Your Gonorrhea Testing Cost Guide
Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. It affects both men and women. When left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, including infertility and long-term pelvic or abdominal pain. Luckily, it is very treatable once it is diagnosed. In order to get diagnosed, your first step is to be tested!
How Will I Get My Results
If you don’t have chlamydia, we will let you know the result by text.
If you do have chlamydia and need treatment, we will call you to arrange an appointment at a clinic of your choice.
You should return for a repeat test/treatment if:
- you think you have come into contact with chlamydia again
- you and your partner had any form of unsafe sex within seven days of taking the chlamydia treatment
- you didn’t finish taking your treatment or didn’t take it according to the instructions
- the signs and symptoms dont go away.
You should also get tested at a GUM clinic if your original test was negative but you then develop symptoms of chlamydia.
If your symptoms dont improve, you should contact a clinic or on 0808 802 1221. This includes any pelvic pain that doesn’t improve or any pain when having sex.
How To Take A Gonorrhea Test At Home
Testing from home is convenient. Now that the gonorrhea test cost is no longer in your way, you can test at any time and from any place without ever stepping foot in a doctors office. No need for waiting rooms, awkward conversations or follow-up appointments. Instead, follow this easy process to get your secure, lab-certified results. Heres how it works:
- Order your STD panel kit online. We even include free shipping!
- Test yourself at any time and from any place using the easy-to-follow instructions. Send your samples back to the lab with the pre-paid return envelope that comes with your kit.
- Get results online in a matter of days. Youll receive an email, after which you can log into a secure portal for your private lab-certified results.
And dont worry if you test positive, you can get advice from real physician in your state via a phone consultation, free of charge. If you live in a state that allows telemedicine, that physician can even prescribe your treatment. Thats right. Weve thought of everything so that you dont have to. Dont stress, just test!
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Where To Get Free Or Low
Dont let a lack of health insurance stop you from taking care of your health. There are plenty of ways to get the STI testing and treatment you need. Plus, if youre at risk of HIV, some of these resources may also provide other health care support for free or at a reduced cost.
Many health centers offer PrEP, a daily pill that can help prevent HIV. They may also provide PEP, a series of pills you can take after youve been exposed to HIV that lowers your chances of getting it, says Dr. Upadhya.
Heres a list of resources that can help you get STI screenings and treatment, no insurance required.
- Planned Parenthood. Many Planned Parenthood health centers provide free or low-cost STI tests, depending on income and regardless of whether you have health insurance, says Dr. Upadhya. During the pandemic, you may also be able to get testing and treatment services via telehealth. Some STI symptoms or treatments may require in-person treatment though, Dr. Upadhya says. You can search for a Planned Parenthood location near you on their website.
- Your local health department. Many health departments operate clinics that offer free or low-cost STI testing and treatment. You can find the contact information for your local health department on the CDC website. Simply giving them a call and asking whether these services are available is a quick way to get the care you need.
What Are Oral Chlamydia Symptoms
Like most STDs, partners exposed to chlamydia may exhibit no symptoms. Similarly, in oral chlamydia, most people have no symptoms. When symptoms arise, some experience a sore throat. While others, may experience redness of the throat. In any situation, if you or a partner have been exposed to someone who has chlamydia, it is best to get treated as soon as possible to avoid complications.
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Discreet Ways To Get Tested And Treated For Stds
Wondering whether you have a sexually transmitted disease can be stressful, both physically and emotionally. Getting tested and treated is important for your health. At the same time, you might have concerns and questions about your privacy. But no need to worry you have options for private and confidential STD testing and treatment:
How Accurate Are At
Lab-based tests provide standard, high-quality results, as long as the sample was well-collected. Most at-home tests are also processed at certified laboratories. So, as long as your sample was collected and preserved correctly until it was processed and then analysed at a CLIA-certified laboratory, your test results should be comparable to what you would receive otherwise.
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What Happens If You Dont Get Treated For Chlamydia
Even though chlamydia is common and doesnt usually cause any symptoms, it can become a big deal if its not caught and treated early.
Chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes if it goes untreated for a long time. This can cause you to have pelvic inflammatory disease . PID can cause permanent damage that leads to pain, infertility, or ectopic pregnancy. So getting tested regularly for chlamydia really lowers your chances of getting PID.
If you have a penis, a chlamydia infection can spread to your epididymis if its left untreated, and can cause chronic joint pain. Rarely, it can make you infertile.
Having chlamydia may increase your chances of getting or spreading HIV.
If you have chlamydia during your pregnancy and dont treat it, you can pass it to your baby when youre giving birth. Chlamydia can also cause eye infections and pneumonia in newborns, and it also increases the risk of delivering your baby too early.
Testing and treatment for chlamydia is quick, easy, and the best way to avoid all of these problems.
How Can I Prevent Chlamydia
It’s easier to prevent an STI like chlamydia than it is to treat it:
- Don’t have more than one sex partner at a time. The safest sex is with one partner who has sex only with you. Every time you add a new sex partner, you are being exposed to all of the infections that all of their partners may have.
- Use a condom every time you have sex. Latex and polyurethane condoms keep out the viruses and bacteria that cause STIs.
- Be responsible. Don’t have sex if you have symptoms of an infection or if you are being treated for an STI.
- Wait to have sex with a new partner until both of you have been tested for STIs.
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What To Think About
Some people who have chlamydia may also have gonorrhea. In that case, treatment includes antibiotics that kill both chlamydia and gonorrhea. For more information, see the topic Gonorrhea.
Reinfection can occur. Symptoms that continue after treatment are probably caused by another chlamydia infection rather than treatment failure. To prevent reinfection, sex partners need to be evaluated and treated.
Repeated chlamydia infections increase the risk for pelvic inflammatory disease . Even one infection can lead to PID without proper treatment. Make sure to take your antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Take the full course of medicine, even if you feel better in a couple of days.
Some doctors recommend retesting 3 to 12 months after treatment to reduce the risk of complications from reinfection.footnote 4
If you have chlamydia, your doctor will send a report to the state health department. Your personal information is kept confidential. The health department may contact you about telling your sex partner or partners that they may need treatment.
How Much Do At
A test that detects three or four STDs starts at just under $100. That goes up to about $400 for some of the most comprehensive offerings that detect 8 or 9 different STDs.
If the cost is a problem, some regional Planned Parenthood offices are also offering at-home STD testing their services are usually free or low cost, depending on your income level. There are also many free and low-cost clinics that remain open, perhaps with limited hours, for in-person STD and HIV testing.
Below is a list of at-home and lab-based tests available without a doctors visit, with information about costs, how long results take, and which STDs they can test for.
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How Do I Get Checked For Stds Without My Parents Knowing
I’m 16. My parents don’t know about my boyfriend and I’m afraid to tell them because my culture is so strict. We have had sex twice, and I want to see a doctor to make sure everything is OK and I didn’t catch an STD. But if I tell my parents, I will have to stop seeing my boyfriend and I will lose all my privileges. I know I should get checked. What should I do? Mira*
In a perfect world, we could talk to our parents about anything. Their life experience means parents can offer insight and advice on all sorts of situations. It’s surprising how often having that awkward conversation turns out to be a positive experience for both you and your parent.
But, if you really can’t talk to your folks, you still need to make your health a priority. That includes protecting yourself against STDs and unplanned pregnancy.
In most states, once you are 13, you can get checked and tested for STDs without a parent’s involvement. Many family doctors or pediatricians will agree to treat their teen patients confidentially. That means they won’t tell parents or anyone else unless you say it’s OK. So you may be able to ask your own doctor if he or she will do so.
Some schools also run health clinics during school hours. Again, these are usually confidential ask first to be sure.
*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.
Youve Got The Results What Next
If youve been given a clean bill of health, thats great. But if your results confirm youve contracted an STI its time to take action.
Remember, STIs are really common so dont be embarrassed. Youve done a very responsible thing in getting tested and discovering the infection.
The next step is to get treatment. Do this straight away because most STIs are easily treatable if theyre found early but untreated STIs can potentially lead to health problems.
See your GP or healthcare professional as soon as you can to get on top of your treatment, and dont let privacy issues hold you back. Any information you share with your doctor or Medicare is confidential.
Its very important at this point that anyone you are having sex with, or youve recently had sex with also gets tested and treated. Talk to your GP or healthcare professional about what steps you can take to fulfil your responsibilities in letting them know.To find out more go to partner notification.
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What Antibiotics Do You Get For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is one of the most common STDs. It can be treated easily if caught early. Some of the most recommended antibiotics used to treat chlamydia are azithromycin and doxycycline. Azithromycin is typically given as 2 tablets one time while doxycycline is given as 2 capsules a day for 7 days. These antibiotics are most effective if both partners have received treatment and have taken their prescription as directed.
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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There Are 6 Main Types Of Sti Tests
Blood test
Your doctor can test for the following by taking a blood sample from your finger or arm:
Generally, your doctor will wait until they have the results from all the STI tests performed to call you.
If you still havent heard back after a week, dont assume the test was negative. Give em a ring to learn your results.
Congrats! Youve made the decision to take control of your health and learn your current STI status. But where the heck should you go to get tested if youre on a budget or dont have health insurance?
Heres where to go and what to know.
Is There Any Preparation Required Before The Test
For the urine sample, you should abstain from urinating for at least one hour before the test. The sample to be tested must consist of first-catch urine. First-catch urine is about 20-30 ml of the initial urine stream. The sample shouldnt consist of anything more than first-catch urine, as this might dilute the sample.
Women are encouraged to avoid cleansing the labial area before providing a sample. Otherwise, there is no special preparation required for the test.
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How Do You Treat Stis
Most STIs are easily treated if detected early, and HIV can be managed with ongoing anti-retroviral medication. The symptoms of genital herpes for example, are reduced by a combination of antiviral tablets and creams. Some STI medications can be sourced over the counter at your local chemist and others will require a prescription.
The type of treatment you receive will depend on the STI you have. One of the most common STIs in young people is chlamydia which is typically cured with a single dose of antibiotics.
Thats why its extremely important to see your GP or healthcare professional to get the right advice and treatment. For more detailed information on specific treatments check out the STIs section and click on the relevant STI.
You can get many STIs again though, so make sure you continue with regular STI testing.
How To Clear Chlamydia Without Antibiotics
Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. While we are unable to recommend any treatment not recommended by the CDC in the treatment of chlamydia there are some who have utilized alternative treatment to reduce infection but does not cure it. These remedies include garlic, turmeric, or dieting.
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Is There A Home Test Kit Available For Chlamydia
Absolutely. A home test kit for Chlamydia is available for those who are not comfortable talking about their sexual history to the doctors. We are proud to say that one of our lab partners provides an at-home chlamydia testing kit service across the US.
You will order the home test kit that will be sent to your home containing all the tools and information . You will be asked to take the sample as per the information provided and ship it back to the mentioned address. Sit back and relax, you shall receive your report in an email in within 1 5 working days.
Std Testing Is Not A Part Of A Routing Physical Examination
The first most common reason your tests didnt come up positive is that you werent tested for the STDs that you thought you were being tested for. Just because your doctor gave you a clean bill of health at your last annual check-up doesnt mean that they gave you an STD test. Most doctors, unless you specifically ask them to, will not automatically give you any type of STD testing. Even though they should ethically test you for such bacterial and viral infections, it is up to their discretion what is included in your health exam. For example, a doctor wont automatically give you a gonorrhea test at a casual checkup. If you dont alert them to something new, they wont have medical reason to test you.
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You Have Options For How You Tell Your Partner
If you test positive for an STI, telling any past or current partners is M-U-S-T so they can get treated and prevent potential spread.
If you suspect that disclosing a positive result to your partner will compromise your safety or you just dont want to do it yourself! your healthcare provider can notify them anonymously.
Shopping For Std Tests
- STD Check has prices that are lower than most. It is actually one of the few STD-testing organizations that are FDA-approved to offer early detection for HIV.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a listing of clinics that can offer you free STD testing. By just entering your zip code, you are given the clinics that are near you. STD testing is also confidential and nobody would ever know that you have undergone such test. Aside from the CDC, you can also check out some clinics where you can get tested at Free STD Check.
- Planned Parenthood, a provider of low-cost healthcare in the United States, also covers STD testing. Aside from it being less expensive than other options, their affiliated clinics have different payment schemes available. If you also qualify for a financial assistance, your cost will be adjusted, depending on your capacity to pay.
- MyLabBox also made available STD testing kits which you can order online. You can have yourself tested in the convenience of your own home. After testing, you can mail your samples and get your results in two to five days.
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