How Do The Symptoms Compare
Both men and women can get chlamydia or gonorrhea and never develop any symptoms.
With chlamydia, symptoms may not appear for a few weeks after youve contracted the infection. And with gonorrhea, women may never experience any symptoms at all or may only show mild symptoms, while men are more likely to have symptoms that are more severe.
A couple of the most telltale symptoms of these STIs overlap between the two , such as:
- burning when you pee
- abnormal discharge from the rectum
- pain in the rectum
- bleeding from the rectum
You may also develop symptoms that affect your throat if you engage in oral sex with someone who has one of these conditions. This can cause mouth and throat symptoms, including sore throat and a cough.
A Word From Same Day Std Testing
STD testing might make some people uncomfortable, but the reality is that all sexually active individuals should get tested regularly. If left untreated, STDs can cause a myriad of serious health issues. Thankfully, when you visit one of our facilities, youll enjoy complete privacy and discretion. Plus, our tests are the most advanced available. You can contact one of our dedicated team members here at or to get tested today, simply find a clinic near you. Were ready and waiting to help!
What Stis Should I Be Tested For
According to CDC guidelines :
- Anyone ages 13 to 64 should be tested for HIV at least once in their life, as well as after any potential exposure.
- Sexually active women under 25 years old should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia yearly.
- Women who are 25 years and older with multiple sexual partners or partners with an STD should get tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia yearly.
- Pregnant people should be tested for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, and high risk pregnant people should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia in early pregnancy.
- Sexually active gay men, bisexual men, or other men who have sex with men should be tested for syphilis, chlamydia, HIV, and gonorrhea every 3 to 6 months if they have multiple or anonymous partners.
- Anyone who practices sex that could put them at risk of infection or who shares drug injection equipment should get tested for HIV yearly.
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During And After The Test
When you have a urine STI test, it is usually during a regular appointment. You will be asked to pee into a sample collection cup or tube. That tube or cup will be given to one of the medical staff.
Your urine sample will then be sent out to a lab or tested at the clinic. You can leave as soon as you are done giving the sample or when your appointment is finished.
What Does A Positive Chlamydia Test Result Mean
If the test is positive, the lab detected the bacteria that cause chlamydia. This means you have a chlamydia infection and will need treatment . You will also need to notify your sexual partners, so they can get tested, too.
After finishing treatment, you will need additional follow-up chlamydia tests. You may need another test three weeks after treatment and possibly another test three months later. Ask your provider when you should get a follow-up test.
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How Gonorrhea And Chlamydia Are Tested
Both gonorrhea and chlamydia can be diagnosed with similar methods. A healthcare provider might do a physical examination to look for symptoms, and they may do a urine test to check for the bacteria that cause chlamydia or gonorrhea.
But screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea doesnÃât have to take place at a clinic. With the Everlywell at-home Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test, you can easily check for these STIs from the comfort and privacy of your home.
The kit comes with easy-to-follow instructions and everything you need to collect your sample at home, and your physician-reviewed results can be conveniently and securely viewed online on your device. Plus, if you receive a positive result after you get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea with the Everlywell at-home test, youÃâll have the opportunity to connect with our independent physician networkÃâand may be prescribed medication to treat the infection.
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How Can I Prevent Getting Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
Get some information about their sexual history. Get some information about any recently treated diseases. Have safe sex with right utilization of a condom. Utilize a condom each time you have vaginal, oral, or butt-centric sex. Get tried for explicitly sent diseases in the event that you or your partner are not mono
gamous
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What Do The Results Mean
Your results will be given as negative, also called normal, or positive, also called abnormal.
Negative/Normal: No gonorrhea bacteria were found. If you have certain symptoms, you may get additional STD tests to find out the cause.
Positive/Abnormal: You are infected with the gonorrhea bacteria. You will be treated with antibiotics to cure the infection. Be sure to take all the required doses. Antibiotic treatment should stop the infection, but some types of gonorrhea bacteria are becoming resistant to certain antibiotics. If your symptoms don’t improve after treatment, your health care provider may order a “susceptibility test.” A susceptibility test is used to help determine which antibiotic will be most effective in treating your infection.
Regardless of your treatment, be sure to let your sex partner know if you have tested positive for gonorrhea. That way, he or she can be tested and treated promptly.
If you have questions about your results, talk to your health care provider.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
Limits Of Urine Tests For Gonorrhea And Chlamydia
In 2018, 1.8 million cases of chlamydia were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in addition to 583,405 cases of gonorrhea. These numbers show an increase of 19% for chlamydia and 63% for gonorrhea since 2014.
