Can You Check Chlamydia Blood Test

When Should I Get Tested For Stds

Questions For Your Doctor About Test Results

It can be helpful to bring questions to your doctor to learn more about your chlamydia test results. Helpful questions may include:

• What is my chlamydia test result?
• Did my test check for any other STDs?
• Do I need any treatment based on my results?
• How can I talk to my sexual partners about chlamydia?
• When should I be tested for STDs and how often?

What Is Being Tested

Chlamydia is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted diseases in the United States and can cause serious complications if not treated. Chlamydia testing identifies the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis as the cause of your infection.

The preferred method for chlamydia testing is the nucleic acid amplification test that detects the genetic material of Chlamydia trachomatis. It is generally more sensitive and specific than other chlamydia tests and can be performed on a vaginal swab on women or urine from both men and women, which eliminates the need for a pelvic exam in women.

Screening for, diagnosing, and treating chlamydia is very important in preventing long-term complications and spread of the infection to others. Chlamydia infections are especially common among people 15 to 24 years of age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 2.86 million Americans are infected with chlamydia each year and notes that women are frequently re-infected if their partners don’t get treatment. The actual number of cases may be higher since many people do not experience any symptoms and do not get tested and diagnosed. Still, over one million new cases are reported each year.

Chlamydia is generally spread through sexual contact with an infected partner. Risk factors include having multiple sex partners, infection with another STD at the same time or previous STD infection, and not using a condom correctly and consistently.

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What To Expect From A Chlamydia Blood Test

When the body is infected by the chlamydia trachomatis bacteria, it develops antibodies called IgM antibodies that circulate in the blood. This chlamydia blood test identifies if these IgM antibodies are in the blood to determine if there is a current chlamydia infection

It should be noted that chlamydia is not a bloodborne disease. This chlamydia blood test should not be used to diagnose chlamydia infection of the urogenital area . This chlamydia test helps determine if a chlamydia infection is affecting non-genital regions of the body, for example, chlamydia trachomatis can cause conjunctivitis . If youre interested in getting tested to diagnose a chlamydia infection of the urogenital area, consider a urine chlamydia test.

A chlamydia blood test requires a blood draw from the arm. To complete this test, place your order on our website and use our lab locator to find a location that is most convenient for you. You do not need an appointmentsimply show your lab requisition form upon arriving to the lab. The results will to your HealthLabs.com account in one to three business days.

Types Of Sti Tests And Exams That May Be Done:

Pelvic Exam: There are two parts to a pelvic exam.

• Speculum exam. A speculum is placed into the vagina and gently opened. Swabs are taken from the vagina or cervix and sent to the lab for STI testing.
• Bimanual exam. This is done to check your uterus , fallopian tubes, and ovaries. The health care provider will place two gloved, lubricated fingers into your vagina, and will gently press on your lower belly with the other hand. You may feel pressure, but it shouldn’t be painful.

Urine tests: You will be asked to pass urine into a cup. The tests are most accurate if you have not passed urine for 1-2 hours before giving the urine sample.

Swab tests: Swab tests are done with a sterile q-tip that is sent to the lab for testing. Swabs may be taken from the vagina, cervix, penis, throat, anus, or skin.

Blood tests: Both syphilis and HIV testing are done on blood samples. HIV testing is done in two ways.

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Chlamydia Can Be Treated And Cured With Antibiotics

Individuals diagnosed with chlamydia should abstain from sexual activity for one week after finishing antibiotics. Keep in mind that it is possible to become reinfected with chlamydia after receiving treatment. This is why it is crucial for partners of those who have chlamydia to also get tested and treated if found positive. Chlamydia often occurs along with gonorrhea . If you have one of these STDs, you might have the other because the risk factors and symptoms are very similar. Getting tested for both is important.

Whether or not symptoms are present, testing or screening for chlamydia can be done as early as 24 hours after exposure. The incubation times vary from person-to-person for the most accurate results, get tested two weeks after initial exposure. If you test positive for chlamydia, it is advised to get retested two weeks after completing treatment to be sure that all of the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria is cleared from your system.

