Sunday, March 24, 2024
HomeFactsCan A Uti Cause A False Positive Chlamydia Test

Can A Uti Cause A False Positive Chlamydia Test

The Pathogen/s Causing Your Symptoms May Not Be In Your Sample

Can a positive pregnancy test ever be false?

Standard UTI test methods focus on free-floating pathogens .

With every recurrence of UTI, there is an increased risk of an embedded, difficult-to-treat bladder infection. An infection embedded in or attached to the bladder wall is called a biofilm.

Biofilms arent always bad many types of bacteria form these structures naturally and theyre an important part of the gut microbiome.

When bacteria form biofilms in the bladder, they are no longer free-floating. If the bacteria are not floating around in the urine, they will not be passed into your sample on urination.

If the bacteria are not in your sample, they will not be detected.

There are other reasons your sample may not contain detectable levels of bacteria, including over-hydration. If your bladder is frequently flushed and your urine is diluted, your sample may not contain enough of anything a urine culture can detect.

Reasons Your Negative Uti Test Could Be Wrong

Lets just put it out there that if you have received negative results for a urine culture, but you still have symptoms, it is very possible you have a UTI. Unfortunately, these testing issues can add another layer of confusion and uncertainty when seeking answers.

This happens very frequently, and we can help explain why below. Its also a good idea to have an understanding of how a standard urine culture works.

What If I Dont Want To Be Tested For All Four Stis

We appreciate that some people may not wish to be tested for one or more of the STIs we test for. In some regions we offer people a choice of tests . If you are not offered the opportunity to choose which STIs you would like to be tested for, we suggest you visit your nearest clinic instead. Remember, all of your results are confidential.

Read Also: How Much Antibiotics To Cure Chlamydia

Why Early Detection Is Necessary

When symptoms reach a stage that patients end up in the emergency room, those with undiagnosed STIs are often misdiagnosed. In fact, studies show that almost two thirds of them are diagnosed with and treated for a UTI. This will not clear up chlamydia, since its a short course of antibiotics that are typically used.

Because its left undiagnosed and untreated, chlamydia often involves serious complications that are life altering. Because it resides in the mucusy parts of the body, chlamydia can affect not just the sexual organs but also the anus, the eyelids, and the throat. One of the most common complications of untreated chlamydia is pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, which has its own set of concerns, including complications during pregnancy. Other problems include:

  • Pain and inflammation in the sexual organs, as well as in the prostate in men
  • Damage to the tear ducts and the cornea
  • Infertility in both men and women

When And How To Test Again

Can A Uti Cause A Positive Pregnancy Test

Gersh recommends that people get tested once a year, or after every new partner whichever comes first!

Its also good practice to get site-specific STI tests before engaging in sex acts that incorporate a new part of the body.

For example, if you and your partner have never had anal sex and now want to, its a good move to get anal STI tested first.

To get tested, find an STI clinic that tests for all the STIs youre interested in getting tested for.

If you dont know which STIs you want to get tested for and are looking for a doctor to breakdown what STIs youre most at risk for given what sex acts are part of your sex life, its best to go to a clinic that *doesnt* specify one or two or three STIs in their online marketing.

Some clinics, for example, only test for HIV or only test for gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Also Check: Does Chlamydia Have A Smell Male

How Do You Test For Chlamydia

Nucleic Acid Amplification The three NAA tests described below work by finding the DNA of chlamydia bacteria. Because NAA tests search for the bacterias genetic material, it is very unlikely that a false-positive test result will occur. The incubation period for chlamydia is 1-5 days, so wait at least five days after potential chlamydia exposure before getting tested to ensure the most accurate results possible.

Urine samples

  • Testing via urine samples needs to consist of first-catch urine . Patients should not include more than the first-catch in the collection cup to avoid diluting the sample.
  • Patients should not urinate for at least one hour prior to providing a sample.
  • Female patients should not cleanse the labial area prior to providing the specimen.

Swab cultures

Why shouldnt you get tested for chlamydia via a blood test?

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay Antibodies, IgM

  • IgM antibodies are found mainly in the blood and lymph fluid they are the first antibody to be made by the body to fight a new infection.
  • This blood samples results should not be used as a diagnostic procedure without confirmation of the diagnosis by another medically established diagnostic product or procedure.

Enzyme immunoassay Antibodies, IgG

  • IgG antibodies are the most abundant type of antibody they are found in all body fluids and protect against bacterial and viral infections.

D Get Tested For Std At An Fda Approved Clinics

You can escape all the pain, and the worry about getting False-negative test results by simply getting tested in an FDA approved clinics. These are well-equipped facilities wherein, once you book the STD test, you just have to visit the STD testing center for 15 minutes give the necessary blood/urine sample and can even opt for same day test results. These are HIPAA compliant STD testing centers which ensure the privacy of the STD test result, So why take chances? Get tested for as low as $24.

