Who Orders My Blood Tests
Your doctor typically orders blood tests for you during a physical, checkup, or an appointment intended to screen for a specific condition.
Its possible to order your own blood tests without a doctor through laboratories like LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics, but health insurance may not cover these tests.
While such blood tests may more accessible and convenient, it may be harder to interpret the results without a medical professional.
Some blood testing facilities may also not give you accurate results.
One infamous case of this is Theranos. The California biotechnology firm shut down in 2018 when an investigation uncovered lies and fraud around the accuracy of its private blood-testing technology.
Currently, litigation is underway against the founder and chief executive of the company, Elizabeth Holmes.
Can A Blood Test Detect All Stds
There are also some STDs that cannot be detected by a blood test. These include:
The organisms that cause these diseases generally dont enter the bloodstream. Instead, they stay within the genital and urinary tracts. Because of this, a blood test is not the right type of test for these diseases. For HPV, testing generally uses a swab of the cervix, which is the entrance to the uterus. This swab is known as a Pap smear, and is usually performed as part of your regular gynecologist check. For the other diseases on this list, a urine test is most common, and a vaginal or urethral swab test can also be used.
It is possible to do a blood test for antibodies to these diseases. Antibodies are proteins that are produced by your immune system in response to an infection. However, this type of test would only indicate that you have been exposed at some point in the past, but doesnt indicate whether you have a current infection. For example, if you have antibodies to the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, this means you have been exposed to gonorrhea at some point, but it doesnt mean that you currently have gonorrhea. Because of this, the antibody test is not very useful, and this type of test for these STDs is rarely performed.
What Do The Gonorrhea And Chlamydia Test Results Mean
A positive test result means that Chlamydia or Gonorrhea bacteria are present and you have an infection. Sometimes you may have both types of infection. If you have a positive result, your health care provider will prescribe treatment with antibiotics.
State laws often require that health care providers report the names of people who have these infections to the health department. This allows the state health department to monitor for outbreaks and for infections that are becoming resistant to the usual antibiotics.
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A Complete Blood Count Test
This is a routine blood test that can check for the levels of the major cells in your blood: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. If this count is off in any way, it could be an indicator of a subtle or more serious type of disease, from nutrition deficiencies to cancer. If your results are of concern to your doctor, they will screen you for another blood test before give you a definite diagnosis.
This blood test is a good idea for anyone to get, but is especially important for those with a family history of illnesses such as cancer or heart disease.
What Can Doctors Test With Urine
If bacteria or white blood cells are discovered in the urine, urine testing can be performed to diagnose urinary tract infections. Urinalysis may be conducted at intervals in individuals who have previously been diagnosed with chronic renal disease as a rapid and practical tool to check function. It is also used to detect cancer by looking for proteins that are not normally found in the urine . Finally, it is done routinely after an injury or operation to ensure that no stones were passed into the urine.
Doctors use urine tests to find out what type of kidney problems an individual has. The three main types of kidney problems are acute kidney injuries, chronic kidney diseases and kidney tumors. Each type of problem requires different treatment methods.
Acute kidney injuries occur when the kidneys fail to work properly over a short period of time. This can be due to decreased blood flow to the kidneys or damage from medications or alcohol. Most people recover from acute kidney injuries without any long-term effects. However, some people may need long-term treatment because the injury was so severe that more permanent changes have occurred to the kidney tissue.
Chronic kidney diseases involve the constant erosion of kidney tissue over many years. There are two main types of this disease: diabetic nephropathy and hypertensive nephrosclerosis. Both types of diabetes and high blood pressure can cause chronic kidney disease.
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Did You Know It Gets In Your Mouth Oh And Your Butt Too
Thats right guys , were talking about those pesky sexually transmitted infections, gonorrhea and chlamydia. And you read that rightit can end up in your mouth and your butt.
So listen up to learn about the only way to test for these two serious infections, because your previous provider may not have done it correctly.
What About My Test Results
Some results may be available on the day you attend. Results from samples sent to the laboratory can take up to 10 days to return. If any of your results come back as positive we will contact you as soon as possible. This is why it is important for us to have your correct details. In some situations you may need to re-attend for your results or for treatment. This will be discussed with you at the time of your consultation.
If you have a sexual health check at your family doctors the standard tests you should be offered are:
- A blood test for HIV and syphilis
- A urine test for gonorrhoea, chlamydia for males
- A vaginal swab for gonorrhoea, chlamydia and trichomaniasis for females
- A rectal swab and oral swab for gonorrhoea, chlamydia if you are a man who has sex with men.
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Chlamydia Testing: How To Test For Chlamydia
There are lots of ways to test for Chlamydia. If you are not sure which test you have had then please check with your doctor.
Chlamydia is not tested for with a blood test. It is a bacterial infection which means it is living somewhere in your body and can be treated with antibiotics, but is unlikely to show up in a blood test.
Chlamydia can be tested for in urine or with a swab or the site where the infection might be. The urine test is a small urine sample and will identify most Chlamydia infections in men and womens from vaginal sexual intercourse.
Most people have no symptoms if they have early Chlamydia so the only way to know is to get tested. It is important to get tested and treated to help prevent infertility and painful side effects in the future.
Better2Know can test for chlamydia by urine and swab at any of its private STD Testing clinics across the UK.
How Is Chlamydia Treated
Your healthcare practitioner will prescribe antibiotics to treat chlamydia. Antibiotics can cure your infection, but damage from the infection may sometimes be permanent. If symptoms do not resolve after a few days, consult your healthcare provider. You should refrain from having sex until you have completed your treatment and should be re-tested three months after treatment.
