personal details.

In modern times there are so many reasons why you should get tested for STD’s, ranging from infertility in both men and women and high risks of other infections such as HIV.