Who Should Get Tested For Chlamydia
We recommend getting tested for chlamydia if you:
- Have had sex with an infected partner
- Have new or multiple sex partners
- Want to check your status
- Are entering a new relationship
How Often Should You Get Tested?
If you believe you may have been exposed to chlamydia, you should get tested. Because certain people are at higher risk of getting chlamydia, the CDC recommends at least yearly testing for the following groups:
- Sexually active women under 25
- Women with risk factors like new or multiple sex partners
- Men who have sex with men
Pregnant women should test for chlamydia during their first prenatal visit and again during the third trimester if they are under 25 or have risk factors.1
Getting tested regularly for chlamydia and other common sexually transmitted diseases is important. Untreated chlamydia infection can cause serious health complications like:
- Increased risk of contracting other sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, if exposed
What Should You Do If You Test Positive?
We understand how stressful testing positive can be. The good news is that chlamydia is curable and, if caught early, it wont cause lasting health problems. You should also discuss your status with your sexual partner so they can get tested and treated.
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What Is A Window Period
A window period is the phase between being exposed to an infection and the correct time when a test can detect the organism in the system, by measuring the produced antibodies. If you get tested without taking into consideration the infections window period, you might end up with a false-negative result. This means that you may have been infected but, you did not give your body enough time to develop enough antibodies that can be detected. To be 100% sure about your results, it is recommended to be tested after the end of the window period, even if symptoms did not show.
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What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia
Chlamydia can be easily cured with antibiotics. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV-negative.
Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days after single dose antibiotics or until completion of a 7-day course of antibiotics, to prevent spreading the infection to partners. It is important to take all of the medication prescribed to cure chlamydia. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone. Although medication will stop the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease. If a persons symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, he or she should return to a health care provider to be reevaluated.
Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple chlamydial infections increases a womans risk of serious reproductive health complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. Women and men with chlamydia should be retested about three months after treatment of an initial infection, regardless of whether they believe that their sex partners were successfully treated.
Infants infected with chlamydia may develop ophthalmia neonatorum and/or pneumonia. Chlamydial infection in infants can be treated with antibiotics.
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How Long Does It Take For Hiv To Show Up
The human immunodeficiency virus is a sexual infection that can lead to AIDS. In the United States, one out of four infected individuals is a woman. More than one million American live with this infection. The most common signs of HIV are body rashes, fever, sore throat and severe headaches. Weight loss is also common, along with enlarged yeast infections and flaky skins.
HIV Incubation Period: the incubation period of HIV is between two to four weeks after being exposed to the virus. Thats when symptoms like the flu start appearing and can last for many weeks.
HIV Window Period: window periods can differ between a virus to testing technique and another. An HIV antibody test would need a period of 30 to 90 days to show a correct result.
When Should You Retest After Treatment For Chlamydia
If you have been recently treated and want to retest to be sure the treatment worked, wait at least 3-4 weeks after completing your treatment. The CDC recommends retesting three to six months after treatment, preferably along with your partner, so that you can be sure that all of you are chlamydia free. We are here for you during the process. Reach out to one of our helpful STD experts today!
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When Should I Call My Doctor About A Chlamydia Test
A note from Cleveland Clinic
A chlamydia test is essential to limiting the spread of this sexually transmitted infection. Its especially important to get screened for chlamydia regularly if youre at a higher risk of this STI. Untreated, the infection can cause health problems and you can spread it to your partner. While youre waiting for results and during treatment, avoid having sex. Wait until your provider says its safe to have sex again. Be sure to use a condom and practice safe sex to avoid getting an STI.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/28/2022.
References
Why Is It Important To Get Tested For Stds
Most importantly, get tested to protect yourself, your partner, and to stay informed. Getting a diagnosis can alert you to an infection you may not know you had , or that may have long-term effects like infertility. It can also allow you to start treatment if you do have an infection, and create peace of mind when you think you may have been at risk.
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How Often Should I Get Tested
Getting tested at least once a year is a great way to take care of our health. However, beyond yearly routine testing, there are other important moments when it is a good idea to visit your local clinic for an STI test. Heres a quick checklist!
Its a good idea to get tested if:
*Lots of people hook up with STIs. It doesnt always mean that you will get one as there are many ways to reduce the risk of transmission if you know in advance. For example, if you or your partner is diagnosed with HIV and youre on treatment, your viral load might become undetectable and so, the virus cannot be transmitted even if you dont use a condom . That said, if one of you gets a positive test for an STI like chlamydia or gonorrhea and you had been having sex without using condoms before knowing it, its important to go get tested too so you can get treated if needed!
What Does Isolation Include
- Wear a high-quality mask if you must be around others at home and in public.
- Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask.
- Stay home and separate from others as much as possible.
- Use a separate bathroom, if possible.
- Take steps to improve ventilation at home, if possible.
- Dont share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils.
- Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign , seek emergency medical care immediately.
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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.
How Soon Can I Test For All Stds At Once
We know it can be hard to wait to get tested. As soon as the thought crosses your mind that you may have an STD, you want to learn your status ASAP. But you know now thats probably not the best idea. You dont want to test too early, and you also dont want to have to visit our labs multiple times because of all the different STD incubation periods.
To make it easy and only have to test once, we suggest waiting to test according to the STD with the longest incubation period. For example, If you wanted to test for everySTD mentioned on this blog post using our comprehensive 10 test STD panel, you would need to wait at least eight weeks to get accurate results, because that is the minimum amount of time hepatitis C needs before it shows up on tests.
