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HomeExclusiveHow Long Does It Take To Get Tested For Chlamydia

How Long Does It Take To Get Tested For Chlamydia

What About My Test Results

Do you need to be tested for an STI during pregnancy – How long does it take for STDs to show up

Some results may be available on the day you attend. Results from samples sent to the laboratory can take up to 10 days to return. If any of your results come back as positive we will contact you as soon as possible. This is why it is important for us to have your correct details. In some situations you may need to re-attend for your results or for treatment. This will be discussed with you at the time of your consultation.

If you have a sexual health check at your family doctors the standard tests you should be offered are:

  • A blood test for HIV and syphilis
  • A urine test for gonorrhoea, chlamydia for males
  • A vaginal swab for gonorrhoea, chlamydia and trichomaniasis for females
  • A rectal swab and oral swab for gonorrhoea, chlamydia if you are a man who has sex with men.

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Better2knows Instant Chlamydia Test

Better2Knows private instant STI testing services are available at conveniently located sexual health clinics across the UK. By choosing Better2Knows instant Chlamydia test you will receive fast, accurate results in around 10 minutes, and also get the support and guidance of our experienced sexual health advisors. Your Better2Know doctor will prescribe any medication you need to ensure the infection is eliminated.

What Happens If I Test Positive

If you test positive, instruction will be provided on how to obtain a free telemedicine consultation with a physician in your state. This physician may be able to prescribe treatment for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea or Trich. Depending on the infection, you may also need to retest after treatment to confirm the infection is gone.

It is crucial that you inform your sexual partners of your test results, whether theyre positive or negative. Sharing this information will help stop the spread of any infection and will allow your partners to seek testing and treatment immediately if necessary.

Keep testing. Just because youve tested once does not mean that you shouldnt test again. In fact, its common to get infected with certain STDs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, multiple times. myLAB Box recommends that you test every few months, especially if youve received a positive result in the past.

Recommended Reading: Could I Have Had Chlamydia For Years And Not Know

Chlamydia Symptoms In Women:

In certain situations, chlamydia can be even more serious for women. Symptoms are often mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. However, health complications for women who have untreated chlamydia can be quite serious, including infertility.

Here are the most common symptoms:

  • A burning sensation while urinating
  • An abnormal vaginal discharge that may have an odor
  • Pain during sexual intercourse
  • Itching or burning around the vagina

Can You Cure Mouth Chlamydia

How does it take to get rid of chlamydia

Yes you can chlamydia in the mouth, just as at other sites of the body, can be treated and completely removed with a simple course of antibiotics. However, its important to follow your treatment regime properly to ensure the infection is removed. Also, treatment only removes existing infections and wont protect you from future infection.

Does oral chlamydia go away on its own? if chlamydia is untreated, it is thought that up to 50% of people will clear the infection themselves within 12 months. However, in the remainder of people who dont clear the infection, a chronic chlamydial infection becomes established, and in the longer term this can result in serious negative medical outcomes.

How does oral chlamydia treatment work? the first choice antibiotic for chlamydia is the antibiotic doxycycline 100mg taken twice a day by mouth for 7 days (this should not be used in pregnancy.

Make sure you use treatment correctly it is important that you:

  • Take all the antibiotics as instructed dont miss any out
  • Do not have sex on treatment or for 7 days afterwards, not even oral sex or sex with a condom
  • Your current/most recent partners should be tested, and treated as they are contacts
  • Attend a sexual health clinic for a full STI screen

Do I need another test after treatment? usually no, except in the following situations:

  • You have to be treated with a different antibiotic to the 2 standard treatments, e.g. erythromycin
  • You have rectal chlamydia as well
  • You are pregnant

Also Check: Oral Treatment For Gonorrhea And Chlamydia

Know The Incubation Period For Chlamydia

At this point, two things are clear. First, there are different common symptoms of chlamydia for men and women. Second, many people do not experience any symptoms at all. Thats a troubling prospect. While regular testing is always the smartest course of action, it is sometimes helpful to know a bit more about a potential infection first.

This brings us to our main discussion point: the incubation period for chlamydia. But first, what is an incubation period? The incubation period is the time between when a person is first exposed to an infection to the time that person shows the first signs of symptoms. Just as important, you probably want to know how soon you can test for an infection and know for sure its an accurate result. This means you will want to know the window period. After an individual is exposed to an STD and becomes infected, there is a period of time before a test will show a positive result is called the window period. Lets tackle these questions together.

In short, the incubation period for chlamydia is poorly defined and most experts would say it is often seven to 14 days or longer. The window period however, we break down in more detail below.

