Diseases and surveillance

Gonorrhoea (gonococcal infection)

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmissible infection (STI). People with gonorrhoea often have no symptoms but it can be serious if left untreated. Practising safe sex is the best protection, along with regular testing. We monitor gonorrhoea trends and provide guidelines to reduce the risk.

At a glance

About gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea, also called gonococcal infection, is a common STI caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

The bacteria can cause infection of the:

  • urethra (urine tube)
  • cervix (the opening of the uterus at the top of the vagina)
  • anus
  • throat
  • eyes.

Why it matters to public health

Gonorrhoea is one of the most commonly diagnosed bacterial STIs in Australia, especially in certain groups.

It is easy to test for and treat. But as many people don’t develop symptoms, the infection can go unnoticed and untreated and be spread to others. 

Untreated gonorrhoea can lead to long-term complications, including infertility. This is why regular testing for gonorrhoea and other STIs is important.

Some types of Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria have evolved to become resistant to some antibiotics. This means that infections with these strains are harder to treat. Detecting these infections early is critical to prevent further spread of resistant strains.

Because of these major impacts, we:

Symptoms

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Many people with gonorrhoea have no symptoms.

Common symptoms of gonorrhoea affecting the urinary and reproductive systems (also called urogenital gonorrhoea) can include:

  • pain, discomfort or burning sensation when urinating
  • unusual discharge from the penis, vagina or rectum
  • pain in the testicles or pelvic area
  • vaginal bleeding or spotting between periods or after sex.

Throat infections can cause a sore, dry throat.

Eye infections can cause conjunctivitis.

Untreated gonorrhoea can cause complications such as:

Newborn babies who are infected during birth can develop a serious eye infection that can lead to blindness if untreated.

Gonorrhoea increases the risk of becoming infected with HIV if exposed to the virus and spreading it to others.

Read more about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of gonorrhoea.

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Onset of symptoms

For people with urogenital gonorrhoea who develop symptoms, they usually start:

  • between 2 and 5 days after being infected for males – this can range from 1 to 14 days or longer
  • within 10 days of being infected for females.

Newborns who are infected at birth usually show signs of eye infection after 2 to 5 days.

How it spreads

Gonorrhoea mainly spreads through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected person. It can spread through sexual networks.

People with gonorrhoea can spread the infection even when they don’t have symptoms.

It can spread from the genitals to the eyes through contact with fingers or hands.

Gonorrhoea can spread from a pregnant person to the baby during birth.

People can get gonorrhoea more than once.

Infectious period

People with gonorrhoea can spread the infection from the time they are infected, even if they have no symptoms. 

People who receive treatment are usually infectious until 7 days after they start antibiotics and no longer have symptoms.

It’s not well known how long people are infectious if their infection is left untreated. But this can vary depending on where the infection is in the body. People with untreated gonorrhoea in their rectum can be infectious for up to a year.

Prevention

Protect yourself

The best way to protect yourself against gonorrhoea is to practise safe sex and follow the same precautions used to prevent other STIs. This includes always using barrier protection, such as condoms and dental dams.

Know the symptoms of gonorrhoea and what to do if you or a sexual partner develops them. But remember that not everyone gets symptoms, so regular sexual health checks and STI testing are important.

If you have had an STI before, you can get another one. If you have recovered from gonorrhoea, you should:

  • be tested for other STIs, including syphilis and HIV
  • be tested again after 3 months
  • continue to get regular sexual health check-ups.

Protect others

If you’ve been diagnosed with gonococcal infection, you should:

  • not have any type of sexual contact until cleared by your healthcare professional – usually 7 days after starting antibiotics and when symptoms have resolved
  • tell anyone you have had sex with during the past 2 months (or longer) they have been exposed to gonorrhoea so they can get tested and treated – you can do this anonymously through
  • not have sex with current or previous partners until they have been tested and treated (if necessary) and are no longer infectious.

Read more ways to prevent STIs.

Priority groups and settings

Some people are at greater risk of getting gonorrhoea or getting very sick from it.

Gonorrhoea can spread in:

  • venues that offer sex on premises
  • parties or other social events where intimate contact occurs.

If you are at greater risk, it is especially important to:

  • take steps to protect yourself
  • see a healthcare professional if you are exposed to gonorrhoea or develop symptoms.

People at greater risk of severe disease

Gonorrhoea poses a greater risk of severe illness for:

  • people who don’t receive appropriate antibiotic treatment early
  • females and other people with a uterus
  • babies born to someone who has gonorrhoea during birth
  • people with gonococcal eye infections – this is a medical emergency.

If you are pregnant, get tested and follow your healthcare professional’s advice. Treatment during pregnancy is safe.

People at greater risk of exposure

Everyone who is sexually active is at risk of being exposed to gonorrhoea. 

People might be more likely to be exposed if they are: 

  • gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), including transgender and gender-diverse people
  • people of any gender who have sexual partners who are GBMSM
  • aged under 30 years
  • sexually active in an area where gonorrhoea is prevalent
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote and very remote areas
  • travellers returning from high prevalence areas overseas
  • sex workers.

People can have more than one STI at the same time. Exposure to gonorrhoea increases the risk of also being exposed to other STIs. 

Read more information for GBMSM.

Diagnosis and treatment

Gonorrhoea is usually diagnosed through:

  • a urine test
  • a swab of the infected area, such as the vagina, penis, anus or throat.

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Gonorrhoea is treated with antibiotics. 

Depending on the site of the infection, your healthcare professional might ask you to come back for another test to make sure the treatment has worked.

Read more about how to manage or treat gonorrhoea.

Surveillance and reporting

Gonococcal infection is a nationally notifiable disease – these are diseases that present a risk to public health.

Health authorities in each state and territory report new laboratory confirmed cases to us daily through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

We work with the Kirby Institute to publish annual STI surveillance reports.

We also track data on antimicrobial resistance through the Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme.

These are part of our surveillance activities, which help us monitor case numbers around the country and understand disease patterns.

We analyse the data and report on case numbers and other data through our data visualisation tool, where you can filter and search the latest information.

Outbreaks

State and territory health departments respond to gonorrhoea outbreaks. Actions might include:

  • ensuring appropriate treatment for people with infection
  • contact tracing to identify others who might have been exposed and recommending testing, if needed
  • providing information about STIs and how to prevent them.

Contact tracing and treatment are especially important to prevent the spread of infections with strains that are resistant to antibiotics.

Read more about how the Australian Government defines and plans for outbreaks.

Support

For information about gonorrhoea in your state or territory, see:

If you need mental health support, see a list of organisations, websites and services that offer support, counselling and information.

Latest resources

Gonococcal infection – Laboratory case definition

The Public Health Laboratory Network (PHLN) has developed standard case definitions for the diagnosis of key diseases in Australia. This document contains the laboratory case definition for gonococcal infection.

Gonococcal infection – Surveillance case definition

This document contains the surveillance case definition for gonococcal infection, which is nationally notifiable within Australia. State and territory health departments use this definition to decide whether to notify us of a case.

Gonococcal infection – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units

These guidelines for Public Health Units provide nationally consistent guidance on how to respond to gonococcal infection. They are part of a Series of National Guidelines (SoNGs) published by the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA).
Related resources
Last updated:
Disease groups:
  • Sexually transmissible