When Should I Get Tested For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a very common infection, with nearly 3 million new cases each year. It is extremely easy to spread and often appears with no obvious symptoms. The CDC recommends that all sexually active women under the age of 25 undergo testing for Chlamydia because they are more susceptible.
Any male or female who has had unprotected sex should be tested for Chlamydia. It is best to wait two weeks after the potential exposure before seeking testing. If you have Chlamydia and receive treatment, youll want to be tested again 21-28 days after finishing your treatment.
It is also important to be tested for Chlamydia if you have tested positive for Gonorrhea. The two infections are often present in conjunction with one another. If you have one infection, you become more susceptible to being infected with the other. Statcare Urgent & Walk-In Medical Care offers a combination test if you would like to test for both infections at the same time
Where Can I Get More Information
Health care providers with STD consultation requests can contact the STD Clinical Consultation Network . This service is provided by the National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers and operates five days a week. STDCCN is convenient, simple, and free to health care providers and clinicians. More information is available at www.stdccn.orgexternal icon.
Division of STD Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-38271-800-783-987
References
1. OFarrell N, Morison L, Moodley P, et al. Genital ulcers and concomitant complaints in men attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic: implications for sexually transmitted infections management. Sexually transmitted diseases 2008 35:545-9.
2. White JA. Manifestations and management of lymphogranuloma venereum. Current opinion in infectious diseases 2009 22:57-66.
3. Kreisel KM, Spicknall IH, Gargano JW, Lewis FM, Lewis RM, Markowitz LE, Roberts H, Satcher Johnson A, Song R, St. Cyr SB, Weston EJ, Torrone EA, Weinstock HS. Sexually transmitted infections among US women and men: Prevalence and incidence estimates, 2018. Sex Transm Dis 2021 in press.
4. CDC. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2019. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services April 2021.
5. Torrone E, Papp J, Weinstock H. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infection Among Persons Aged 1439 Years United States, 20072012. MMWR 2014 63:834-8.
How To Get An Std Test
You can get an STD test at your doctors office, a community health clinic, or your local health department.
STD testing isnt always part of a regular checkup or gynecologist exam, but all you have to do is ask your provider.
Be honest with them about your sex life, so they can help you figure out which tests are best for you.
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How Long Does It Take To Get An Std Test Result
For anyone who is sexually active, sexually transmitted diseases are an important thing to think about.
Getting regular STD tests is an important way to protect yourself and any sexual partners you have.
Luckily for most people, getting tested is relatively quick and painless and can be done separately or alongside a regular check up.
There are several types of tests performed to diagnose STDs including swab samples, physical exams, and urine and blood tests.
Depending on the test, it can take hours, days, or weeks to get results.
What Does The Test Result Mean
A positive test indicates you have an active chlamydia infection that requires treatment with antibiotics.
A negative test means only that there is no evidence of infection at the time of the test. If you are at an increased risk, it is important that you have screening tests performed yearly to check for possible infection, especially since re-infection is common, particularly among teenagers.
If you are infected, your sexual partner should be tested and treated as well.
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What Other Stis Should I Get Tested For
Better2Knows instant Chlamydia test can be combined with instants tests for a variety of other STIs including: HIV, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Herpes 1 and 2. This will provide a more comprehensive picture of your sexual health. If you are unsure which instant STI testing option to select, Better2Knows Patient Services team are highly trained to help you select the instant test or screen you need.
Accuracy Of Rapid Sti Tests
Not all rapid tests are created equal. Some have higher sensitivity and specificity than others.
- Sensitivity is how well a test can detect true positives .
- Specificity is how reliable a positive result is .
