Saturday, March 23, 2024
HomeTestCan Chlamydia Make A Pregnancy Test Positive

Can Chlamydia Make A Pregnancy Test Positive

When Should I Get Chlamydia Testing

What can cause a false positive pregnancy test result?

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:

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.

Diagnostic chlamydia testing is recommended for anyone with signs or symptoms of this infection. When symptoms do occur, they may not appear until a few weeks after exposure. Signs and symptoms of chlamydia can vary based on the site of infection but may include:

  • Burning during urination
  • Vaginal bleeding after sex or pain during intercourse
  • Pain, tenderness, or swelling in the testicles or scrotum

What Does The Test Measure

Chlamydia testing looks for evidence of infection with the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. There are several types of tests that can be used to detect chlamydia, including molecular testing, also called Nucleic Acid Amplification Test , and cell culture.

Other types of chlamydia tests are available but are rarely used given the accuracy and availability of NAAT.

Can You Be A Carrier Of Chlamydia And Test Negative

07 September 2020

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK and is easily passed from one person to another during sex or sexual contact. One of the reasons its passed on so easily is because many people show no symptoms and therefore dont realise they are infectious. In this blog we look at chlamydia testing and a number of different scenarios to answer the question of whether you can carry chlamydia, whilst still testing negative.

Read Also: How To Get A Chlamydia Prescription

Don’t Miss: Will A Zpack Cure Chlamydia

Can Chlamydia Affect Pregnancy

There are risks associated with pregnancy and chlamydia. If you have chlamydia while pregnant, you will be given treatment to cure the infection. If youre treated for chlamydia but your partner did not receive treatment, you can be reinfected and will need to be retested and re-treated.

The longer a person has untreated chlamydia during pregnancy, the worse the infection can become. This leads to complications of pregnancy like preterm labor, premature rupture of the membranes, and low birth weight complications that can affect the health of your baby or make it difficult to get pregnant at all. Its imperative to get treatment for chlamydia if pregnant.

So how can chlamydia affect pregnancy? When chlamydia is left untreated, it can turn into a severe infection called pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID. PID can cause many problems for women, including:

  • Eye infections in newborns
  • Lung infections in newborns

Another issue with women who have chlamydia in pregnancy is that being infected makes you more susceptible to having other STIs, such as gonorrhea or HIV.

How Common Is Chlamydia

Detection of urinary Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium and ...

Chlamydia is the most common STI in the United States. In 2018 there were roughly 4 million chlamydial infections in the United States. However, it is difficult to account for all cases as many people are unaware they are living with chlamydia due to a lack of symptoms.

Roughly 1 in 20 people between ages 14 and 24 who are sexually active have chlamydia. In 2019, the rate of chlamydia among Black people in the United States was more than six times the rate of infection among White people.

You May Like: What Are The Side Effects Of Having Chlamydia

My Test Result Is Reactive Whats The Chance That This Is A False Positive

If you tested in a healthcare facility, the staff there should make sure you have the necessary follow-up tests. This sequence of confirmatory tests is carefully planned to prevent inaccurate results from being given. Healthcare professionals call it a testing algorithm. If you have been tested in this way, with a sequence of confirmatory tests, and you have been told that you are HIV positive, you can be confident of the result. The rest of the information on this page does not apply to you.

An HIV diagnosis is never made on the basis of a single test result.

On the other hand, you might have been tested with a rapid, point-of-care test at a location where the staff could not do the confirmatory tests immediately. If your initial result was reactive, the staff may have asked you to come back on another day or to go to another healthcare facility for the follow-up testing. Or you might have taken the test yourself, using a device for self-testing or home testing.

If that is the case, the confirmatory testing is essential. There is a possibility that your reactive result is in fact a false positive. The only way to know is to go and have it checked by a qualified healthcare professional.

A protein substance produced by the immune system in response to a foreign organism. Many diagnostic tests for HIV detect the presence of antibodies to HIV in blood.

To put this in individual terms:

Dont Miss: Long Term Effects Of Chlamydia In Females

How To Get An Accurate Pregnancy Test

The best way to make sure you get an accurate pregnancy diagnosis is to visit a doctor, clinic, or pregnancy center. These places all have trained and helpful staff who can ensure you take the test correctly and get an accurate result. If you do get a positive test, you can also follow up with an ultrasound to ensure your pregnancy is healthy and viable.

At Pregnancy Care Center of Grants Pass, we offer free pregnancy testing and free limited OB ultrasound examinations to provide accurate pregnancy test results in a simple, safe and convenient way. We also offer free educational resources and information on parenting, adoption, and abortion, as well as our Pathways class, which helps prepare men and women for successfully navigating pregnancy and early parenthood. Call us today at or visit our website to schedule an appointment at our center and get your questions answered.