Recommended Reading: How Long Does It Take To Get Chlamydia Results

Can I Take The Test At Home

Tests are available to detect chlamydia at home. Most at-home chlamydia tests are self-collection kits, which allow you to obtain a swab or sample of urine at home and return it to a laboratory by mail. If an at-home chlamydia test returns positive results, a doctor may suggest confirmation testing with a laboratory-based method.

Also Check: What Are The Symptoms Of Gonorrhea And Chlamydia

Testing Before The Incubation Period

Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of chlamydia | Infectious diseases | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy

Every STD test has an advised date from which a test becomes accurate. This is because the bacteria needs enough time to multiply within your body in order for it to reach a detectable level when taking a chlamydia test. For chlamydia this is often 14 days. If you test before that 14 days is over, you may test negative, but you could still pass the bacteria on following your test.

Read Also: How Do Doctors Check For Chlamydia

Read Also: Free Clinics For Chlamydia Testing

Fresh Sample Urine Microscopy Test

This test is exactly what it sounds like. Upon providing a urine sample, it is immediately analyzed under a microscope to count things such as bacteria, fungi, white and red blood cells, and bladder lining cells . Its a technique that was used in the 1920s and has since been revived.

One UK study focused on recurrent cystitis with negative urinalysis, led by specialist, Professor Malone-Lee, used this UTI testing technique in combination with a thorough assessment of symptoms.

Based on positive identification of infection using this technique, the study reported a treatment success rate of 84%, in patients with urinary tract conditions previously considered untreatable.

“We do one test immediate microscopy of a fresh specimen of urine counting the white and red blood cells, bladder lining cells, bacteria and fungi. The symptoms and the microscopic data are interpreted…they force consideration of all the data particularly the patient’s narrative.”

At present, we are unaware of US-based specialists using this same set of testing and assessment techniques. However, it is possible to replicate this technique with the help of a practitioner.

Accuracy Of Standard Uti Tests

In reality, antibiotics are very often prescribed without any form of UTI test. Patients and doctors are very competent at recognizing the symptoms of a UTI, but there are issues with this approach.

Statistics show that 26-44% of females will experience a recurrence of their first UTI. In this 26-44%, it is likely the initial treatment failed.

Evidence suggests that with each recurrence of UTI, another recurrence becomes more likely.

The more UTIs you have, the more likely you are to get another.

If your UTI treatment failed the first time, it is crucial to find out why as soon as possible, in order to break the cycle of recurrence before it escalates.

So why dont the standard UTI test methods provide the answers you need?

First, lets take a quick look at those urine test strips you can use at home or at the doctors office. Then well explain some of the problems with urine culturing done at a lab.

Knowing the issues with both of these tests will arm you with the right questions to ask if you feel like your negative results are wrong.

Weve also created a free download that provides a breakdown of the different types of testing. Provide the email address at which youd like to receive the download, at the end of this article. .

You May Like: How Quickly Can You Detect Chlamydia

Can Chlamydia Test Be Wrong

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases among men and women in the United States of America. This sexually transmitted disease can spread easily among sexual partners, often unknowingly since the disease often does not show any serious symptoms.

According to research almost 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men suffering from chlamydia do not show up any symptoms. In fact, it is not easy to confer whether an individual has chlamydia infection or not since the symptoms of this infection are not always apparent.

Even if the infection shows some apparently visible symptoms, it is only after one to three weeks after the sexual contact. A Chlamydia test is advised by the doctor in order to confirm the presence of such infection. But can the chlamydia test be wrong and give false negative or false positive results?

Is A Blood Test For Genital Herpes Included When I Ask To Be Tested For Everything Why Does Cdc Recommend Testing For Other Stds But Not Herpes

Can Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Cause Infertility?

Herpes blood tests may or may not be included. Your doctor chooses STD tests based on your sexual behaviors , as well as how common the infection is in the area that you live in. This is why you should have an open and honest discussion with your doctor about your sex practices and history. When you go in for STD testing, it is important to ask your doctor which infections you are and are not being tested for, and why.

STD tests are usually done for infections that have serious outcomes if they are not treated. For example, finding and treating curable STDs like chlamydia can stop them from causing serious complications like infertility in women. Genital herpes does not usually result in serious outcomes in healthy, non-pregnant adults. More often, the stigma and shame from a genital herpes infection can be more troubling to someone who is infected than the disease itself. If you are worried about genital herpes, you should talk with your doctor about whether you should be tested.

You May Like: Will I Know If I Have Chlamydia

You May Like: Does Urgent Care Treat Chlamydia

Its Scary How Easy It Is For Doctors To Misdiagnose An Std As A Uti

Great.

Rushing to the ER with burning pee is pretty much the opposite of awesome, but its even less so when doctors misdiagnose you.

Unfortunately, its happening to a lot of women, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. And heres the kicker: Theyre commonly misdiagnosing patients who have sexually transmitted diseases with urinary tract infections .

For the study, researchers observed the diagnoses of UTIs and STDs in women in emergency rooms over two months and found a ton of interesting information. Of the 264 women studied, 66 percent were diagnosed as having a UTI, and nearly 60 percent of those were treated without performing a urine culture to more accurately determine what was wrong with them.