When testing during acute infection, rapid STI tests offer the following sensitivities and specificities, on average:
- Chlamydia: 86% sensitivity, 97% specificity
- Gonorrhea: 86% sensitivity, 97% specificity
- Hepatitis B: 97% sensitivity, 99% specificity
- Herpes simplex: 93% sensitivity, 99.9% specificity
- HIV : 92% sensitivity, 99% specificity
- Human papillomavirus : 87% sensitivity, 94% specificity
- Syphilis: 85% sensitivity, 91% specificity
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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:
- how much of the bacteria you were exposed to
- how quickly the bacteria reproduce
- how strong your immune system is against the bacteria
Who Should Get Tested
Aside from those who show noticeable symptoms, sexually active women under age 25 should get tested for chlamydia at least once per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The same is true for men who have sex with men, even if condoms are used consistently.
If you have recently been treated for chlamydia infection, your healthcare provider may also advise that you receive another STD test three to four months after your treatment has ended to confirm that the treatment was successful.
It is also important that your sexual partner also get tested if youâve tested positive. This can prevent the larger spread of chlamydia in the community, and it can prevent you and your partner from passing the infection back and forth through unprotected sex.
Easily check for chlamydia from the comfort and privacy of home with the at-home Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test.
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How Is Gonorrhea Testing Done
For gonorrhea testing, you only need to provide a urine sample. The method used is the nucleic acid amplification test . The aim of this investigation is to detect the presence of bacteria that triggers gonorrhea. If the bacteria are detected in the sample, you would test positive and have an option of discussing treatment with the doctor in the clinic.
With gonorrhea, its important to start treatment fast.
If you allow yourself to go too long undiagnosed, treating the disease becomes far more complicated.
Simply walk in to STD Express Clinic and get tested. Same day treatment option also available at an additional cost of $50.
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Why It Is Done
A test for chlamydia is done to:
- See if your symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection are caused by a chlamydia infection.
- Check people who are at high risk for being infected with chlamydia. A chlamydia infection doesn’t always cause symptoms.
- Retest people several months after they have been treated for chlamydia.
- Check for infection in your newborn if you had a chlamydia infection at the time of delivery.
How Is Chlamydia Testing Done
STD Express Clinic uses the same NAAT to detect the presence of chlamydia infection. Once again, a urine sample of the patient is needed to conduct the test. The test aims to detect the presence of the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis. Testing takes only a couple of minutes. Just like the gonorrhea testing, this one too does not involve any swabbing, pricking, or fasting.
Just like gonorrhea, at STD Express Clinic, you could be treated for chlamydia on the same day at an additional cost of $50. If your chlamydia test results come out positive, it is advisable to get yourself checked for gonorrhea as well.
You may get in touch with the clinic doctor anytime and find out about the possible treatment options.
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What To Expect During A Chlamydia Test
At our New York STD Clinics, we offer Chlamydia testing using the Nucleic Acid Amplification test, which is considered the most accurate Chlamydia testing.
The NAA is a urine test that only takes a few minutes. You provide a urine sample and then your sample is checked for Chlamydia, with results available in just two to four business days.
Chlamydia Testing in New York follows a simple process to make your testing experience comfortable, non-invasive, confidential, and give you the peace of mind that you need.
Make sure that you do not urinate for at least one hour before your test. You will then provide a urine sample that will be tested, with results provided quickly. Statcare Urgent & Walk-In Medical Care provides results with compassion and understanding, giving you education and the treatment that you need in order to obtain health.
Reasons To Get Std Testing Even If You Use Protection
STDs are quite the risk, and the same message has been spread as a result of that, a lot of people now use protection. Protection like condoms and female condoms can reduce the chances of STDs spreading across but not entirely.
Here are a few reasons:
- STDs can be spread without sexual contact
- The protection you use may not work.
- STDs spread via bodily fluids
- If youve ever had a sexual encounter with someone whose health history you dont know, then you should get an STD test.
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Importance Of Getting Tested If You Are Sexually Active
STD testing is important, especially if youve been sexually active for a long time. Here are a few reasons why getting STD tests is important:
- Untreated STDs may cause complications or lead to cancer.
- Even individuals who have not had sex can contract STDs via skin-to-skin contact
- Getting a test before entering a relationship can allow you to discuss and consider the future of your health and relationship.
