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How Do You Know If You Have Gonorrhea Or Chlamydia

How Do I Know If I Have Pid

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There are no tests for PID. A diagnosis is usually based on a combination of your medical history, physical exam, and other test results. You may not realize you have PID because your symptoms may be mild, or you may not experience any symptoms. However, if you do have symptoms, you may notice

  • Pain in your lower abdomen
  • Fever
  • An unusual discharge with a bad odor from your vagina
  • Pain and/or bleeding when you have sex
  • Burning sensation when you urinate or
  • Bleeding between periods.

You should

  • Be examined by your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms
  • Promptly see a doctor if you think you or your sex partner have or were exposed to an STD
  • Promptly see a doctor if you have any genital symptoms such as an unusual sore, a smelly discharge, burning when peeing, or bleeding between periods
  • Get a test for chlamydia and gonorrhea every year if you are sexually active and younger than 25 years of age.
  • Have an honest and open talk with your health care provider if you are sexually active and ask whether you should be tested for other STDs.

Gonorrhea: Symptoms & Treatment Options

Symptoms: Most people dont have any symptoms when they have gonorrhea. However, those who do have reported the following issues: burning sensation when peeing a white, yellow, or green discharge when peeing or spotting between periods.

If you had anal sex, you might get anal itching or painful bowel movements.

Treatment: The really great news is that gonorrhea can be cured with antibiotics. Its crucial to take every single prescribed dose. Otherwise, youll continue having the infection.

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Gonorrhea Vs Chlamydia: Whats The Difference

The two most common STDs are chlamydia and gonorrhea. Both conditions are caused by an overgrowth of bacteria. Chlamydia is caused by an overgrowth of the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, while gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

In terms of symptoms, both chlamydia and gonorrhea may result in a burning sensation during urination and an abnormal discharge from the genitals.

Most people who have chlamydia or gonorrhea do not present symptoms. Even if you do have symptoms, they may not appear for weeks after sexual intercourse with an infected partner.

Because chlamydia and gonorrhea present nearly identical symptoms or none at all, it is important to frequently get tested for STDs.

In a 2015 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the United States sees 20 million new cases of STDs every year. STD rates have reached a record high in recent years.

Each year almost 4 million people will contract chlamydia or gonorrhea. Continuing reading to find out more about chlamydia vs gonorrhea.

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Why Should I Have Treatment If I Have No Symptoms

If you are infected with chlamydia, it is essential that you take treatment even if you do not have any symptoms of chlamydial infection. Reasons for this include:

  • The infection may spread and cause serious complications . This can be months or years after you are first infected.
  • You can still pass on the infection to your sexual partner even if you do not have symptoms.

When Can I Have Unprotected Sex After Chlamydia Treatment

What is complementary treatment, treatment of syphilis and gonorrhea ...

Even if your chlamydia infection has been cured, its not recommended to practice unsafe sex. Having your STD treated doesnt guarantee that the infection will never come back. In fact, many people become infected with STDs multiple times because they continue to have unprotected sex with partners who have untreated STDs.

If you have a regular sexual partner, tell them about your infection so they can get treatment as well. Once youre sure you both got treated, you have to wait until the treatment has had time to be effective before you start having unprotected sex again.

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Symptoms Of Gonorrhea And Chlamydia

Sometimes someone with gonorrhea or chlamydia does not show any symptoms.

In fact, 75% of women and 50% of men with chlamydia exhibit no symptoms.

It is unclear how common it is with gonorrhea, but some estimates are that the majority of men and women show no symptoms.

Even with no symptoms, it is still possible to transmit the disease and damage the reproductive system. The key signs of gonorrhea and chlamydia can appear within one to three weeks after having sex with a partner with the STD.

There are some differences in how both STDs present in men vs women, but in general the most common reported symptoms in both men and women are:

  • Discharge For chlamydia, women may have vaginal discharge that has a strong odor or is yellowish, and men may have cloudy or clear discharge around the tip of the penis. For Gonorrhea, women and men may have discharge from the vagina or penis that is green, yellow, or white.
  • Burning sensation while urinating Also called dysuria, this symptom is common with other STDs and is an important sign to get tested.
  • Painful, burning sensations in infected area For both STDs, this is most common inside the vagina for women and the penal opening for men. Additionally, throat infections from oral sex are common and can result in swollen glands in the throat.

Women can also have painful periods, bleeding between periods, pain during sex, abdominal pain, or a fever.

  • Discharge
  • Bleeding
  • Rectal pain

What Measures Can I Take To Prevent These Conditions

The only way that you can completely prevent yourself from catching chlamydia, gonorrhea, or another STI is by abstaining from sexual activity.

But there are also plenty of ways you can reduce your risk of contracting or transmitting these infections:

  • Use protection. Both male and female condoms are effective in helping to reduce your risk from infection by either bacteria. Using proper protection during oral or anal sex can also reduce your risk of infection.
  • Limit your sexual partners. The more sex partners you have, the more you risk exposing yourself to an infection. And because these STIs may not cause noticeable symptoms, sex partners may not know they have the condition.
  • Get regularly tested. Whether youre having sex with multiple people or not, regular STI tests can help you remain aware of your sexual health and ensure that youre not unknowingly transmitting an infection to others. Regular testing can also help you identify an infection even if youre not experiencing any symptoms.
  • Dont use products that affect your vaginal bacteria. Healthy bacteria in the vagina helps fight off infections. Using products like douches or scented odor-reduction products can upset the balance of vaginal flora and make you more susceptible to infection.
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    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.

