Do At Home Chlamydia Tests Work

June 28, 2022

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How Long Does It Take For Chlamydia To Show Up On A Test

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How long it takes for the results to show up depends on the test performed and on your specific health as an individual. Urine tests take about 2 to 5 days to show a positive or negative result, positive meaning it was found and negative meaning it wasnt. If the blood is analyzed on site, blood tests can come back with results in a few minutes. However, if sent off to a lab, they can take a week or more. To show a positive or negative, swab results take about 2 to 3 days.

Your doctor will likely prescribe one of the following to help treat the infection:

Azithromycin This antibiotic is usually taken in one big dose and is also referred to as Z-Pal.
Doxycycline This antibiotic is usually taken twice a day for a week.
Erythromycin This antibiotic is normally taken frice a day for a week.
Levofloxacin This antibiotic is taken once a day for a week.
Ofloxacin This antibiotic is given in doses that are taken twice daily for a week.

If you or someone you know needs to be tested for chlamydia, come to Express Healthcare today! Our kind and compassionate health care professionals are experienced in testing for chlamydia and other STIs and provide confidential, discreet results, so you can feel comfortable knowing that your test results are private. Contact our office today to talk with a member of our specialist team. Go online or simply give us a to book an appointment with us today!

About Your Sexual Health Home Std Tests:

Your Sexual Health provides a variety of Home STI Test kits including private hiv tests, Chlamydia & Gonorrhoea tests, syphilis tests and much more. Using our click & collect service means that it could not be easier for you to receive reliable private STI results in a matter of days.

Get in touch with our friendly team today for more information, or if you need advice on which test is right for you.

How Is Chlamydia Spread

You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia.

If your sex partner is male you can still get chlamydia even if he does not ejaculate .

If youve had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can still get infected again. This can happen if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia.

Tests To Determine If You Have Chlamydia

There are several tests that can detect the presence of the bacteria that causes chlamydia. You can provide a sample of urine thats analyzed in a laboratory to determine if chlamydia infection is present. With other tests, a health care professional takes a swab of a mans urethra or a womans cervix and sends the swab to the laboratory for analysis.

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How Long Can You Have Chlamydia Without Knowing

Chlamydia is sometimes called a silent infection because the majority of people who have chlamydia regardless of gender never notice symptoms. People who do notice symptoms often dont recognize the signs that they have chlamydia until a few weeks after theyve been infected. Because chlamydia cases are often asymptomatic, its easy to spread chlamydia to someone else without realizing it. And its easy to miss out on receiving the treatment needed to prevent the serious complications that can result from chlamydia.

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Heres How The Average At Home Chlamydia Test Works:

Once you order a chlamydia test online, you can expect an average of 5 business days to receive your test. Its important to note that in most cases, chlamydia will not be detectable for two weeks after you have had unprotected sex with a suspected infected partner.

When you receive your at home chlamydia test, you will need to closely follow the instructions as outlined by the provider. The majority of tests will require you to simply collect a urine sample, some tests will also require you to take a swab sample.

After you have collected your sample following the instructions as outlined by the provider, you simply mail your sample back to the laboratory using the self addressed envelope enclosed in the package.

On average, it takes three business days to receive your test results from your provider, however, the waiting times will depend on the provider of the test.

In general, the at home STD test provider will offer support and guidance once the test results are available, particularly if you have an out of range or abnormal result. This will of course depend on the provider. Find out which at home STD test providers do and dont offer ongoing support here.

How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed

Of the multiple tests available for diagnosing chlamydia, the nucleic acid amplification test is the most sensitive. First, youll need a samplethose with a penis can give a urine sample, while people with a vagina need a vaginal swab.

Depending on the types of sexual contact you participate in , you may also want to get those other sites tested. If you engage in oral sex and worry you may have pharyngeal chlamydia, you can have a throat swab tested. Similarly, your healthcare provider should obtain a rectal swab if you participate in receptive anal intercourse .

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Over The Counter Chlamydia Tests

We also offer a range of home testing kits which you can buy online, some of these only test for chlamydia whereas others offer a more comprehensive test for STIs and STDs .

The SELFCheck Female Chlamydia Test Kit is a two-step at home chlamydia test which allows you to easily and conveniently self-test for chlamydia in the privacy of your home. The test can be carried out in less than five minutes all you need to do is swab the inside of your vagina to collect a sample and place the swab into the provided test tube. The test then produces a reliable, clear and easy to read visual result within minutes.

We offer a range of LetsGetChecked STI testing kits, each of which test for a different number and combination of STIs including chlamydia. Each test includes simple instructions for you to follow, allowing you to take the samples needed in the comfort of your own home. Once you have taken these samples you can then post them in a discreetly packaged box to an accredited laboratory for analysis. Your accurate and confidential results will then be delivered to your personal account within five days, if you test positive a member of the LetsGetChecked nursing support team will contact you to provide treatment and aftercare.

What Complications Can Result From Chlamydial Infection

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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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How Does A Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Test Work

Screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea can be done at home or at a clinic. A sample of urine is typically sent to a laboratory, which checks the urine for chlamydia and gonorrhea DNA. If you are using the Everlywell at-home test, youâll receive secure, online results just a few days after the lab receives your sample.

Learn more:How to test for gonorrhea

How Do I Know If My Kit Is Legit

Any kit obtained via the NHS will be of high quality, but what if you dont qualify for an NHS kit and need to buy one from a private company?

Your first port of call should be checking that the kit youre about to buy has a CE quality assurance mark, and is licensed for sale in the UK.

Not all companies that are producing these kits have fully calibrated equipment which is approved by a CE mark for medical devices, known as a MDD or MDR, says Dr Asif Munaf, founder of home blood testing and IV company Endorance.

Make sure the kit you use has the CE mark so you can some sense of trust that the device will be reading what is supposed to be reading.

You may have to contact the company directly to enquire about the CE mark. Zava, for example confirmed that while their kit isnt CE marked, all the components of it are.

The NHS recommends checking that your self-test kit is sealed, without damage to the packaging, and within its expiry date.

If you have concerns about the quality of a self-test kit, report it via the Yellow Card Scheme.

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Understanding The Risks And Symptoms

1Know if youâre at risk. Not everyone should get tested for chlamydia, but those at higher risk for the infection should at least once per year. Factors that greatly increase your risk of contracting a chlamydia infection include: having multiple sex partners over the course of a year not using condoms consistently during sexual encounters having a history of other sexually transmitted diseases or infections and being sexually active and younger than 25 years old. Gay and bisexual men have a much greater risk of chlamydia infection compared to heterosexual men.

If youâre over 25, consult your doctor for how often you should be screened. XTrustworthy SourcePubMed CentralJournal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of HealthGo to source

Other reasons why you should consider getting tested include: if you have any unusual discomfort or symptoms with your genitalia if you think a condom ripped during sex if one of your previous sex partners develops an STI or if youâre planning on getting pregnant.XTrustworthy SourceNational Health Service Public healthcare system of the UKGo to source

You can get a chlamydia infection by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who is infected. Ejaculation and exchange of semen is not necessary to get infected.

Being in a long-term monogamous relationship with a partner who doesnât have an STI and always using latex condoms during sex are the main ways of reducing your risk .

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Is Every Home Testing Kit The Right Pick

There is no guarantee that one particular test kit is most suited for you it depends on every individual. Whether you have a history of STIs or you want to purchase a specific kit based on your needs, you should consult with a health professional first. If you have any doubts about picking the ideal kit for you, a professional can advise you on what test kit would be a better fit for your sexual health.

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How Long Should I Wait Before Getting An Sti Test

The incubation period for chlamydia is 7 to 21 days. If youve had sex with someone whos positive, or if youve had a sexual encounter with a new partner, your results can be detected within the incubation period.

Its recommended to get tested 3 months after treatment to make sure youre in the clear.

How Chlamydia Tests Are Carried

The experts will ask you for urine sample and in order to generate best results it is essential to refrain passing urine for at least two hours before taking the test sample. In case you were engaged in anal sex and are now experiences few symptoms of Chlamydia then it is important to visit GP and follow procedures for swab of your throat or rectrum.

These samples will be processed in laboratories and you will get final results within few days. But in case if you cannot wait so long then it is good to order a home Chlamydia testing kit and get it delivered within 48 hours.

