You’re a general laying siege to a fortress. You troops are eager to attack and they’re surprised when you order them to hold back, so when your message to the enemy prompts them to strengthen their defences. It seems like a fool’s strategy – why would any commander prevent their army from entering a building they are trying to storm? The reason is that the troops are ill-prepared for battle. They need to be trained and they need to be properly equipped. If they rushed in unprepared, they’d risk a swift defeat. For the moment, the best strategy is to sit, wait and prepare.

This scenario seems odd, but it’s what happens when people contract gonorrhoea. This sexually transmitted disease is