Gonorrhoea Symptoms: Early Signs to Watch For in Men and Women

29 Oct 2025

Gonorrhoea is the second most prevalent STI (sexually transmitted infection) in the UK, which may lead to significant health issues and complications if not treated. The infection may not always show symptoms, but if you have recently had unprotected sexual contact, you should be aware of what to look for.

Common gonorrhoea symptoms include:

• Pain during urination.
• Foul discharge that is yellow or green in colour (visibly different than normal).
• Pain in the testicles (in men) or lower abdominal area (in women).
• Spotting after sex or in between periods.
• Inflammation or swelling of the foreskin.

In this blog, we will go into how symptoms of gonorrhoea present differently in men and women, the length of time that symptoms take to show up, and when you should have testing done for gonorrhoea.

What Does Gonorrhoea Look Like on a Man?

Common symptoms of gonorrhoea in men include:

• A painful sensation while passing urine.
• Thick, foul discharge from the tip of the penis that is greenish or yellowish in colour.
• Irritation or swelling of the foreskin.
• Although rare, swelling or pain in one or both testicles.

How long does it take for males to show signs of Gonorrhoea?

In males, you would typically expect it to take around two weeks after the initiation of a gonorrhoea infection to present symptoms. However, this duration may be shorter than two weeks, or longer as well. Gonorrhoea is often regarded to be asymptomatic, and many men won’t present symptoms until almost one month after transmission, if any symptoms develop at all.

According to the NHS, 1 in every 10 men will have gonorrhoea symptoms, which highlights the importance of being screened after engaging with every new sexual partner.

What Does Gonorrhoea Look Like on a Woman?

Like males, females may not always show signs or symptoms of gonorrhoea. However when they do, they may present with one or a combination of the following:

• Pain during urination.
• Abnormal, yellow or green, watery vaginal discharge.
• Spotting, or bleeding after sex
• Lower abdominal pain, which is a rare symptom

How long does it take for females to show signs of Gonorrhoea?

If any symptoms of gonorrhoea appear in a woman, they will typically develop in 7 to 10 days after unprotected anal, oral or vaginal sex. However, in some women, this period can also be prolonged. Conversely, it should also be noted that every 5 in 10 women never develop symptoms when infected with gonorrhoea.

Symptoms of Gonorrhoea in Other Sites of the Body

The genital region is not the only site of the body where an infection of gonorrhoea can occur and it is not the only body site to develop symptoms. Below are some of the sites to look for symptoms of gonorrhoea:

• Eyes: Gonorrhoea in the eyes typically develops symptoms much sooner than gonorrhoea in the genitals and often occurs around day 3 to 5 post-exposure. An eye infection is often characterised by pain and swelling inside and around the eye, redness and difficulty opening the eye.
• Mouth: Symptoms of gonorrhoea in the mouth include fevers, a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. Keep in mind that gonorrhoea in the mouth can also clear up on its own – without taking antibiotics.
• Rectum or anus: Gonorrhoea in the anus can develop severe itching, pus-like discharge, and in some cases blood – often noticed after wiping from a bowel movement.
• Joints: While a gonorrhoea infection cannot actually develop in your joints, the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria can travel through the bloodstream and reach your joints, resulting in septic arthritis.

Can Gonorrhoea Be Asymptomatic?

Yes. Gonorrhoea, in particular, has many people who test positive yet have no visible signs of an infection. In other words, they are experiencing an asymptomatic infection. In the absence of visible symptoms such as pain or a discharge, the bacteria can still wreak havoc on your reproductive organs and can be passed on to your partner during unprotected sexual intercourse. This can be the reason why routine screening for sexually transmitted infections are recommended, particularly if you have new partners or multiple partners.

Testing for gonorrhoea is often done with either a urine sample or swab testing and the treatment is primarily based with antibiotics. By detecting gonorrhoea early, there is potential to avoid complications such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) in women or infertility in either sex.

How long must you wait to get tested after experiencing gonorrhoea symptoms?

If you are experiencing any of the gonorrhoea symptoms discussed earlier, you should get tested. However, when you test too early following transmission, a false negative infection might be detected, which is why you must wait at least 2 weeks before testing. While you are waiting to be tested, you must not have any kind of sexual contact, so that you do not pass on the STD to someone else.

It is essential to highlight that gonorrhoea is not symptomatic all the time. So, if you have recently had sex without a condom, or if a prior sexual partner has a positive test result, you must also be tested for gonorrhoea. But don’t worry getting a positive gonorrhoea test as it doesn’t mean the end of world for you! 

What Will Happen If Gonorrhoea Is not Treated?

If gonorrhoea is not treated promptly, it could result in serious, long-term health-related issues. In women the infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which may result in infertility, long-term pelvic pain, or ectopic pregnancy. In men, untreated gonorrhoea can lead to a nasty condition called epididymitis which causes pain and swelling in the testicles and can affect fertility as well.

The infection can also be transmitted through the bloodstream, which can cause a serious but rare health condition called disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). Taking care of gonorrhoea infection early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment is critical to avoid these complications and to prevent the infection from being passed on to sexual partners.

Trusted Gonorrohoea Testing with South Kensington MD

If you are noticing symptoms of gonorrhoea, or if you have had unprotected sex, you will want to get screened for STDs. South Kensington MD is UK’s one of the top providers of private sexual health tests.

If you are concerned about a potential infection and want Gonorrhoea testing in London, you may contact our friendly team – we are always happy to help!