Gonorrhoea, or 'the clap', can infect the cervix, urethra, anus or throat but many people - especially women - might not have visible symptoms. The latest UK government data shows that in 2004 there were 22,000 new cases of gonorrhoea in the UK. Two thirds of those infected were men and 25% of infected men were gay.
Typical symptoms in women include a strong smelling, green vaginal discharge. Women may also get an anal discharge - if acquired through anal sex - a sore throat or a slight burning when urinating. Left untreated, gonorrhoea can cause serious damage to a woman's fertility.
Most men who catch gonorrhoea show symptoms pretty quickly. A yellow/white penile discharge normally appears 3-5 days after infection. Like women, men might get an anal discharge, a sore throat or a slight burning when urinating. If left untreated, gonorrhoea can cause the testicles to swell painfully.
According to government data for 2004, rates of gonorrhoea diagnoses in England were more than double those in Wales and Scotland and five times higher than those in Northern Ireland. In England, rates of infection were highest in London. Outside London, Yorkshire, Humberside and the West Midlands showed the highest rates of gonorrhoea.
The most common way of catching gonorrhoea is through unprotected sex, whether vaginal, anal or oral. You can also catch it by sharing sex toys or putting your fingers in the vagina, anus, or mouth of someone who already has it and then putting your fingers in your own vagina, anus or mouth. Rimming can also spread gonorrhoea.
You can test for gonorrhoea using either a urine sample or a swab from the area you think might be infected. Treatment involves antibiotics. In some parts of the UK there is increased resistance to specific antibiotics.