Faq About Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Panel
Sexually active individuals should be tested regularly for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. These two STDs are the most common new cases of STDs reported in the United States. Fortunately, they can be easily treated with the right antibiotics. When it comes to Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, there are many benefits that come from choosing to be tested.
Clinical Practice Alert: Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Screening And Treatment
Rates of sexually-transmitted diseases such as chlamydia trachomatis and gonorrhea have reached an all-time high. In the U.S., California leads the nation in reported cases of these STDs. Because persons with CT and GC are often asymptomatic, screening is essential for the early detection and treatment that can prevent reproductive complications including pelvic inflammatory disease , tubal infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain in females and epididymitis in males. Join us for a webinar to learn about current clinical guidelines for routine and targeted screening, treatment, follow-up, and prevention of CT and GC.
After the webinar, providers will be able to:
- Understand current guidelines for screening for CT and GC among sexually active people
- List the indications for anorectal and oropharyngeal CT/GC screening
- Explain when test-of-cure is indicated
- Identify the proper ICD-10 codes for lab requests and billing information
Presenters:
What Are The Long
Experts used to think that a one-time chlamydia or gonorrhea infection didnt have any big impact on someones health and life. More recently, they found out that its not the case. Women who test positive for chlamydia, for example, are at risk for several different reproductive problems, and that risk remains throughout 17 years of follow-up, which is way longer than the previously estimated 1 year only. Gonorrhea too can cause irreversible damage. So what are those risks?
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Screening For Ct And Ng
Because of the largely asymptomatic nature of the infections, screening may be necessary to reduce the clinical consequences discussed above related to the natural course of infection. Screening refers to systematically offering a test to detect an infection in those asymptomatic or not purposively seeking care for symptoms. It includes the associated follow-up including treatment and partner notification, as well as possibly re-testing for re-infection and counseling on future STI prevention. At a population level, the aim of screening is also to reduce transmission of the infections. However, screening might lead to negative physical or psychosocial consequences. Possible benefits from reducing CT-related consequences relative to harms from the procedure need to be considered during decision making about implementing and participating in screening.
Preferences for or against a screening strategy are influenced by the relative importance people place on the expected or experienced outcomes incurred . Evidence on how people weigh the relevant outcomes is important to inform guideline panels when considering the balance of benefits and harms and determining whether this balance might vary across different individuals .
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How Gonorrhea And Chlamydia Are Tested
Both gonorrhea and chlamydia can be diagnosed with similar methods. A healthcare provider might do a physical examination to look for symptoms, and they may do a urine test to check for the bacteria that cause chlamydia or gonorrhea.
But screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea doesnÃât have to take place at a clinic. With the Everlywell at-home Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test, you can easily check for these STIs from the comfort and privacy of your home.
The kit comes with easy-to-follow instructions and everything you need to collect your sample at home, and your physician-reviewed results can be conveniently and securely viewed online on your device. Plus, if you receive a positive result after you get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea with the Everlywell at-home test, youÃâll have the opportunity to connect with our independent physician networkÃâand may be prescribed medication to treat the infection.
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How Can I Prevent Getting Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
Get some information about their sexual history. Get some information about any recently treated diseases. Have safe sex with right utilization of a condom. Utilize a condom each time you have vaginal, oral, or butt-centric sex. Get tried for explicitly sent diseases in the event that you or your partner are not mono
gamous
Other Approaches To Prevention
The USPSTF has issued recommendations on screening for other STIs, including hepatitis B, genital herpes, HIV, and syphilis. The USPSTF has also issued recommendations on behavioral counseling for all sexually active adolescents and for adults who are at increased risk for STIs. These recommendations are available at .
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Assessment Of The Overall Quality Of The Evidence Using Grade
Two reviewers experienced with the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach will independently assess the quality of the body of evidence for each primary outcome of interest using the GRADE methodology for systematic review authors . Discrepancies will be resolved through discussion or another reviewer to reach consensus.
We will undertake separate GRADE assessments for experimental and observational study designs. Thereafter, we will give plausible reasons for any differences, and note pertinent limitations in both bodies of evidence if we choose to combine the results into one overall quality grade, we will provide rationale.
Assessments will be entered into the GRADEPro software and summarized in GRADE evidence profiles and Summary of Findings tables , in order for these to be used by the CTFPHC in an Evidence-to-Decision Table. Footnotes to the tables will explain all decisions to down- or upgrade the evidence, and will be organized by outcome. The CTFPHC will then use this evidence on each outcome, to assess the net balance of consequences, e.g., benefits and harms of each option, patient preferences and values, and other elements of the GRADE methodology to develop the recommendations on screening for chlamydia and for gonorrhea.