Most infections with gonorrhea and chlamydia are asymptomatic. The fact that many people have no symptoms means that the only way to detect and treat these infections is through screening.
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How Will I Get The Gonorrhea And Chlamydia Test Result
You will receive a notification email informing you that your results are available. This email will contain a link to the secure communications area where your results will be available. Please read the email for important information associated with the login process. Once you have successfully logged into the secure communication area, additional instructions will be available to guide you to the appropriate area to view, print and/or save your results.
Sti Vs Std: Whats The Difference
However, home testing does not take the place of medical care. It is essential to follow the instructions for sample collection carefully as a good specimen is needed for accurate results. Having the test done is only the first step you still need to see a healthcare provider and be treated for the condition. Also, you need to make your sexual partners aware of your diagnosis so that they can be tested and treated if need be.
Knowing your STI status is an effective way to make sure you stay healthy. Follow the testing guidelines and practice safe sexual habits. If you have any questions or are unsure about your need to be tested, talk with your healthcare provider. Sexual health is an integral part of your overall health and should be maintained.
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How Do You Test For Gonorrhea And Chlamydia
HealthLabs.com uses the FDA-approved / cleared nucleic acid amplification test . This test is recommended as the most accurate test for detecting both chlamydia and gonorrhea infections. Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacterium that causes chlamydia. Our NAAT chlamydia test looks for the presence of the bacteria in your urine. If it is found, this means that you have an active chlamydia infection. Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the bacterium that causes gonorrhea. Our NAAT gonorrhea test can detect the presence of this bacteria in your urine. If the bacteria is found, you have an active gonorrhea infection.
How To Prepare For The Test
If you think you may have chlamydia, avoid sexual intercourse until you get your test results.
has found that home tests may be as effective for diagnosing chlamydia as swabs collected at your doctors office.
However, its important to note that home testing kits can sometimes return false-negative results. A 2017 study asked men to self-collect a sample for chlamydia testing both at a clinic and at home using a mail-in kit. Researchers found that over one-third of the mail-in samples missed a positive result that was detected in the samples collected at the clinic.
The researchers note that its possible that the collection technique when using a home test may affect the quality of the sample and therefore affect your result. Because of this, be sure to follow all sample collection instructions carefully if you choose to do a home test for chlamydia.
If you receive a positive result from a home testing kit, you will need to go immediately to a doctor to receive treatment. Until you have completed treatment, you can give chlamydia to your sexual partners.
If youre diagnosed with chlamydia, prompt treatment will help prevent any long-term complications. The key is to test for this bacterial infection before it spreads.
You can get a chlamydia test from:
- your primary care doctor
Due to the prevalence of chlamydia, its important to get yearly tests if you:
You may need to get tested more often than once a year.
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Who Needs Testing
Who needs to get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea?
The recommendations for getting tested for chlamydia and for gonorrhea are the same.
For women:
- If you’re age 24 or younger and having sex, get tested once every year
- If you’re age 25 or older, get tested every year if you’re at increased risk for infection
For example, you may be at increased risk if you have:
- More than 1 sex partner
- A new sex partner
- A sex partner with an STD
For men:
- Talk with a doctor to find out if you need to get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or other STDs
What are the signs of chlamydia or gonorrhea?
Many people who have chlamydia or gonorrhea dont have any signs or symptoms. When there are symptoms, chlamydia and gonorrhea cause very similar things.
Women with symptoms may have:
- Burning when they urinate
- Bleeding between periods
Men with symptoms may have:
- Burning when they urinate
- Painful or swollen testicles
What Is An Std
The difference between STDs and STIs is often muddled.
An STD is a sexually transmitted disease resulting from an STI. Infections happen when bacteria, parasites, or viruses enter the body. This process happens before a disease develops.
While STDs stem from infections , having an STI does not necessarily mean you will develop a disease from that infection.
As we mentioned, some infections may show no symptoms, so testing is very important for preventing the spread of STIs. On the other hand, a disease typically has more clear-cut signs or symptoms.
If youve been sexually active, its a good idea to be tested for STIs. Also, get tested if:
- youre about to begin a new relationship
- you and your partner are thinking about not using condoms or other barrier methods of birth control
- your partner has cheated on you
- you or your partner have multiple partners
- you have symptoms that suggest you might have an STI
If youre in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship and both you and your partner were tested before entering the relationship, you may not need regular STI testing.