RELATED: The Scary Facts About Women and STDs

Researchers also discovered that 23 percent of the women who visited the ER had at least one type of STD, and 37 percent of them didnt receive treatment for STDs up to seven days after visiting the ER.

And get this: Nearly 65 percent of those women who had an STD were diagnosed with a UTI instead.

Er…what?

While its shocking to us, Jason S. James, M.D., chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Baptist Hospital of Miami, says these findings are not all that surprising.

RELATED:Can You Get an STD from Your Guys Facial Hair?

RELATED:The Illness You Can Get from Having Too Much Sex

Lucky guys.

The Incubation Period Has A Role To Play

Every STIs has an incubation period chlamydia is noexception. This period is a span of time from the moment you are exposed to theinfection to the moment the antibodies start to form.

Chlamydia tests search for these antibodies, and ifyou dont wait for the incubation to end, there wont be enough antibodies thatwill show up on tests. This will, in turn, result in a false-negative chlamydiatest.

But, even if you do wait for the incubation to end,you still might not experience symptoms or signs of chlamydia. This is anextremely common problem with STIs, which is why most of them remain undetectedfor a long time.

To be 100% sure, you are chlamydia-free, you shouldget tested, there is no other way to know if you do carry the infection or not.If you do test positive, you need to repeat the same test 2 weeks after yourtreatment has ended.

Recommended Reading: Can Chlamydia Cause Infertility In Males

You May Like: What Antibiotics Work For Chlamydia

A Delay Or No Treatment

A false negative test can be a complete disaster, especially when you have your STD in the advanced stage and you require immediate medical attention or treatment. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea both are asymptomatic diseases in their respective initial stages, meaning they dont show much symptoms or signs on the body during their initial stages. False Negative test result may end up a person thinking that he is not suffering from any diseases. Thus, doesnt require any medical attention.

Could My Test For Chlamydia Give Me A False Negative

Febrile Baby: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) â Pediatrics | Lecturio
Asked
pelvic inflammatory disease, bacterial infection, chlamydia infection, azithromycin, bacterial endocarditis prophylaxis, diagnosis

I was diagnosed positive for Chlamydia in November of 14 due to a cheating boyfriend. I took 2 500 mg of Azithromycin December 8 and was retested the 27. The second came out negative. January 13 I had a Pap smear was was tested positive AGAIN with Chlamydia. I did not had sex since a week before my treatment back in December. Again, I took 2 500mg of Azithromycin. Two weeks later I was tested once more and it showed negative. Thank gosh right? Well, March 4 I went in for testing, a birth control renewal, and for a transvag ultrasound . This test was positive! What the heck?! How are these staying positive if I have completely sustained from sexual contact?

Charming121+0

Dont Miss: Could I Have Chlamydia For Years And Not Know

Read Also: Can Boric Acid Cure Chlamydia

Inflammation In The Urinary Tract: Host/parasite Interaction

Frequency and severity of UTI are determined by the balance between local uroepithelial defence mechanisms and pathogenity of uropathogenic micro-organisms. Specific virulence factors allow bacteria to survive and to replicate in the host. Virulence factors of E. coli and Proteus mirabilis are well established and include synthesis of aerobactin and enterobactin as well as production of haemolysin and expression of fimbriae. Mannose-sensitive fimbriae have been found on pathogenic and non-pathogenic E. coli species, whereas mannose-resistant fimbriae have been detected on uropathogenic species only. P-fimbriae are called pyelonephritis-associated pili because they can attach specifically to epithelial receptors of the urogenital tract and can further ascend from the bladder up to the kidneys . Abnormalities of the urinary tract or diagnostic procedures favour ascension of pathogenic bacteria.

Table 2.

Host-specific factors associated with UTI include production of secretory immunoglobulin A interfering with adhesion, presence of TammHorsfall mucoprotein causing bacterial aggregation and washout, bactericidal properties of the serum as well as urodynamic factors, i.e. bacterial washout . THP has specific receptors for several uropathogens and the bound bacteria are washed out in the urine.

We thank Prof. E. Ritz for constructive discussion.

Expanded Quantitative Urine Culture

Expanded Quantitative Urine Culture is a UTI testing method that is relatively new, and has been used in many recent studies around the female urinary microbiome and recurrent UTI.

EQUC uses a modified urine culture protocol, that builds on the standard concept of urine culture with some very important changes. These include using larger volumes of urine, varied atmospheric conditions for incubation and longer incubation times.

The result is that the conditions of EQUC are far superior to those of the standard urine culture.

In fact, one study that compared the two techniques found that EQUC grew bacterial species in 80% of the samples tested. In comparison, 92% of these same samples were reported as no growth using standard urine culture.

EQUC has been adopted as a UTI test method by a selection of practitioners in the USA. Were looking into where patients can access EQUC and will publish further information as we find it.

Don’t Miss: Chlamydia Symptoms In Men Photos

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular