Home Testing Is Possible
There are definitely at-home tests that are accurate, says Dombrowski. They are easy-to-use and hard to mess up, but the problem is that the kits often cost a lot of money.
Furthermore, she says that while you can test yourself at home, if the test is positive, you cannot buy the antibiotics that you need to treat the illness over the counter. You will need a prescription from a doctor or other healthcare provider. Also, you will need to retest yourself three months after the treatment ends.
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
Where Can I Get Tested For Chlamydia
You can get tested for chlamydia and other STDs at your doctors office, a community health clinic, the health department, or your local Planned Parenthood health center. In some states, you can do an online visit and take a chlamydia test at home.
STD testing isnt always part of your regular checkup or gynecologist exam you have to ask for it. Be open and honest with your nurse or doctor so they can help you figure out which tests you may need. Dont be embarrassed: Your doctor is there to help, not to judge.
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When To See A Doctor
If a person has symptoms of chlamydia after testing and treatment or thinks that they have come into contact with chlamydia again, they should see their doctor.
Females are less likely than males to have symptoms of chlamydia, so testing is especially important for them.
The recommend chlamydia testing every year for the following groups of people:
- sexually active females under the age of 25 years
- females over the age of 25 years who have new or multiple sexual partners
- anyone with a sexual partner who has an STI
- sexually active gay and bisexual males
Pregnant women should have a chlamydia test early on in their pregnancy.
When Should I Get Chlamydia Testing
As most people infected with chlamydia do not experience symptoms, doctors rely on screening to detect most cases of chlamydia. Screening guidelines vary based on many factors, including a persons anatomy, health, and sexual practices. Regular screening for chlamydia is recommended for several groups:
Certain factors increase the risk of contracting chlamydia and may affect how often a person should be screened. Risk factors include having:
- Sex with a new partner
- More than one sexual partner or a partner who has sex with mutiple people
- A sex partner diagnosed with an STD
Testing for chlamydia is more frequently conducted in asymptomatic people in settings where infection rates are high, which often includes correctional facilities, adolescent health clinics, the military, and sexual health clinics.
Diagnostic chlamydia testing is recommended for anyone with signs or symptoms of this infection. When symptoms do occur, they may not appear until a few weeks after exposure. Signs and symptoms of chlamydia can vary based on the site of infection but may include:
- Burning during urination
A person can undergo testing for chlamydia at their:
- doctors office
- local health department
- local planned parenthood center
A person can also order a chlamydia test online, take it at home, and then send it off for testing.
If people are at high risk of chlamydia, they may need screening for all types of chlamydia every 36 months.
At risk groups include people who have:
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This Test Will With > 99% Accuracy Tell You Whether Or Not You Have Been Infected With Chlamydia Or Gonorrhea
Like any Everlywell STI test, our at-home Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test is delivered in discreet packaging and taken in the privacy of your own home. Once you return your test sample to our lab and your sample is processed, youâll be notified via email when your results are ready. You will then be able to access your results through an easy-to-understand report on our secure online platform.
This at-home gonorrhea and chlamydia test checks whether you test positive for gonorrhea or chlamydia.
In the event that your test results are positive, a board-certified physician in your state will contact you at no additional cost to discuss your particular case, and when appropriate, prescribe medication.
We take customer privacy very seriously, and only you will have access to this information. As is the case with all STD testing – whether through Everlywell at-home tests or your healthcare provider â we may be required by law to report positive test results to certain state health departments. This is only done to track the prevalence of a sexually transmitted disease. In rare cases you may not receive a definitive result because of early infection or inadequate sampling and repeat testing is suggested. Donât take a chance on your sexual health. Know where you stand with our at-home Chlamydia & Gonorrhea test. You can also take our at-home STD Test for men or our STD Test for women.
