Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus. It used to be known as 'the clap'.

The bacteria are mainly found in discharge from the penis and in vaginal fluid.
Gonorrhea is easily passed between people through:
• Unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex
•
The bacteria can infect the cervix (entrance to the womb), the urethra (tube through which urine passes out of the body), the rectum, and less commonly the throat or eyes.
The infection can also be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby. If you're pregnant and may have gonorrhea, it's important to get tested and treated before your baby is born. Without treatment, gonorrhea can cause permanent complications in a newborn baby.
Gonorrhea isn't spread by kissing, hugging, sharing baths or towels, swimming pools, toilet seats, or sharing cups, plates and cutlery, because the bacteria can't survive outside the human body for long.

Typical symptoms of gonorrhea include a thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when urinating and (in women) bleeding between periods.
However, you may not experience any symptoms.

Gonorrhea is usually treated with a single antibiotic injection and a single antibiotic tablet. With effective treatment, most of your symptoms should improve within a few days.
It's usually recommended that you attend a follow-up appointment a week or two after treatment, so another test can be carried out to see if you're clear of infection.
You should avoid having sex until you've been given the all-clear.

Anyone who's sexually active can catch gonorrhea, especially people who change partners frequently or don't use a barrier method of contraception, such as a condom, when having sex.
Previous successful treatment for gonorrhea doesn't make you immune to catching the infection again.