Gonorrhoea

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Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection (which used to be known as â€˜the clapâ€™) that is caused by a bacterium called neisseria gonorrheoae or gonococcus. It is passed from person to person through sexual activity including intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, intimate physical contact, sharing vibrators or other sex toys, or from mother to baby during birth.

Gonorrhoea is the second most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK and the number of cases is rising every year. Young men aged 20-24 years and women between the ages of 16 and 19 are most commonly affected.

Around half of women and one in ten men who have contracted gonorrhoea do not experience any symptoms, which means it can often go untreated for some time. This can cause serious health problems in later life, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can be very unpleasant causing abdominal pain, tenderness and fever. If left untreated it may lead to infertility or ectopic pregnancy (women), and pain and swelling of the testicles or prostate gland (men).