Who Is At Risk For Chlamydia

This STD is particularly common in young people. According to a CDC report, chlamydia prevalence among sexually active persons aged 14-24 years is nearly three times the prevalence among those aged 25-39 years. It is more prevalent among young women because at that age the cervix is still developing and is much more susceptible to the bacteria. Additionally, the vagina and cervix provide more surface area than the penis, which makes it easier for women to contract the bacteria.

Whether chlamydia symptoms are present or not, untreated chlamydia can travel to the upper genital tract and cause serious health problems. In women, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and cause permanent damage leading to infertility or potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy. In men, untreated cases can lead to epididymitis, which can, but very rarely does, cause sterility.

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What Can Cause False Results

The incubation period of chlamydia is normally between one to five days so, getting tested too early after a high-risk sexual encounter, may show a false negative result. Also, a positive result may reflect an old infection, in that case, we can call it a false positive since the results do not indicate an active infection.

The incubation period of gonorrhea is normally between two to six days however it can range anywhere from one to fourteen days. So, getting tested before that time will not give accurate results. It is always recommended to get tested after the incubation period has passed to prevent a false negative test, otherwise you would be advised to take the test again.

Basic Metabolic Panel Test

This test checks for levels of blood compounds like sodium, potassium, and calcium. Irregular compounds may indicate diabetes, liver disease, or hormone imbalances. If there are irregular levels in your test results, your doctor will run additional tests before giving you a diagnosis.

This test requires you to fast 8 hours before your blood is drawn.

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Is Alzheimers Disease Related To Hsv

Alzheimers disease is a progressive brain disease that develops as a result of a complex series of events occurring in the brain over a long period of time. The causes of Alzheimers disease may include genetic, environmental, and other factors. Several different factors have been statistically linked to Alzheimers disease, including HSV-1 infection. However, some investigations suggest that viruses other than HSV-1 may influence Alzheimers disease. More research is needed to determine whether or not there is a causal link between HSV-1 infection and Alzheimers disease.

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.

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How Long Does It Take To Show Up On A Test

There are several tests that you doctor might use to diagnose chlamydia:

• Urine test. Youll pee in a cup thats sent off to a laboratory testing facility to see if any chlamydia bacteria are present in your urine.
• Blood test. Your doctor will use a sterile needle to draw some of your blood and send it to a lab to see if antibodies to the chlamydia bacteria are present in your bloodstream.
• Swab. Your doctor will use a cotton round or stick to take a small sample of tissue or fluid that carries the infection, which is then sent to a lab to be cultured so that lab technicians can see what bacteria grows from the sample.

How long it takes for the results to show up depends on the test and on your specific health insurance plan.

• Urine tests take about 2 to 5 days to show a positive or negative result.
• Blood tests can come back with results in a few minutes if the blood is analyzed on site. But they can take a week or more if sent to an off-site lab.
• Swab results take about 2 to 3 days to show a positive or negative.

1 to 3 weeks to show up in people with vulvas.

Symptoms may take up a few months to show up. This is because bacteria are living creatures and have an incubation period that affects how long it takes them to cluster together and become infectious.

This incubation period is dependent on a variety of factors, including:

What Can A Blood Test Tell You 4 Common Blood Tests And What They Show

By Amory Urgent Care

Are you considering getting a blood test but your not sure what type would be best for your needs? A blood test is one of the best ways to know more about what is going on with your body and physical well being.

Stop wondering what can a blood test tell you?, and find the best blood test type for you. Know more about yourself and your health by learning more about what blood tests you should get.

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When Is It Ordered

Screening

Because many infected people do not have any noticeable symptoms, a number of health organizations recommend regular chlamydia screening for certain people:

Women

All sexually active women younger than age 25 and sexually active women age 25 and older who are at increased risk should get yearly screening for chlamydia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists . The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommend routine screening for these women .