Relating Findings To Theoretical Models
Protection Motivation Theory suggests that believing the behaviour will reduce the threat , believing that one can perform the behaviour and response costs will affect motivation to perform a behaviourin this case, self-testing for chlamydia. Response efficacy seemed highly salient, when operationalized as believing the behaviour would lead to an accurate test result . Participants concerned about test accuracy preferred to attend a clinic rather than to self-test. Self-efficacy was also important, with some lacking confidence in using a vulvo-vaginal swab. These concerns were linked with response efficacy: people worried that they could not self-sample correctly, leading to inaccurate results. Self-efficacy has predicted behaviour in a range of contexts, including notifying partners of STIs . Perceived response costs to self-testing included financial costs of purchased tests and the risk of being discovered. However, costs were also associated with the alternative behaviour of being professionally tested, e.g., embarrassment and time costs.
PMT and TPB, therefore, have considerable relevance to self-testing for chlamydia. Participants often considered self-testing in comparison with testing by a professional, rather than as opposed to not testing at all. Future research would benefit from incorporating theoretical frameworks and taking account of this choice context when operationalizing theories.
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How To Order Your Own Sti Tests
If you’re ready to order your own STI test, here’s where to start.
Determine the tests you need
- Self-directed testing is available for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis C.
- A routine panel consists of testing appropriate body parts for gonorrhea and chlamydia, and blood tests for HIV and syphilis.
- Hepatitis C: this is a blood test that should be checked at least once after age 18 as specified by the CDC.
- If you need more information before you decide what tests you would like:
- SHOP
Test the right body parts
- A urine gonorrhea and chlamydia test will only detect infections in the vagina or penis. It will not pick up a rectal or oral infection.
- You will swab your own body part. Gonorrhea and chlamydia testing can be done with a urine test, a vaginal swab, or rectal swab. You do not need to do both a urine and a vaginal swab, but a vaginal swab is more accurate.
- Gonorrhea can be transferred with oral sex so you may want to consider testing for oral gonorrhea, even if you have no symptoms. If you have had receptive anal sex you may need to do a rectal swab.
Test at the right time
For sexually active students we recommend you test regularly and make this testing part of your regular health care.
When you test is very important. Sometimes testing too early after sex can produce false negative results. Below is a list of approximate times it takes for an infection to show up in a test after youve been exposed:
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Four Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis are four potential outcomes of sex that wed all like to avoid. However, according to new global estimates, each day there are more than one million new cases of these sexually transmitted infections.
The worrying thing is, even though we have never known more about how to prevent these infections, rates of infection remain very high worldwide.
The good news is, these 4 infections are curable.
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How Soon After Unprotected Sex Should I Get Tested
With more than 80 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases occurring every year in the United States, one cannot but be too careful when sexually active. The American Sexual Health Association explains that one in two sexually active American will contract an STD by the time they reach the age of 25 years. While cases are on the rise, exponentially, surveys show that only 12% of young sexually active American were tested last year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adds that undiagnosed sexually transmitted infections are causing infertility in 24,000 women yearly. Undiagnosed STDs that remain untreated lead to numerous health complications, with some being life threatening. It is essential to get STD testing as part of a routine checkup. There are also at home STD testing kits to make testing even more available and convenient.
When engaging in a risky sexual behavior, one may have the tendency to get tested immediately. But this is a common mistake that many sexually active individuals make. Why, you may ask? It is all because of what is called the incubation period that differs from an infection to another.
Home Remedies To Cure Chlamydia
Chlamydia in women, as well as men, can create trouble if left untreated hence on the slightest symptom, you must get it diagnosed. While there are medical treatments for it,you can also opt for home remedies that are quite effective in treating the infection. Further, these have no adverse effects on your body. Here are simple home remedies for Chlamydia.
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Are Test Results Accurate
Although chlamydia testing is an important method of finding and treating this common STD, test results could be impacted by the following:
- The use of antibiotics within several days before testing
- Urinating within one hour of sample collection
- Vaginal douching within 24 hours of testing
- Improper sample collection
- Contamination of rectal samples with fecal matter
What Are Rapid At
There are some rapid, at-home STD tests available they are designed to function like a home pregnancy test, with self-collection and results within 30 minutes or so. However, these are not approved by the FDA to be sold directly to consumers. There is one FDA-approved rapid, at-home test for HIV.
Diagnostic tests that are sold for direct use entirely by consumers require FDA approval. But STD tests done in a lab dont have to be approved by the FDA. Those testing providers simply have to show that their laboratories are compliant with CLIA certification, which means the laboratories and their processes are up to the standards required by federal law.