Don’t Miss: Free Chlamydia Test Over 25

Why You Might Miss A Period And Not Be Pregnant

There are several reasons that you might miss a period but not be pregnant, including but not limited to:

  • Sudden weight gain or loss
  • Metabolic conditions
  • Certain birth control methods/medications

If you have missed your period and are questioning the results of your home test, we would be happy to administer a test in our office. Our registered nurse on staff can answer your medical questions and make referrals if necessary.

Is Chlamydia Serious

Pregnancy Test: Positive vs Negative Results Time Lapse

Although chlamydia does not usually cause any symptoms and can normally be treated with a short course of antibiotics, it can be serious if it’s not treated early on.

If left untreated, the infection can spread to other parts of your body and lead to long-term health problems, especially in women.

In women, untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease , ectopic pregnancy and infertility.

In men, in rare cases, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and epididymis , causing them to become painful and swollen. This is known as epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis .

It can also sometimes cause reactive arthritis in men and women.

This is why it’s important to get tested and treated as soon as possible if you think you might have chlamydia.

Testing for chlamydia is done with a urine test or a swab test.

You do not always need a physical examination by a nurse or doctor.

Anyone can get a free and confidential chlamydia test at a sexual health clinic, a genitourinary medicine clinic or a GP surgery.

In England, if you’re a woman under 25 years old, you may be offered a chlamydia test when you visit some health services, for example a pharmacy or GP. This offer is part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme .

If you’re offered a chlamydia test you should consider taking it.

If you’re a woman, sexually active and under 25 in England, it’s recommended that you have a chlamydia test once a year, and when you have sex with new or casual partners.

Recommended Reading: Can You Treat Chlamydia With Antibiotics

How Accurate Are At

Most at-home tests are processed at certified laboratories, so as long as your sample was collected and preserved correctly until it was processed and then analysed at a CLIA-certified laboratory, your at-home test results should be comparable to what you would receive otherwise.

A 2015 review looked at 2,100 studies comparing the sensitivity and specificity of at-home vs. physician ordered chlamydia and gonorrhea tests. Sensitivity refers to a test’s ability to determine a positive result and specificity refers to the tests ability to determine a negative result. The study determined that the tests had sufficient sensitivity and specificity.

The quality of the lab results depend mainly on the quality of sample collection. The likelihood of a contaminated or unusable sample is higher in home-collection compared to physician collected samples.

How To Talk About It

Talking about STIs can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. If one person tests positive and their partner does not, they may worry about infidelity. It is important to know that having different test results does not definitively mean this is the case.

It can be helpful to discuss chlamydia with a healthcare professional to understand each partners risk.

Some topics to talk about with one another include:

  • whether both partners are and have been monogamous
  • mutual reassurance and support

Recommended Reading: How Bad Does Chlamydia Burn

There Are Pregnancy Complications

Ectopic pregnancies can also cause a false negative pregnancy test. Since an ectopic pregnancy is so serious, dont hesitate to seek medical attention anytime you have pelvic pain.

Avail NYCprovides free, self-administered pregnancy tests for those facing the possibility of an unexpected pregnancy. If youre pregnant and arent sure where to turn, meet with one of our advocates today.

Is There Anything Else I Need To Know About A Chlamydia Test

Home Chlamydia Test (Female Only)

Chlamydia testing enables diagnosis and treatment of the infection before it can cause serious health problems. If you are at risk for chlamydia due to your age and/or lifestyle, talk to your health care provider about getting tested.

  • Being in a long-term relationship with one partner who has tested negative for STDs
  • Using condoms correctly every time you have sex

Read Also: Can Azo Test Strips Detect Chlamydia

What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia

Chlamydia can be easily cured with antibiotics. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV-negative.

Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days after single dose antibiotics or until completion of a 7-day course of antibiotics, to prevent spreading the infection to partners. It is important to take all of the medication prescribed to cure chlamydia. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone. Although medication will stop the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease. If a persons symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, he or she should return to a health care provider to be reevaluated.

Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple chlamydial infections increases a womans risk of serious reproductive health complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. Women and men with chlamydia should be retested about three months after treatment of an initial infection, regardless of whether they believe that their sex partners were successfully treated.

Infants infected with chlamydia may develop ophthalmia neonatorum and/or pneumonia. Chlamydial infection in infants can be treated with antibiotics.

Chlamydia During Pregnancy: What Moms Need To Know

Getting a sexually transmitted infection comes with more than just immediate symptoms. There is a real concern about chlamydia and pregnancy.

Can chlamydia affect pregnancy? The answer is yes, it can. So if you have this very common STI, you need to be prepared with the proper testing and treatment. Weve gone into detail about pregnancy with chlamydia so you can get prepared and have a healthy pregnancy.

