Gonorrhoea in Australia: Rising Cases, Silent Symptoms and How Treatment Works

Gonorrhoea is now one of Australia’s most common STIs. There were 42,393 diagnoses in 2025, according to the Kirby Institute’s latest national data. That’s slightly down on the 2024 peak but about 78% higher than in 2016. Around 73% of diagnoses are in men, and rates are highest in people in their mid-to-late twenties.

It’s curable, but it’s also an infection doctors watch closely because of antibiotic resistance. Here’s who gets symptoms (and who usually doesn’t), how it’s tested and treated in Australia, and the follow-up steps that matter.

Medically reviewed by Dr Vafa Derakshan (MBBS, FRACGP). Last reviewed 2 October 2026. Checked against the Australian STI Management Guidelines (updated June 2026) and Kirby Institute data released September 2026.

The short version

• Penile infections usually cause symptoms. Vaginal, throat and anal infections usually don’t.
• Test about 2 weeks after the sex you’re worried about, with throat and anal swabs if relevant.
• Treatment in Australia is an antibiotic injection plus antibiotic tablets on the same day.
• No sex for 7 days after treatment, tell partners from at least the last 2 months, and retest at 3 months.
• If a possible HIV exposure was in the last 72 hours, ask about PEP now.

What’s behind the rise?

Gonorrhoea diagnoses dipped during the 2020–21 lockdowns, then climbed again. More testing explains part of the increase, because more infections are being found. Other factors include changes in condom use and ongoing spread in both gay and bisexual men and heterosexual networks. Gonorrhoea affects people of every gender, age and background, in cities and regional areas alike. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have about four times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians.

For the full picture, see what Australia’s latest STI data means.

Symptoms: it depends where the infection is

• Penis (urethra): 85–90% of infections cause symptoms, usually 2 to 5 days after infection: discharge from the penis, stinging or burning when you urinate, and sometimes testicular pain.
• Vagina (cervix): about 80% cause no symptoms. When they do, look for unusual discharge, stinging when you urinate, bleeding between periods or after sex, or pelvic pain.
• Throat and rectum: usually no symptoms. Rectal infection can sometimes cause discharge, pain or bleeding.

Because so many infections are silent, gonorrhoea is often found on a routine check rather than because something felt wrong.

Why it matters if it’s not treated

Untreated gonorrhoea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. It can also cause a painful testicular infection and, rarely, spread through the bloodstream to the joints and skin. Having gonorrhoea also makes HIV easier to pass on and acquire.

How gonorrhoea is tested

• Penile infection: a first-pass urine sample.
• Vaginal infection: a self-collected vaginal swab, or a urine sample.
• Throat and anal: swabs. Guidelines recommend these for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men even without symptoms, and for anyone with symptoms at those sites or relevant exposure.

These tests look for the bacteria’s genetic material and are reliable from about 2 weeks after exposure. Guidelines also recommend a swab for culture before treatment, so the laboratory can check which antibiotics will work. See STI window periods for the other tests.

How gonorrhoea is treated in Australia

The Australian guidelines recommend two antibiotics given together: an injection plus a single dose of antibiotic tablets. Using two medicines is a deliberate strategy to slow the spread of resistance. Treatment needs a prescription, and the injection is given in person, for example at a GP, sexual health clinic or medical centre. Your doctor can explain the options and organise where to have it.

Some infections need a test of cure, a repeat swab about 2 weeks after treatment. This is especially important if no culture swab was taken before treatment, if the culture showed resistance, or if a non-standard treatment was used.

After treatment

1. No sex for 7 days after treatment, or until symptoms have gone, whichever is later.
2. Tell partners from at least the last 2 months so they can be tested and treated. Let Them Know can send an anonymous message for you.
3. Retest at 3 months to pick up any reinfection.

Antibiotic resistance and travel

Gonorrhoea has become resistant to several antibiotics over the decades, and strains with a reduced response to first-line treatment are emerging, including in Australia and in people returning from overseas. If you had sex overseas, tell your doctor, as it can change how you’re tested and followed up. Our guide to testing after Bali, festivals and Schoolies has more.

Doxy-PEP, used by some gay and bisexual men to lower the risk of syphilis and chlamydia, is much less effective against gonorrhoea. Condoms remain the best protection for vaginal and anal sex.

Frequently asked questions

Can gonorrhoea go away without treatment?

Don’t count on it. Untreated infections can persist for months, cause complications and be passed on. Treatment is quick and effective.

Can you get gonorrhoea from oral sex?

Yes. Throat infections are common and usually cause no symptoms, so a throat swab is the only way to find them.

How long after sex can I test for gonorrhoea?

About 2 weeks after the sex you’re worried about. If you have symptoms such as discharge or stinging, see a doctor straight away rather than waiting.

Can I get gonorrhoea treatment online?

An online doctor can assess you, arrange tests and organise treatment. Because the recommended treatment includes an injection, you’ll need to have that part in person, and your doctor will tell you where.

Is gonorrhoea testing free?

At STI Doctor, consults are bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders, and standard tests are usually covered by Medicare at the collection centre. Without Medicare, a private fee applies; see our fees.

Get tested for gonorrhoea

Speak to an Australian doctor by phone or video, usually the same day, 7 days from 9am to 7pm Sydney time. Book a gonorrhoea test, bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders, and we’ll text you when your results are in.

Related guides: gonorrhoea testing online; what a full STI check includes; same-day and rapid STI testing; and the latest Australian STI data.

Sources: Australian STI Management Guidelines, gonorrhoea (updated 30 June 2026); Kirby Institute, STI rates remain high in Australia’s latest sexual health data (September 2026); healthdirect, gonorrhoea; Let Them Know. This article is general information, not personal medical advice.