    Chlamydia Cdc Fact Sheet

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    Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease that can be easily cured. If left untreated, chlamydia can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant.

    Basic Fact Sheet | Detailed Version

    Basic fact sheets are presented in plain language for individuals with general questions about sexually transmitted diseases. The content here can be syndicated .

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    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.

    What Can Happen If Chlamydia Is Not Treated

    Untreated chlamydia can cause serious health problems in women, including:

    • Pelvic inflammatory disease , an infection of a womanâs reproductive organs. PID can lead to chronic pelvic pain, pregnancy problems, and infertility . Untreated chlamydia is a common cause of PID. It affects about 10% to 15% of women with untreated chlamydia.4
    • Increased risk of getting HIV from sexual activity

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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.

    The Health Risks Of Chlamydia

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    For up to 40 percent of infected women, untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease . PID effects include abdominal pain, fever, internal abscesses and long-lasting pelvic pain effects also include scarring of the fallopian tubes, which can cause infertility and increase the chance of potentially life-threatening ectopic or tubal pregnancies.

    Men can develop scarring of the urethra, making urination difficult and occasionally causing infertility. Although rare, both sexes are at risk of a type of arthritis known as Reiter’s Syndrome that causes inflammation and swelling of the joints.

    If a pregnant woman has chlamydia, her baby may be born prematurely, have eye infections or develop pneumonia.

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    How Do You Know If You Have An Std

    You cant always tell if you have an STD by how you look or feel, so thinking you or your partner dont have STDs is not the same as knowing for sure. If you think you have STD symptoms or are concerned you may have been exposed, getting tested is the best way to know your status. You can get tested at a doctor or clinic, or at a lab near you.

    In general, its a good idea to get tested for STDs at least yearly. Early detection helps you protect yourself and get treatment if necessary. Some STDs are easily curable. Others can be managed with the right medication to lessen symptoms and reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others.

    Does Oral Chlamydia Go Away

    Chlamydia, whether it is oral or genital does not go away on its own.

    It is possible for the symptoms of chlamydia to go away for a short period of time, but that does not mean you no longer have chlamydia. The infection may persist in the body in the absence of treatment .

    A short course of antibiotics are required to treat chlamydia, and a follow up test is required to ensure the risk of re-infection.

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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 Does The Test Measure

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    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.

    NAAT is the preferred method for detecting a chlamydia infection. This type of test detects the genetic material of Chlamydia trachomatis. It can be performed using a urine sample or swab of fluid taken from a site of potential infection such as the urethra, vagina, rectum, or eye.

    Traditionally, NAAT takes a day or more to provide results, but there have also been rapid chlamydia tests developed using NAAT methods. Rapid chlamydia tests can often provide a result within 30 to 90 minutes. Rapid chlamydia tests are typically performed on urine samples or swabs of fluid taken from the vagina or cervix.

    Although much less commonly used, cell cultures can help diagnose a chlamydia infection. Chlamydia cell cultures may be used in children with a suspected chlamydia infection, when evaluating potential infections in the anus or rectum, and when initial treatment for chlamydia is unsuccessful. In these cases of treatment failure, doctors may use a cell culture to help understand which treatments may be most effective for an individuals infection.

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

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    How To Stay Safe

    STIs are usually spread by having sex – digital, vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Some can be spread via blood or blood products and some and can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy and childbirth.

    So, what can you do to stay safe?

  • Have safe sex,
  • Use condoms and use them correctly,
  • Access reliable sexual health education,
  • Seek timely testing and treatment if you are at risk Remember, most STIs have no symptomsLimit casual sex and use condoms with a new partner.
  • Get tested for STIs between partners and after unprotected sex If you feel you may be at risk of having been infected or reinfected
  • Talk about the potential risk of acquiring STIs with your partner
  • Make informed choices about the level of risk you are comfortable taking with your sex life.
  • If you are pregnant and are at risk for STIs, it is important to get tested and treated before your baby is born.
  • Reinfection is common even after successful treatment. Make sure your partners get treated to prevent reinfection
  • When used correctly, condoms offer one of the most effective methods of protection against STIs, including HIV. Female condoms are also effective and safe.

    We are often not aware that they may have an STI.

    Any sexually active person can catch an STI, those who change partners frequently or do not use condoms are at higher risk. Previous successful treatment for an STI doesn’t make you immune to catching the infection again.

    When Should I Get An At

    You may consider using an at-home chlamydia test if STD testing conducted by a doctor is unavailable or inconvenient. While testing for chlamydia at home may be appropriate for screening certain people, at-home test kits should not be used if you have active symptoms of chlamydia or if you have a sexual partner that has been diagnosed with this condition.

    To diagnose or rule out chlamydia, you should talk to your doctor about the benefits and drawbacks of at-home chlamydia testing.

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    Can Gonorrhoea Be Prevented

    Its very important to tell all your sexual partners from the past 3 to 6 months that you have been diagnosed with gonorrhoea. They will need to be tested and treated if infected.

    Your doctor will help you decide who you need to tell and how you can tell them.

    The following website can provide advice and sample emails, SMSs and letters to send either personally or anonymously: Let Them Know.

    Practicing safe sex is the best way to prevent gonorrhoea infection.

    It is safest to:

    • always use condoms with a water-based lubricant
    • always use dental dams for oral sex
    • limit your sex partners or have a long-term monogamous relationship where neither of you is already infected
    • avoid sex with someone infected with gonorrhoea until after they have finished treatment and are cured
    • have regular check-ups

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