But many people in long-term relationships werent tested before they got together. If thats the case for you and your partner, its possible that one or both of you have been living with an undiagnosed STI for years. The safest choice is to get tested.
Your doctor probably wont offer to test you for herpes unless you have a known exposure or ask for the test.
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Can I Take An Sti Test On My Period
According to Planned Parenthood, its perfectly OK to get screened for STIs during any day of your menstrual cycle.
Some at-home tests do recommend waiting a few days after your period to test for certain diseases, though, so be sure to check the test instructions if you are using an at-home product.
How Do They Test For Chlamydia In Men
Chlamydia is one of the most common bacterial infections that are spread through sexual intercourse not only in the United States but in several other areas of the world too. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.7 million cases of this sexually transmitted infection were reported in 2018. This data accounts for the United States alone. The World Health Organization estimates that about 2.7% of men around the world have been infected with Chlamydia between 2009 and 2016.
Due to the fact that chlamydia is a condition that affects male and female patients in unique ways, it is important to consider the differences in testing for these conditions too. In this post, we will consider some unique ways that chlamydia tends to affect men and take a look at what tests are performed to identify the presence of this bacterial infection in a male patient.
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Key Question 2 How Effective Are Different Screening Strategies In Identifying Persons With Gonorrhea And Chlamydia
Summary
No studies compared the effectiveness of different screening strategies for gonorrhea or chlamydia in asymptomatic persons or the effectiveness of sampling from various anatomical sites, cotesting for concurrent STIs, or using different screening intervals. Several studies of screening in high-risk groups have been published, but they did not meet inclusion criteria because they enrolled both symptomatic and asymptomatic persons, lacked comparison groups, or did not report relevant outcomes. An observational study in the Netherlands evaluated a risk prediction tool to identify persons with chlamydia in high-risk populations. However, the tool was not an accurate predictor, and its applicability to practice in the United States is unclear. Prior reviews did not directly address the effectiveness of different screening strategies, but rather summarized risk factors associated with gonococcal and chlamydial infections., An observational study comparing nine sets of selective screening criteria for chlamydial infection among women attending family planning and STI clinics in the United States indicated that age alone had similar or better sensitivity and specificity as more extensive criteria. In this study, nearly 80 percent of cases were identified when testing 50 percent of the population and using an age cutoff of 22 years or younger.
Evidence
Im Pregnant How Does Gonorrhea Affect My Baby
If you are pregnant and have gonorrhea, you can give the infection to your baby during delivery. This can cause serious health problems for your baby. If you are pregnant, it is important that you talk to your health care provider so that you get the correct examination, testing, and treatment, as necessary. Treating gonorrhea as soon as possible will make health complications for your baby less likely.
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Just Diagnosed Next Steps After Testing Positive For Gonorrhea Or Chlamydia
If youve just found out that you have gonorrhea or chlamydia, you may be trying to figure out what to do next. Here are the three most important steps that you can take:
WHY?Many people with gonorrhea and chlamydia dont have symptoms. Why does this matter? Because an untreated infection can lead to serious and permanent health problems, even if you never have symptoms. Gonorrhea and chlamydia can be cured with the right medicine from your doctor. Just make sure you take all of your medicine exactly as your doctor tells you to.
WHERE?Your regular doctor can prescribe antibiotics to cure the STD. But if you dont have insurance or want to see someone else for treatment, there are other low-cost or free options. You can get tested and treated at your local health departments STD clinic, a family planning clinic, a student health center, or an urgent care clinic. You can also find a clinic using GetTested and ask if they offer treatment for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
- In women, untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to health problems like ectopic pregnancy or infertility .
- In men, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause a painful condition in the tubes attached to the testicles. In rare cases, this may prevent him from being able to have children.
- Untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea may also increase your chances of getting or giving HIV the virus that causes AIDS.
How Do I Know If I Have Gonorrhea
Some men with gonorrhea may have no symptoms at all. However, men who do have symptoms, may have:
- A burning sensation when urinating
- Painful or swollen testicles .
Most women with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they are often mild and can be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. Women with gonorrhea are at risk of developing serious complications from the infection, even if they dont have any symptoms.Symptoms in women can include:
- Painful or burning sensation when urinating
- Increased vaginal discharge
- Vaginal bleeding between periods.
Rectal infections may either cause no symptoms or cause symptoms in both men and women that may include:
- Painful bowel movements.
You should be examined by your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms or if your partner has an STD or symptoms of an STD, such as an unusual sore, a smelly discharge, burning when urinating, or bleeding between periods.
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