The 4 signs of ‘super-gonorrhoea’ you must never ignore as cases detected in UK
BRITS have been urged to get tested after cases of a 'super-gonorrhoea' were detected in the UK.
The strain is known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and it's resistant to antibiotics - so it's important you're able to spot the signs of infection.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed that three new cases of the STI had been detected in England and said you should get tested if your sexual partner has changed.
A woman in her 20s in London and a heterosexual couple in their 20s based in the Midlands were recently diagnosed.
It comes after a case announced in December 2021, of a man in his early 20s who had acquired the bug in London in November.
All have been infected with a strain of N. gonorrhoeae with resistance to the antibiotic ceftriaxone.
Ceftriaxone is the main antibiotic used to treat gonorrhoea in the UK, therefore having a ceftriaxone resistant strain means the STI will be hard to treat.
It is not clear if the strain is still sensitive to azithromycin - another commonly used antibiotic against gonorrhoea.
Most read in Health
Experts said you should also avoid sex if you have symptoms of the super-bug, but what are the symptoms and how will they appear?
1. Discharge
For most women, vaginal discharge is normal and isn't nothing to worry about.
As long as it doesn't have a smell, is clear or white, thick or sticky and is slippery and wet, it's normal.
But if you have gonorrhoea you might notice a change in your discharge.
Both men and women can experience discharge if they have gonorrhoea and this is likely to be a thick consistency and green or yellow in colour.
2. Toilet troubles
A change in toilet habits is always something to be on the look out for as it can be a sign of cancers such as bladder cancer.
If you experience issues when you're urinating, such as pain or a burning or tingling sensation - then this could be a sign of gonorrhoea.
3. Pain
While pain when urinating is a symptom, there is another type of pain you should be on the look out for.
Both men and women who contract gonorrhoea could experience pain in the rectum.
This will likely feel sore and you might also experience anal itching or painful bowel movements.
4. Bleeding
Bleeding will affect people who have periods.
If you have gonorrhoea then you might experience bleeding in-between your period.
But it's important to note that bleeding between periods is also a sign of other things and this might be a side effect of the contraception you are using.
While these are the key symptoms of infection, around one in ten men, and half of the women infected with gonorrhoea experience no symptoms - so it's important to get tested if you have changed your sexual partner.
Data from sexual wellness brand previous found that despite gonorrhoea being prevalent, 53 per cent of people were not worried about catching an STI once Covid restrictions were lifted fully.
It was previously revealed that the UK faced a STI boom after leaving lockdown, with infections becoming 'super resistant'.
Dr Katy Sinka, STI Section Head at UKHSA, said: “After a couple of years without any cases of this hard to treat form of gonorrhoea, we have now seen four cases in the last two months.
“It’s too soon to say whether this will be the start of a longer-term trend, but we do know that STIs are on the rise in general.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“Getting an STI isn’t as simple as taking some medicine and moving on with your life – if not properly treated they can have long term impacts on your and your partner’s health.
“Adding antibiotic resistance into the mix makes the impact on your life even greater.”