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Why Should I Get Tested
Almost all STIs go undetected. Even though chlamydia can be easily treated, due to the lack of visible symptoms, the younger population often ignore it or have no idea they have it. Individuals who often change partners are exposed to chlamydia and other STIs as well, such as gonorrhea and syphilis.
If left untreated, its incredibly easy to transmit this infection onto your partner and cause numerous problems that can later affect your health.
Some Of The Best Home Chlamydia Tests
Below, we look at some testing options for individuals to consider. People can take several of the tests at home, whereas others require a lab visit.Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.
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What If My Results Are Positive
The Everlywell Chlamydia & Gonorrhea test includes an easy-to-understand lab report. But if you’re not sure how to read your chlamydia test results, your healthcare provider can help.
A positive STI test result can be unsettling, but you arenât alone: with the Everlywell Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test, you have the opportunity to speak with a physician in our network to discuss your results further if you test positiveâand you may be prescribed medication.
If your chlamydia test is positive, STI testing is recommended for your sex partner . If they are infected and don’t receive treatment, they can pass the chlamydial infection back to you.
Syphilis: Symptoms & Treatment Options
Symptoms: The symptoms of syphilis will vary depending on the stage the disease is in: Primary, secondary, latent, or tertiary.
During its primary stage, you may get painless sores in the affected area: genitals, anus, or mouth. They usually will go away within a couple of weeks. However, the person will still be infected with the virus unless they receive treatment.
During the secondary stage, you may get flu-like symptoms, such as a sore throat, fever, headaches, and being tired all the time.
During the latent stage, the person wont have any symptoms. If left untreated, the illness will reach its tertiary stage.
During the tertiary stage, the disease will start to affect internal organs, including your central nervous system and your brain.
Treatment: Syphilis can be treated with Penicillin. The dosage and length of treatment will depend on the stage of the disease. You should also follow up within 6 to 12 months after treatment has ended to make sure youre cured.
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When To Speak With A Doctor
STI tests are often a standard part of a gynecological exam or regular health checkup, but this is not always the case. With this in mind, anyone who believes they may have chlamydia should consider a test.
One symptom of chlamydia is a burning sensation when urinating. A person experiencing this issue should contact a doctor, even if a home chlamydia test has returned a negative result.
If a home test returns a positive result, individuals should consult their doctor to get confirmation.
When Should I Get Tested
Don’t delay getting tested if you think you might have chlamydia. Being diagnosed and treated as soon as possible will reduce your risk of developing any serious complications of chlamydia.
You can get a chlamydia test at any time although you might be advised to repeat the test later on if you have it less than 2 weeks since you had sex because the infection might not always be found in the early stages.
You should consider getting tested for chlamydia if:
- you think you could have a sexually transmitted infection
- a sexual partner tells you they have an STI
- you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy
- you’re offered a chlamydia test as part of the NCSP
If you live in England, you’re a woman under 25 and sexually active, it’s recommended that you have a chlamydia test once a year, and when you have sex with new or casual partners.
If you live in England, you’re a man under 25 and sexually active, it’s recommended that you have a chlamydia test once a year if you are not using condoms with new or casual partners.
If you have chlamydia, you may be offered another test 3 to 6 months after being treated. This is because young adults who test positive for chlamydia are at increased risk of catching it again.
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Get Your Accurate Confidential Std Test At Arcpoint Labs Of Fort Myers
Taking a proactive role in your sexual health shouldnt be stressful, which is why ARCpoint Labs makes it simple to receive discreet, professional STD testing in Fort Myers. Our professional technicians provide chlamydia testing, gonorrhea testing, and a wide range of other STD testing options, so you can customize your services to suit your needs. Here, youll have the advantage of quick, hassle-free lab services, making it easier than ever to take charge of your sexual health and protect yourself from untreated STDs. Whether youre concerned about potential STD symptoms or simply want to take preventive measures, ARCpoint Labs has a testing solution for you.
Learn more about our selection of STD testing and other lab services by contacting ARCpoint Labs of Fort Myers today.
Image Credit: getty, fizkes
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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.
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