Examples of risk factors for chlamydia infection include:

For pregnant women, the CDC recommends screening for chlamydia during the first trimester or first prenatal visit. For women younger than age 25 or at increased risk of infection, testing is repeated in the third trimester. Pregnant women diagnosed with chlamydia should be retested about 3 months after completing treatment.

Diagnosis

Chlamydia testing may also be done when your sex partner has been diagnosed with chlamydia or when you have signs and symptoms of chlamydia.

For women, if symptoms occur, they may include:

For men, symptoms may include:

Is There A Rapid Test For Chlamydia

There has been a rapid test developed by researchers for Chlamydia. Chlamydia trachoma is the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the world. The number of diagnoses in has risen steadily since the mid-1990s, spiking in the millions in 2005. If left untreated, the disease can result in complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. However, the disease often goes undiagnosed as up to 70% of infected women do not show symptoms.

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How Accurate Is Blood Test For Chlamydia

There are basically 2 tests to diagnosis this disease which is Nucleic acid amplification tests and Chlamydia culture. NAAT accuracy level is almost 100% and it is done through urine sample and body fluid. It gives instantaneous results. Chlamydia culture requires time to give the result. It is also 95% accurate but this should be conducted in lab only. Symptoms of Chlamydia are seen clearly. Chlamydia test need some time to detect the bacteria.

Some of the common symptoms are:-

Following symptoms are seen in men:-

• Discharge from the penis

Following Major Chlamydia symptoms are seen in women:-

• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Pain during intercourse
• Abdominal pain
• Bleeding between periods

This infection can be so dangerous that it can cause HIV which is a deadly disease. A newborn baby can also get contaminated with this disease if parents are suffering from it. This disease is most common in pregnant women.

It is important that person who is diagnosed with should antibiotics and should refrain from sexual activity week for at least 1 week. It is also possible that this infection can happen again after curing it completely. So a person should avoid the reasons which this disease occurs.

Who Decides Which Diseases Are Notifiable And Why

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists works with CDC to determine if a particular disease should be nationally notifiable. To make this decision, they follow a number of public health principles, for example, whether or not it is treatable whether or not it is preventable how common it is whether or not a public health response is needed whether or not there is a good source of information on the number of cases and whether or not it represents a significant public health threat . Information on HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections already exists in NHANES, so herpes infections have not been classified as notifiable diseases.

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How Long Does An Sti Test Take

The length of time it takes for an STI test depends on the type of test you take. But most STI tests take a few minutes to collect either urine, saliva, or a blood sample for your test.

Some STI results can come back to you as soon as 20 minutes after being tested, while others could take up to a week for results.

How Do We Test At The Doctor

At The Doctor, we get to know you. We encourage patients to be honest, upfront, and out about all issues from sexuality, to mental disposition, to sexual activity. We want to know you so that we can help you stay healthy and active.

We run a no judgement zone type of clinic where you can be yourself, own your sexuality, and feel comfortable telling us how you engage sexually.

Based on that sexual history, well identify the type of STI testing you need to make sure we test and treat appropriately. Thats the kind of approach that only comes from a practice that truly understand you and your lifestyle.

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What Happens During A Chlamydia Test

If you are a woman, your health care provider will use a small brush or swab to take a sample of cells from your vagina for testing. You may also be offered the option of testing yourself at home using a test kit. Ask your provider for recommendations on which kit to use. If you do the test at home, be sure to follow all the directions carefully.

If you’re a man, your health care provider may use a swab to take a sample from your urethra, but it is more likely that a urine test for chlamydia will be recommended. Urine tests can also be used for women. During a urine test, you will be instructed to provide a clean catch sample.

The clean catch method generally includes the following steps:

How Long Does It Take To Show Up In The Throat

Symptoms of chlamydia in your throat are typically caused by having oral sex with someone whos contracted the infection.

Its much less common to notice throat symptoms, but they may still appear after a week or so, up to a few months or longer.

STI tests that look for chlamydia arent always done on the throat since its an area that does not carry the infection often. Ask your doctor for a throat swab or other chlamydia test if you think youve been exposed through oral sex.

Here are the most common symptoms of chlamydia in both people with penises and people with vulvas.

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