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Should I Get The Omicron Booster Now Or Wait A Few Weeks
Whenever you opt to roll up your sleeve, its important to note that it takes two weeks for the full effect of the booster to hit.
Officials say it takes two weeks after injection for the full protective effect of the booster. The shots maximum effectiveness will be one month following injection, but people should enjoy a good degree of protection for four or five months, according to Chin-Hong.
The updated shot is known as a bivalent booster. Unlike the conventional monovalent vaccine and booster, which was designed only against the original coronavirus strain, the new shot targets the original strain and the Omicron subvariants that have dominated the U.S. in recent months, including BA.5.
The updated boosters mean most Californians will be able to strengthen their protection against COVID-19 as we head into the fall and winter seasons, state Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly and Dr. Tomás Aragón, Californias public health director and state health officer, said in a joint statement earlier this month.
Because protection from infection can decrease over time, the updated boosters are a safe way to maintain protection and reduce the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalization, long COVID and death, their statement continued.
Std Screening: The Basics
STD screening may not be dinner table talk, but if it came up, would you know how to handle it? Everyone who is sexually active should be screened for STDs at some point but which tests, and when, depend on your personal risk factors. Sometimes testing isnt necessary. But if it is recommended, and you do get diagnosed, there is some good news: Most STDs are curable, and all of them are treatable.
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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.
Sti Testing Doesn’t Replace Discussion
People often wonder whether they are obligated to tell current and future partners that they might have been exposed to an STI. No matter if the question is modified by “What if we only had oral sex?” or “What if it didn’t last long?” the answer is usually the same: Yes. These are discussions that everybody should be having before they have sex.
Most people don’t come to sexual relationships completely inexperienced. Therefore, talks about testing and safe sex aren’t just appropriate but smart.
Still, sometimes the discussion can be difficult. That’s why it’s always a good idea to practice safe sex, particularly until you’re reasonably certain of your test results.
Condoms may not be perfect, but latex ones still offer protection against STIs.
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What Is Std Screening Exactly
Getting a screening test means that we look for an infection when you may not have any symptoms. Just like you get a mammogram, or screen for colon cancer, its also important to screen for sexually transmitted infections . There are no exact recommended times or tests that we recommend for everyone. These testing recommendations depend on your lifestyle and risk level.
How To Get An Std Test
Getting tested for STDs is a simple process. Almost all mid-sized and large cities offer options for free or low-cost STD testing, with convenient online testing options also available for many common sexually transmitted diseases.
You can get tested by:
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Talking to your healthcare provider. Your primary care provider will be able to provide testing for most STDs. Many health insurance policies either provide free STD testing or offer tests at a significantly reduced price.
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Visiting your local urgent care center. Many urgent care centers offer testing for most STDs. You can search for free, fast and confidential testing locations in your area using the CDCs GetTested tool.
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Visiting your local pharmacy. Many pharmacies can schedule testing for some STDs, or provide an at-home test that you can return to the pharmacy or mail directly to the lab for analysis.
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Contacting Planned Parenthood. Many Planned Parenthood centers offer STD testing and treatment.
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Using an at-home/online test. Several companies provide at-home STD tests that you can order online. Some tests provide instant results, while others may need to be mailed to a lab for analysis.
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Std Testing As A Routine Part Of An Overall Healthy Lifestyle
In todays culture of casual sex and hook up apps such as Grindr and Tindr, the responsibility of an individual to take ownership of their sexual health and overall well-being is of vital importance. The spread of STDs has increased America to critical levels. According to the director the CDC, the widespread nature of STDs in America today is a is a clear warning of a growing threat. And the growing number of infections is outpacing our ability to respond.
Getting tested for STDs is associated with stigma and shame, when, in fact, the opposite should be the case. NOT getting tested for STDs should be a point of concern.
GETTING TESTED FOR STDs DEMONSTRATES A LEVEL OF RESPECT FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR SEXUAL PARTNER.
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How Soon Can You Be Tested
Every STD has its own incubation period. For some STDs, the body begins to produce antibodies and symptoms in as little as a few days. For others, it can take weeks or months for symptoms to appear. Here are the ranges of incubation periods for some of the most common STDs.
| STD |
| 2 weeks |
While retesting is recommended for bacterial STDs, some STDs are lifelong viral infections. In the case of a lifelong viral infection, a blood test will always detect the STD, even after treatment has been successful. Therefore, retesting would only be necessary if you wanted to reconfirm an original diagnosis.
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How Is Chlamydia Treated
Chlamydia can be easily cured with prescription antibiotics. If you are positive, you need to notify your sexual partners so they can get tested and treated. Not getting treated can cause serious health problems, and you may be at high risk for re-infection if infected sex partners arent treated.
To eliminate the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria, doctors often prescribe the antibiotics azithromycin and/or doxycycline. These antibiotics can be taken orally, either in a single dose or over several days . The full course of antibiotics should be taken as instructed until complete, even if symptoms go away. Each person should receive their own prescription and should not share their medication.
Can You Get Re-Infected?
Yes, it is possible to get re-infected with chlamydia, especially if you have sex with an infected partner. Having a past chlamydia infection or taking antibiotics for chlamydia will not make you immune to the bacterium that causes the infection. This is why it is especially important to get tested with your partner so youre all tested, treated, and cured before engaging in sexual activity again.
When Can You Have Sex Again?
Before you start having sex again, you should make sure that you and your partner are completely cured of chlamydia because re-infections are common. Do not have sex with anyone while you are being treated.