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How Easily Is Chlamydia Transmitted During Sexual Intercourse

Unfortunately, chlamydia is very easily transmitted through unprotected sexual contact. This is especially true because chlamydia infections are sometimes asymptomaticÃÂ¢meaning they donÃÂ¢t cause noticeable symptoms.

In fact, any time you come in contact with the bacteriaÃÂ¢even if your sex partner doesnÃÂ¢t ejaculate or you arenÃÂ¢t fully penetratedÃÂ¢you could become infected or pass along the chlamydial infection. This being the case, men and women should get tested for STIs before beginning any new sexual relationship.

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How To Choose The Right Test For You

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With dozens of at-home testing kits available, it can be hard to choose the right test. After all, what does a good at-home STD testing kit look like? What should it entail? What do you need?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Your needs will vary, depending on your situation and circumstances. Whats more, they may change over time.

Use this chart to help determine which test is right for you.

Your situation
X	X

You should also make sure a test is approved by the Food and Drug Administration . To determine if a product is FDA approved, check the FDAs website.

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Men May Experience The Following Symptoms:

pain when peeing.
discharge from the tip of the penis .
pain in the testicles
burning or itching in the genital area.

Remember: most people have no symptoms, so if you notice any of the above, get a full sexual health check at your local GUM/STI clinic.

The best way to make sure you dont get chlamydia is to use condoms.

When To Get Tested

For women, yearly screening is recommended if you are sexually active and younger than age 25, or 25 or older and at increased risk for chlamydia infection when you are pregnant or considering pregnancy.

For men, yearly screening is recommended if you are a man who has sex with men.

When you have symptoms of chlamydia, such as pain during urination, vaginal discharge and abdominal pain or unusual discharge from the penis, pain on urination or painful, swollen testicles

When your newborn has conjunctivitis

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What Does The Chlamydia Test Involve

The recommended tests for chlamydia are simple, painless and generally very reliable.

They involve sending a sample of cells to a laboratory for analysis. You dont necessarily have to be examined by a doctor or nurse first and can often collect the sample yourself.

There are two main ways the sample can be collected:

using a swab a small cotton bud is gently wiped over the area that might be infected, such as inside the vagina or inside the anus
urinating into a container this should ideally be done at least 1 hour after you last urinated

Men will usually be asked to provide a urine sample, while women will usually be asked to either swab inside their vagina or provide a urine sample.

The results will normally be available in 7 to 10 days. If theres a high chance you have chlamydia for example, you have symptoms of the infection or your partner has been diagnosed with it and youve had unprotected sex with them you might start treatment before you get your results.

How Long Does It Take To Show Up In People With Penises

Theres no significant difference in the amount of time it takes for chlamydia symptoms to show up for people with penises as compared to people with vulvas.

The only major difference in the time it takes for symptoms to show up among people of various sexes may be related to how often symptoms show up.

According to the Childrens National Health System, 90 percent of people with vulvas dont ever experience any physical symptoms, while 70 percent of people with penises never notice any symptoms.

This difference in who actually experiences symptoms between these two groups may have some effect on how long it takes for symptoms show up. But theres never been any definitive link between your sex and when your symptoms appear.

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How Often Should I Get Tested

The CDC recommends that sexually active women younger than 25 years old get tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year. Women 25 years and older with a new partner, multiple partners, or a partner who has an STI should also get tested annually.

Sexually active gay and bisexual men should be tested for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea annually. In cases of frequent sexual encounters with multiple partners, the CDC recommends testing every 3 to 6 months.

If youre experiencing any symptoms of an STI, you should get tested immediately.

Exactly How Common Is Chlamydia

In 2017, more than 1.7 million instances of chlamydia were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Nevertheless, numerous situations go unreported, so the genuine variety of chlamydia infections every year might be closer to 3 million.

Males and female can both get the infection, but much more situations in women are reported.

Infection prices are greatest amongst more youthful ladies, with the greatest rates of infection happening in women in between ages 15 and 24.

The CDC advises that all sexually active females ages 25 years as well as younger get screened for chlamydia each year, in addition to older ladies with threat variables like numerous or brand-new companions.

Statistically, a person is more likely to get an STI if they have actually had sex with greater than a single person. Other threat factors include having had an STI in the past, or presently have an infection since this could lower resistance.

Prices for chlamydia and also other STIs have been climbing up in recent times.

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