From tummy pain to ‘spotting’ – the 8 signs of common STI experts say risks being ‘untreatable’
HEALTH bosses had raised the alarm over a common STI, after becoming concerned over a growing number of drug-resistant cases.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned the infection – passed on through unprotected sex – was becoming “increasingly resistant to antibiotics” – stoking fears it could soon become “untreatable”.
Gonorrhoea is an STI caused by bacteria that can affect the genitals and bottom, as well as the throat or eyes if they’re in the splash zone.
Overall, 54,965 cases of gonorrhoea were diagnosed in the first nine months of 2024.
Another 85,000 got the STI the previous year.
But UKHSA said it was growing concerned over a small number of cases that weren’t responding to ceftriaxone – an antibiotic used as the first line of treatment for gonorrhoea.
For some, a dose of ceftriaxone won’t be effective if the bacteria develop the ability to survive when exposed to the antibiotic.
Since first being detected in England in 2015, 42 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea have been reported.
Seventeen of these were detected between between January 2024 and March 20 this year.
Ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea can usually be taken care of with a second line of treatment.
But a small number of these cases are “extensively drug resistant” – or XDR – meaning the infection won’t respond to ceftriaxone or the second antibiotic.
Fifteen of these cases extensively drug-resistant gonorrhoea have been spotted in England since 2015 – with nine of these detected between between January 2024 and March this year.
Dr Katy Sinka, consultant epidemiologist and head of the STI section at UKHSA, said: “Gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, which could make it untreatable in future.
“If left untreated, it can cause serious problems like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.”
Not everyone will get symptoms if they’re infected with the nasty STI, so it’s important to get regularly tested if you’re having unprotected sex or sleeping with casual partners.
But if you do get struck with gonorrhoea symptoms, they’ll usually appear about two weeks after infection.
In some cases, they can take months to start.
Women may notice:
- A yellow or green-tinged discharge from their vagina
- Burning pain when they pee
- Pain their lower belly
- Bleeding between periods, also known as ‘spotting’ – though this is rare
Meanwhile, men might experience:
- Burning pain when they pee
- Fluid or discharge leaking out of their penis
- Sore testicles
Gonorrhoea doesn’t just affect the genitals.
If other parts of your body come into contact with infected vaginal fluid, they may also show symptoms.
You may get:
- Pain, itching or discharge from your bottom
- A sore throat
- Pain, redness or discharge from your eyes
Dr Sinka said: “The best way to stop STIs is by using a condom.
“If you’ve had condomless sex with a new or casual partner, get tested, whatever your age, gender or sexual orientation.
“This includes when you are having sex abroad. Early detection not only protects your health but prevents transmission to others.
“Many STIs show no symptoms, which is why regular testing is so important. Testing is quick, free and confidential.”
Gonorrhoea complications
If gonorrhoea isn’t treated, it can cause serious problems including:
- Eye infections (gonococcal conjunctivitis) if you touch your eyes after touching infected fluid from your penis or vagina
- An infection of the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries (pelvic inflammatory disease), which can lead to infertility if not treated
- Infection in the testicles or prostate (prostatitis)
The sooner you get treatment, the easier these complications are to treat.
Having gonorrhoea during pregnancy can increase your risk of premature birth and your baby having a low birth weight.
There’s also a risk the infection could spread to your baby’s eyes during birth, which is called gonococcal conjunctivitis.
This can cause blindness if it’s not treated with antibiotics.
Source: NHS
You should go to a sexual health clinic or see a GP if you or a sexual partner suspect you have gonorrhoea or either of you had sex without protection.
It’s important you get seen to if you’re pregnant or planning to get pregnant.
If you don’t have symptoms but want a test, you can buy a self-test kit for gonorrhoea online, in sexual health clinics or in pharmacies and send it to a lab to be tested.
If the test shows you have gonorrhoea, you’ll be contacted and told what to do next.