Also Check: Chlamydia Go Away On Its Own

How Can Chlamydia Affect My Pregnancy

Prompt treatment may reduce the risk of these problems, but women who have chlamydia during pregnancy tend to have higher rates of:

  • Infection of the amniotic sac and fluid
  • Preterm premature rupture of the membranes

Some studies have linked chlamydia to an increased risk of miscarriage, although other studies have found no connection.

An untreated chlamydia infection also makes you more susceptible to HIV and some other sexually transmitted infections if you’re exposed to them. It also raises your risk of a uterine infection after you have your baby.

Chlamydia Gonorrhoea Syphilis Ureaplasma Mycoplasma Gardnerella And Trichomonas

How to Take a Pregnancy Test at Home | Pregnancy Test Results Live

If you test positive for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Ureaplasma, Mycoplasma, Gardnerella and / or Trichomonas, these infections are usually treated with antibiotics. They can be completely cleared with a short course of the appropriate medication. You can choose to speak to a Better2Know Doctor or take your results to your own Doctor. Your choice of Doctor will be able to prescribe the one most appropriate antibiotic for you. You may want to have another test at the end of the course to check that the STI has completely cleared.

Also Check: Me And My Partner Both Got Treated For Chlamydia

How Much Do At

A test that detects three or four STDs starts at just under $100. That goes up to about $400 for some of the most comprehensive offerings that detect 8 or 9 different STDs.

If the cost is a problem, some regional Planned Parenthood offices are also offering at-home STD testing their services are usually free or low cost, depending on your income level. There are also many free and low-cost clinics that remain open, perhaps with limited hours, for in-person STD and HIV testing.

Below is a list of at-home and lab-based tests available without a doctors visit, with information about costs, how long results take, and which STDs they can test for.

What Are The Symptoms And Signs Of Chlamydia In Men And Women

Approximately 80% of women and 50% of men will have no symptoms or early signs of a Chlamydia infection. This makes it difficult to tell whether an individual is infected or not. However, some people do get symptoms, which may include:

  • Burning or painful sensation when urinating in both men and women
Did you know?

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK. However, 80% of women and over 50% of men have no symptoms so, the only way to know if you have it is to get tested.

Read Also: Labcorp Test Code For Gonorrhea And Chlamydia Urine

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.

What Are The Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Pregnancy

chlamydia rapid test kits, chlamydia rapid test kits Suppliers and ...

It’s important to note that in the vast majority of chlamydia cases there are no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they’re likely to show up about one to three weeks after you’ve been exposed. These symptoms may include:

  • Burning or discomfort when you urinate
  • Inflammation of your cervix
  • Increased vaginal discharge or possibly spotting
  • Pain during sex
  • If you have oral sex with an infected partner, your throat can become infected and may feel sore.

Read Also: How Can I Get A Prescription For Chlamydia

What Does My Test Result Mean

A positive test report means you have the infection and require immediate treatment. A negative test report indicates that you do not have the infection during the time of the test. Re-infection is very common mostly among teenagers. So, individuals with a previous history of chlamydia or who are at risk of the infection may undergo annual screening tests or routine checkups. If you are tested positive, your sexual partner may also have to undergo a routine chlamydia screening test to rule out any infection.

Std Treatment During Pregnancy

STDs, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis can all be treated and cured with antibiotics that are safe to take during pregnancy. Viral STDs, including genital herpes, hepatitis B, and HIV cannot be cured. However, in some cases these infections can be treated with antiviral medications or other preventive measures to reduce the risk of passing the infection to the baby. Detailed information on the management of specific infections during pregnancy can be found in CDCs 2021 STI Treatment Guidelines.

Also Check: Can Chlamydia Cause Back Pain

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Std Testing At Home Without A Doctor

Not visiting a doctors office and heading directly into STD testing could save you time and money, especially if you dont have health insurance. In addition, during the pandemic routine, in-person medical visits are discouraged to protect patients from potential contagion and to allow hospitals to devote resources to the most urgent needs.

However, deciding on the best STD test for you can be difficult theres a large number of available options, and it can be tough to identify precisely what tests you may need . The most common STDs that physicians screen for are chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV.

The CDC recommends that all sexually active women who are younger than 25 years old be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea every year. Women who are 25 years or older who have new or multiple sex partners or a sex partner with an STD should also be tested every year.

HIV testing often falls into its own category. Testing and care on that front is more likely to be available in clinics but there are also newer tests that can enable sample collection and results at home from start to finish.

Poor sample collection is always a risk in diagnostic testing, but it can be even more of an issue when it comes to collecting a sample by yourself. So be sure to follow the instructions precisely.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular