Gonorrhea Treatment

Cefixime is sold under the brand name Suprax. It is an antibiotic used to treat gonorrhea (amongst other things).

We will send you a free test kit after your course of antibiotics is finished so that you can check the infection is gone.

You should not have sex for 7 days after taking Cefixime. This is to stop you spreading the infection or getting re-infected yourself (e.g. if your partner has it too). It is important that you notify your sexual partner(s).

Cefixime used to be the first choice of treatment for gonorrhea. In recent years though, some antibiotic-resistant bacteria have appeared in Europe, so it is now recommended to treat gonorrhea with an injection of a different set of antibiotics at your nearest sexual health clinic. The injection is recommended by the NHS to prevent the increase of tough, antibiotic-resistant bacteria. If you think that you have had gonorrhea for a long time, it would be better to visit a sexual health clinic for treatment.

Between thirty and forty percent of women who are infected with gonorrhea are also infected with chlamydia. It is also common for men to have picked up both infections. For this reason, we send you the antibiotic that treats gonorrhea (Cefixime) along with a free treatment of the antibiotic that treats chlamydia (Azithromycin). The two antibiotics also work together to make the treatment more effective against gonorrhea.

The azithromycin medicine also makes the cefixime medicine more effective in treating gonorrhea.

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection. It is generally located in the genitals, the rectum and the eyes. It is more common in people who are aged between 15 and 30, who are sexually active and have more than one sexual partner per year. It can be avoided by using condoms.

For men, Gonorrhea can lead to infected testicles, urethra or prostate (this can affect fertility long term). About 90% of men who have contracted Gonorrhea have symptoms (a much higher proportion than for women). These symptoms include:

• Pain or burning sensation during urination and/or needing to urinate more often;
• A white/cloudy discharge from the penis, irritation inside the penis; or
• Pain in the testicles or anus is less common, but another symptom.

It is also possible, though unlikely, that you will experience joint pain, a skin rash or flu like symptoms.

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection, it can also be transmitted to newborns when the mother is giving birth. It is generally located in the genitals, the rectum and the eyes. It is more common in people who are aged between 15 and 30, who are sexually active and have more than one sexual partner per year. It can be avoided by using condoms.

It is difficult to spot when women have gonorrhea because only 30-50% of women display any symptoms. Among these women, one in two of them will have abnormal (watery or creamy looking, blood like or even slightly green) vaginal discharge and a quarter of them will experience lower abdominal pain. It is also possible (though less common) to experience pain during urination, heavier periods or spotting.

If left untreated, gonorrhea can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. It can cause serious damage to the reproductive system and can lead to infertility, miscarriages, increased risk of ectopic pregnancies and stillbirths.

It is also possible, though unlikely, that you will experience joint pain, a skin rash or flu like symptoms.

Side effects can include:

• Nausea
• Sickness
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea

Certain strains of gonorrhea have become resistant to antibiotics and so the recommended way to treat gonorrhoea is by the injection of an antibiotic.

We recommend you get an injection at a local GUM (sexual health clinic) where possible.