Gonorrhoea is treated with antibiotics , most commonly a single injection, but the exact medicine must be prescribed by a health professional after proper testing.

Main medicines used

For uncomplicated gonorrhoea (genital, rectal, throat), current guidelines recommend:

  • Ceftriaxone injection (a third‑generation cephalosporin antibiotic), usually given as a single intramuscular dose.
  • Doxycycline tablets may be added if there is a risk of chlamydia at the same time, as these two infections often occur together.

If ceftriaxone cannot be used (for example, due to allergy or lack of access), specialist‑guided alternatives can include:

  • Gentamicin injection plus azithromycin by mouth.
  • Oral cefixime (another cephalosporin) as a single 800 mg dose in some settings, though it is considered an alternative, not first choice, because of resistance concerns.

All of these are prescription‑only and should be chosen by a clinician familiar with local resistance patterns.

Why prompt treatment matters

Untreated gonorrhoea can lead to:

  • Pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy in people with a uterus.
  • Testicular/epididymal infections and possible fertility problems in people with testes.
  • Spread through the bloodstream (disseminated infection), affecting joints, skin, or heart valves.

Because the bacteria are becoming more resistant to many older antibiotics, using the correct, up‑to‑date regimen is critical for a real cure.

What someone with symptoms should do

If you or a partner might have gonorrhoea (burning when peeing, discharge from the penis or vagina, rectal pain/discharge, sore throat after oral sex, or no symptoms but a known exposure):

  1. Get tested as soon as possible at a clinic, GP, sexual health service, or emergency department if very unwell.
  1. Avoid sex until a clinician says it is safe and any treatment course is fully completed.
  1. Make sure all recent sexual partners are tested and treated; many guidelines allow “expedited partner therapy” with appropriate antibiotics, prescribed through a clinician.
  1. Return for follow‑up or a “test of cure” if your clinician advises, especially for throat infections or if symptoms do not go away.

Safety note (very important)

  • Do not try to treat gonorrhoea with leftover antibiotics, online pills without a prescription, or herbal/home remedies; these can fail, increase resistance, and allow complications to develop.
  • If you have severe pain in the pelvis or testicles, fever, joint pain with a new rash, or feel very unwell, seek urgent/emergency care, as this can indicate a serious spread of the infection.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.