What is "the clap"? Gonorrhoea explained

Maybe an older relative used the phrase, or it turned up in a film, or a partner made a joke and you weren't quite sure it was one.

"The clap" is old slang for gonorrhoea, a bacterial STI that can infect the genitals, throat or rectum. Many people notice nothing at all; others get discharge or pain when they urinate. A gonorrhoea test checks for it directly.

If you'd like to check, the test costs £104 at 117A Harley Street, with results within 3 working days, or £124 for the FAST version with results in 6 hours. Walk in seven days a week, or book online.

Where the name comes from

No one knows for certain where "the clap" comes from. Two explanations are quoted most often. One is the old French word clapier, originally a rabbit hutch and later slang for a brothel. The other is older slang for the swelling and soreness the infection can cause. Neither is settled fact.

Symptoms in men

In men, gonorrhoea often causes a thick yellow or green discharge from the penis and a burning feeling when urinating. Some men also notice pain or tenderness in the testicles. Others have no symptoms at all, so a test is the only way to be sure either way.

If discharge is what has brought you here, a penile discharge assessment at Medical Express Clinic covers the examination alongside testing.

Symptoms in women

In women, gonorrhoea can cause more vaginal discharge, pain when urinating, bleeding between periods and lower abdominal pain. Many women, though, have no symptoms whatsoever. That's one reason a routine test after a new partner or unprotected sex is worth more than waiting to feel unwell.

None of these symptoms are unique to gonorrhoea. They overlap with other infections and with conditions that have nothing to do with sex, so a test tells you far more than watching for symptoms.

Throat and rectal gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea can infect the throat after oral sex and the rectum after anal sex, and both are usually symptomless. A urine sample tests the genital site, so if you've had oral or anal sex, tell the clinician and a throat or rectal swab can check those sites too. Each site is tested separately, and a clear genital result says nothing about the throat or rectum.

How the test works at our clinic

A gonorrhoea test uses a urine sample or a swab. It can be combined with a chlamydia test from the same sample, since the two infections often turn up together. If you'd rather cover more ground in one visit, our STI screening packages include the Bronze screen alongside a consultation.

Ways to test for gonorrhoea at 117A Harley Street:

If you need an answer the same day, FAST testing brings 6-hour gonorrhoea results. For a wider check, the FAST Screen returns all results in 6 hours too. FAST Screen Simple (£350) covers HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and FAST Screen Complex (£450) adds hepatitis B and C.

Walk in seven days a week at 117A Harley Street when there is capacity, or book online to guarantee a time. No GP referral is needed, and every visit is confidential, as with all our private STI testing in London.

Treatment and test of cure

Gonorrhoea is treated by a doctor, with an antibiotic injection or course chosen for you. Because clinicians watch antibiotic resistance closely, you're asked to come back for a test of cure 2 weeks after treatment, to confirm it has cleared. Our guide to antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea explains why resistance matters.

Telling partners

If you test positive, your current partner and any recent partners should be tested too, even if they have no symptoms and feel completely well. Otherwise you can be reinfected soon after finishing your own treatment, and the cycle simply repeats. For what either of you might notice, see our guide to gonorrhoea symptoms in men and women.

Whether you have symptoms or you're testing after a new partner, a gonorrhoea test at 117A Harley Street gives you a clear answer within days, or hours on FAST. Walk in, or book online for a guaranteed time.