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What Do The Results Mean
A positive result means you have been infected with chlamydia. The infection requires treatment with antibiotics. Your health care provider will give you instructions on how to take your medicine. Be sure to take all the required doses. In addition, let your sexual partner know you tested positive for chlamydia, so he or she can be tested and treated promptly.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
What Should I Expect During A Chlamydia Test
Your provider gives you a clean cup and asks you to urinate in it. Follow your providers instructions carefully when collecting a urine sample. Youll need to collect the urine as soon as it starts to come out .
If youre using an at-home chlamydia test, you will collect the sample yourself. Be sure to follow the instructions on the test kit carefully.
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How To Order Your Own Sti Tests
If youre ready to order your own STI test, heres where to start.
Determine the tests you need
- Self-directed testing is available for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis C.
- A routine panel consists of testing appropriate body parts for gonorrhea and chlamydia, and blood tests for HIV and syphilis.
- Hepatitis C: this is a blood test that should be checked at least once after age 18 as specified by the CDC.
- If you need more information before you decide what tests you would like:
Test the right body parts
- You will swab your own body part. Gonorrhea and chlamydia testing can be done with a urine test, a vaginal swab, or rectal swab. You do not need to do both a urine and a vaginal swab, but a vaginal swab is more accurate.
Test at the right time
For sexually active students we recommend you test regularly and make this testing part of your regular health care.
When you test is very important. Sometimes testing too early after sex can produce false negative results. Below is a list of approximate times it takes for an infection to show up in a test after youve been exposed:
| STI |
|---|
What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia
Summary
- Chlamydia detailed fact sheet.
- Which STD Tests Should I Get?https://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/screeningreccs.htm#:~:text=All%20sexually%20active%20women%20younger,gonorrhea%20and%20chlamydia%20every%20year
- Max A Chernesky. . The laboratory diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infections
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Will I Need To Do Anything To Prepare For The Test
You donât need any special preparations for a blood test. If youâre a woman, you may need to avoid douches and vaginal creams for 24 hours before a urine or swab test.
You may need to empty your bladder before a lumbar puncture.
Your provider will let you know if you need to make any other preparations.
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What Can A Blood Test Tell You
As you can see, there are many answers to the question What can a blood test tell you? depending on what test you or your doctors are choosing. If you have a disease or disorder in your family history, a blood test can help you be more informed about your health. Routine blood tests are a great way to be a step ahead of any health issue.
Are you hoping to get a blood test? Contact us today to make an appointment.
Can You Test Chlamydia Through Blood And Urine
Along with urine sample, this disease can also be tested by taking a blood sample. Chlamydia is not a blood borne disease but human body produces antibodies to respond to these types of diseases. So, this test can give a positive result even though the person is not suffering from it. This test can be conducted to interpret whether a person has suffered from this disease in past. So, a blood test is not trusted and is usually not done to diagnose this disease in the present. The accuracy level of the Chlamydia blood test is very low. So, a blood test is avoided and various doctors do not recommend this test.
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How To Get Tested
Chlamydia testing is usually ordered by a doctor. In people without symptoms, a doctor can evaluate their risk and suggest an appropriate screening schedule. If a patient has symptoms of this infection, a doctor will order testing to diagnose or rule out chlamydia.
Testing for chlamydia can be conducted at a hospital, doctors office, health clinic, or community health program.
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
- Neonates conjunctival swab
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.
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When Should I Get Chlamydia Testing
As most people infected with chlamydia do not experience symptoms, doctors rely on screening to detect most cases of chlamydia. Screening guidelines vary based on many factors, including your anatomy, health, and sexual practices. Regular screening for chlamydia is recommended for several groups:
- Women and anyone with a vagina: Those who are sexually active and under the age of 25 should be tested for chlamydia annually, while those aged 25 and older should be screened regularly only if they are at an increased risk of contracting chlamydia.
- Pregnant people: Chlamydia testing is recommended for all pregnant people under age 25 and for those 25 and over with an increased risk of this infection. In addition to initial testing, experts recommend retesting during the third trimester for people with an elevated risk of infection. For pregnant patients diagnosed with chlamydia, follow-up testing is advised four weeks after completing treatment and again within three months.
Certain factors increase the risk of contracting chlamydia and may affect how often a person may be screened. Risk factors include having:
- Sex with a new partner
- More than one sexual partner or a partner who has sex with multiple people
- A sex partner diagnosed with an STD
Testing for chlamydia is more frequently conducted in asymptomatic people in settings where infection rates are high, which often includes correctional facilities, adolescent health clinics, the military, and sexual health clinics.
How To Interpret Chlamydia Test Results
Lab test results may be positive, negative or in some case inconclusive. A positive test result means the infection is there and the person is suffering from Chlamydia infections. So the person should go for treatment as advised by the doctor. Negative test interprets bacteria is not found and he/she is normal. Sometimes it also means that bacteria are at a very low amount and impact of it is not seen. But if there will be an increment in that then only it will start impacting. Sometimes test result gives inconclusive results. It happens when test result does not clearly indicate whether it is positive or negative.
How to Conclude Chlamydia Test Result?
There is a very slight chance of false test result. NAAT accuracy result is almost 100% whereas for Chlamydia culture it is 80%. This test is very necessary to be conducted because it gives accurate results. A person should conduct this test in identified lab only and certified person should see the result. An impact of this infection is huge at later stages. So, diagnosis of this is necessary so that person does not suffer from this infection later and it is easy to curb it at earlier stages later on it becomes difficult to curb its impact.
This is how, you can read your Chlamydia Test result without any doctor guideline. However, I would suggest you to consult doctor to get proper guideline.
Originally posted 2016-08-21 15:57:40.
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