To be more specific, here are the main points to remember:

Please note: Re-testing is especially important if you have multiple sex partners and had unprotected sex.

How Common Is Chlamydia

Chlamydia is the most common STI caused by bacteria. Nearly 2 million cases of chlamydia were reported to the CDC in 2019. The number of infections is likely even higher. When compared to previous years, 2019 infection rates increased among people of all genders, all races and ethnicities, and in every region of the U.S. Most cases of chlamydia are asymptomatic, which means there are no signs or symptoms of an infection. Many of these cases likely go unreported.

Certain demographic characteristics may make you more likely to get diagnosed with chlamydia. Youre more likely to get diagnosed if youre:

  • A teen or young adult aged 15 to 24. More than half of all diagnosed chlamydia cases in the U.S. occur in this age group.
  • A cisgender woman aged 15 to 24. Young women in this age group are targeted for chlamydia screenings, and the rate of infection among those who are tested is high.
  • A man who has sex with men . Chlamydia infections disproportionately affect men who have sex with men.
  • Black and non-Hispanic. Chlamydia infections disproportionately affect non-Hispanic Black populations.

Recommended Reading: Does Garlic Get Rid Of Chlamydia

The Incubation Period Has A Role To Play

Every STIs has an incubation period chlamydia is noexception. This period is a span of time from the moment you are exposed to theinfection to the moment the antibodies start to form.

Chlamydia tests search for these antibodies, and ifyou dont wait for the incubation to end, there wont be enough antibodies thatwill show up on tests. This will, in turn, result in a false-negative chlamydiatest.

But, even if you do wait for the incubation to end,you still might not experience symptoms or signs of chlamydia. This is anextremely common problem with STIs, which is why most of them remain undetectedfor a long time.

To be 100% sure, you are chlamydia-free, you shouldget tested, there is no other way to know if you do carry the infection or not.If you do test positive, you need to repeat the same test 2 weeks after yourtreatment has ended.

How Long Does It Take To Get The Results Back For A Chlamydia Test

At Last! Reliable Treatments For Chlamydia

Test results for chlamydia screening usually take about seven days.

If you are being tested as part of routine screening and have no symptoms of chlamydia, thereâs no need to change your behaviours.

If you are being tested and you currently have any symptom of chlamydia, it is recommended that you abstain from sexual contact until you get your results.

Reviewed by:
Dr. Caley Shukalek

Caley is passionate about evidence-based, patient-centred care, including telemedicine that can provide high quality care from wherever a patient may choose.

He helped create Albertas PrEP guidelines and works as a specialist in General Internal Medicine with additional training in sexual health, including HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

He holds an Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, an MD from the University of Calgary and an MSc from the University of Alberta.

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What Is An Std Incubation Period

When to get tested for an STD is an important question. To determine when you should get tested, its important to understand how the body responds to STDs.

If you are exposed to an STD, your body will need time to recognize it in your system. Once the STD has been detected, your body will begin to produce antibodies to fight it. The time that it takes your body to identify the STD and produce these antibodies is known as the incubation period.

Most STD tests determine whether or not you have an STD by looking for the presence of specific types of antibodies in a sample of your blood, urine, or saliva. If these antibodies are present, you will test positive, but if they are not present in your sample, you will test negative.

Because STD tests look for the presence of antibodies, testing too early could lead to false negative results. If you take a test during the incubation period, your body may not have had enough time to produce antibodies yet, which means you could test negative even if you really are infected. Thats why it is so important to wait until the incubation period is over to get tested for STDs.

What Are The Prominent Chlamydia Symptoms In Men

Actually, no one can easily ensure that his body has some trouble due to the silent infection because its symptoms are rarely reflected. But once if they start occurring then they can be easily noticed even within few weeks. Medical doctors say that symptoms of Chlamydia in men can be random and infrequent so most of the time patients are not able to know if they are in contact with the infection.

Some of the most common signs of Chlamydia in men include:

  • Very small cloudy or clear Chlamydia discharge in men from penis tip.
  • It can cause painful urination.
  • Leads to itching and burning sensation around penis openings.
  • Swelling and pain in the area surrounding testicles.

Major symptoms of Chlamydia are observed for genitals but in few cases it can affect rectum, eyes and throat. Note that, the actual effect varies with type of transmission. Few uncommon symptoms of chlamydia in men can include:

  • Throat infections.
  • Rectal bleeding, discharge or pain.

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Whats The Difference Between Stds And Stis

STDs are sometimes referred to as sexually transmitted infections . Many providers use this term since theres less stigma attached to the word infection. Its possible to have an infection without symptoms, and the infection may cause disease in the future. In the absence of symptoms, the only way to diagnose an STI is to screen for it.