- Getting an STD test before entering a relationship also helps in keeping your partner safe from potential STDs
What Complications Can Result From Chlamydial Infection
The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydial infections can lead to serious health problems with both short- and long-term consequences.
In women, untreated chlamydia can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease . Symptomatic PID occurs in about 10 to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia.30,31 However, chlamydia can also cause subclinical inflammation of the upper genital tract . Both acute and subclinical PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues. The damage can lead to chronic pelvic pain, tubal factor infertility, and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy.32,33
Some patients with chlamydial PID develop perihepatitis, or Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome, an inflammation of the liver capsule and surrounding peritoneum, which is associated with right upper quadrant pain.
In pregnant women, untreated chlamydia has been associated with pre-term delivery,34 as well as ophthalmia neonatorum and pneumonia in the newborn.
Reactive arthritis can occur in men and women following symptomatic or asymptomatic chlamydial infection, sometimes as part of a triad of symptoms formerly referred to as Reiters Syndrome.35
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Who Should Undergo A Screening
The short answer is, anyone who is sexually active should have regular STD screenings regardless of if they think they have been exposed or show symptoms.
There are some groups in particular who have a higher risk of contracting an STD and should get tested regularlythey include:
- Sexually active woman under age 25
- Women older than 25 and at risk of STIs
- Gay or bisexual men
- People with HIV
The groups above are not the only people who should get tested. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide a list of screening recommendations for each of the most common STDS.
Chlamydia: Consequences Of An Untreated Infection
Untreated Chlamydia infections can lead to further health problems. Even if you do not have any symptoms, the Chlamydia infection will do harm to your internal organs which can seriously damage your health and affect your ability to have children. The health consequences of an untreated Chlamydia infection can include:
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or PID
- Blocked fallopian tubes
- Urethritis or an infection of the urethra
- Epididymitis, an infection of the tubes that carry sperm out of the body
- Proctitis, or inflammation of the rectum
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Why You Must Get Tested At A Reputed Testing Facility
There are many benefits of getting tested at a reputed and established walk in testing facility. You are spared the hassle of seeking an appointment and there is no need to get a referral from your family physician. You can walk in at a time convenient to you, get tested fast and in absolute confidence, and get immediate chlamydia test results.
Most clinics also offer same-day treatment facilities for patients who test positive. You have the option of consulting an in-house STD expert to know what steps to take to prevent the infection from spreading and to get cured of the condition. The benefit of getting same day chlamydia testresults is that you can start the treatment also on the same day. Chlamydia treatment is easy if detected early. Thats why it is important to get tested at an STD testing facility near you regularly and every time you have unprotected sex or indulge in unsafe sexual practices.
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Can You Get Rid Of Chlamydia
Chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics. The best way to cure chlamydia and keep from infecting your partners, is to avoid sex for seven days, until the antibiotics have done their job. If you do end up having sex while the antibiotics are still working it is really important to use a condom or else it is likely the medicine you took wont work. If you got medication to take at home make sure you take all of the pills, even if you start to feel better otherwise the infection might not go away completely.
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How Accurate Is My Instant Chlamydia Test
Your instant Chlamydia test with Better2Know is both highly reliable and accurate. Better2Knows private STI testing services are performed in line with the highest standards of quality and care. Our selection of confidential sexual health screens and tests are designed with your personal STI testing needs in mind.
How Can I Treat A Uti
As soon as a UTI is contracted the individual will notice the symptoms because of the pain, discomfort and need to urinate that accompany the infection. A visit to the doctor should immediately be undertaken in order to determine if a urinary tract infection is indeed the source of discomfort. Generally, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection as soon as a positive urine test is acquired. The doctor might also suggest the increase in water intake and regular urination in order to allow the medication to work and flush all the bacteria from the body as quickly as possible. Caffeine and spicy foods should be avoided while you have the UTI because they can aggravate the situation.
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