Questions For Your Doctor About Test Results

How Chlamydia Is Diagnosed

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?

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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 Do I Recognize The Signs

Chlamydia, like most STIs, is often asymptomatic that means most people wont experience any signs of the infection. If the signs do appear, both women and men will be equally affected. Even though these signs can affect different areas in the body, both sexes will experience them in a similar way.

Here are the most typical signs for women:

  • Pain during menstruation
  • Fever with pain in the abdomen
  • Excessive vaginal discharge often with a bad odor
  • Pain during intercourse
  • Burning and itching around or in the vagina
  • Bleeding when not on a period

Even though women are more prone to chlamydia, men can still get infected.

Recommended Reading: 2 Pills To Treat Chlamydia

Where Can I Get Tested For Chlamydia

Your family physician and most walk-in clinics can perform chlamydia testing.

Sexual health testing facilities are also available to perform screening and treatment.

Freddie routinely completes urine testing as recommended by the PrEP guidelines in Canada. Self collection of throat and rectal swabs is relatively new to Canada and to virtual care. There is also a global shortage of throat and rectal swabs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Freddie is currently piloting this with some persons with hopes of being able to offer this to all patients in the very near future.

How To Read Chlamydia Test Results

Chlamydia treatment in 100 seconds

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections .Reading test results at home is easy. You just need to take care of few things while reading your result.

It is mostly seen in the USA, Canada and UK. If this infection is not treated properly then it can cause serious problems later on. Chlamydia test helps in diagnosing this infection. It occurs due to Anal Sex, oral sex, unprotected sex. Sometimes touching genital organs of partners also this transmits this infection.

Requirement of Chlamydia test:-

Home Chlamydia test use person urine or a sample of body fluid to check whether Chlamydia bacteria are present and causing infection. The best part of this test is that person does not need to undress or swab. Before giving test person is not required to fast.

Also Check: What Treatment Do You Get For Chlamydia

How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Getting Chlamydia

The only way to avoid STDs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting chlamydia:

  • Be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and has negative STD test results
  • Use latex condoms the right way every time you have sex.

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
  • Read Also: Symptoms Of Chlamydia And Gonorrhea For Males

    Home Remedies For Chlamydia Symptoms

    You may still experience painful or uncomfortable symptoms while youre taking chlamydia antibiotics.

    Here are some home remedies for reducing your pain and other symptoms while youre waiting for the antibiotics to work:

    • pain medications, such as ibuprofen to reduce pain
    • cold pack to help limit swelling and inflammation
    • goldenseal to reduce inflammation and potentially make symptoms less severe
    • echinacea to bolster your immune system against the infection and reduce your symptoms
    • turmeric containing an ingredient called curcumin to reduce inflammation and make symptoms less severe

    No studies support the effectiveness of these supplements specifically for chlamydia, so take them with caution.

    And theres no substitute for antibiotics when treating chlamydia. Only try these remedies if youre already taking antibiotics or if you plan to go to the doctor.

    How Is Chlamydia Spread

    How Long Does Chlamydia Test Take?

    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.

    Recommended Reading: Can You Get Chlamydia Naturally

    Book Your Instant Chlamydia Test

    Your instant Chlamydia test can also be arranged via Better2Knows online booking system. Simply select the orange button at the top of the screen. If you have any additional questions regarding STIs or Better2Knows private sexual health testing services, you can contact our sexual health advisors using the number listed above.

    How Long Should I Wait For Chlamydia To Show On Tests

    There are various chlamydia tests you can undergo to get diagnosed with this infection. Depending on which test you take, the time will vary. There are three ways to get diagnosed for chlamydia, and those are a swab, urine, or blood test.

    For a swab test, the doctor will take a cotton stickto sample the infected fluid or tissue. This sample will then be taken to thelab, where experienced technicians will analyze the growth of the bacteria andsee how much it has developed.

    A urine test is analyzed the same way. The urine isstored in a sealed cup and sent off for testing. If the technicians find anybacteria present in the urine, it will mean youve been infected. A blood test,on the other hand, is a more painful method, but the most reliable one. Theblood sample will be taken to the lab to analyze all the antibodies and seewhether this infection has infected the bloodstream.

    So, the results you will get will depend on the typeof test you selected:

    • Forswab results chlamydia shows up in 2 to 3 days
    • Forblood tests chlamydia can show up instantly if the blood is inspected on site
    • Forurine tests it can take up to 2 or 5 days for chlamydia to show up

    Also Check: How To Tell If A Male Has Chlamydia

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