About The Chlamydia & Gonorrhoea Test For Women
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What the test is for
If you are unsure whether you need this test, you can take our free STI assessment. If you have symptoms, we recommend attending your local sexual health clinic.
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Required samples for the chlamydia and gonorrhoea test
To test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, you will need to provide a vaginal swab.
The test kit contains all the information and equipment you will need to safely collect this sample at home.
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When to take the chlamydia and gonorrhoea test
We recommend doing the test 2 weeks after the unprotected sex. Tests done too early may not be accurate.
However, if you think you might have chlamydia or gonorrhoea, you can test immediately and repeat the test two weeks after having sex .
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Accessing results
Test results are normally ready within 3 working days of your sample arriving at our partner laboratory. You will receive a text and an email when your results are ready.
If you dont receive your results within seven days of posting your sample, contact us via your Patient Record.
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What Happens If Chlamydia Goes Untreated For 2 Years
In most cases, chlamydia symptoms will occur within weeks of exposure. Chlamydia symptoms usually appear within one to three weeks after being infected. They can range in severity levels.
If chlamydia goes untreated for 2 years, it may lead to damage to the reproductive system.
Chlamydial infections in women may spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease which may damage the fallopian tubes and uterus and cause chronic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Women who have chlamydia also are at much greater risk for becoming infected with HIV. In men, complications from chlamydia are rare.
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How Are Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Treated
Both chlamydia and gonorrhea can be treated with medication. The CDC recommends that chlamydia be treated with antibiotics, and that gonorrhea be treated with dual therapy. It is important that treatment directions be followed in order to ensure that treatment is successful.
Even with successful treatment, it is important to note that a person can be re-infected with either chlamydia or gonorrhea at any time. For this reason, it is important to continue testing as indicated and to encourage sexual partners to get tested and to seek treatment as necessary.
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What Are Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
While these chlamydia and gonorrhea infection signs can be noticeable within a couple of weeks post-infection, many people do not show any symptom. So, they will become an infection reservoir, capable of spreading the contamination in the community. It is really not very easy to identify these two infections only from their signs and symptoms. For Chlamydia, it is reported that 75% of infected women and 50% of infected men, do not show any symptoms. For Gonorrhea, 30 to 40% of women do not show symptoms. This makes these two STDs spread more extensive and problematic.
Factors That Increase The Risk Of Stis
The likelihood of getting an STI may be higher if you have sex:
- With multiple partners
- With people you don’t know
- Without using a barrier method, such as a condom
- If you already have an STI or are currently experiencing an outbreak
- While using substances that may lower inhibitions and increase risk-taking
There are certain populations of people who may be at a higher risk for STIs. These groups include:
- Young people ages 15â24 years old account for about half of the STIs in the United States.
- Men who have sex with men have higher rates of STIs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, than other populations.
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How Long Should I Wait Before Getting An Sti Test
The incubation period for chlamydia is 7 to 21 days. If youve had sex with someone whos positive, or if youve had a sexual encounter with a new partner, your results can be detected within the incubation period.
Its recommended to get tested 3 months after treatment to make sure youre in the clear.
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How To Get Tested
A person can meet with a doctor to get a diagnosis for either of these infections.
Most health insurance plans, including Medicare, cover sexually transmitted infection testing completely. If a person does not have health insurance, they can go to a free clinic, their local health departments STI clinic, a student health center, or an urgent care clinic.
Because both chlamydia and gonorrhea can present with no symptoms, it is important that people who are sexually active get tested regularly.
After a doctor has determined which infection a person has contracted, they will prescribe an antibiotic.
People should take the full course of antibiotics and wait an additional 7 days before having sex again. This helps prevent a person from spreading the infection to another person and possibly reinfecting themselves later.
A person can contract both chlamydia and gonorrhea again, even if they have already experienced and treated the STI before.
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What Do The Results Mean
- A negative test result means that you did not have a chlamydia infection when the sample was collected.
- A positive test result means you have been infected with chlamydia.
If your test result is positive, you will need antibiotics to treat your infection. Your provider will give you instructions on how to take your medicine. To make sure your infection is cured, follow the instructions carefully and finish all the medicine.
You will also need to let your sexual partner/s know you tested positive for chlamydia so that they can be tested and treated if necessary. Three months after you finish treatment, you will need to be tested for chlamydia again to check for a new infection. That’s because repeat infections are very common. Ask your provider to tell you how often to get tested after that.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
What Does The Test Measure
Gonorrhea testing detects evidence of infection with the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. There are several types of gonorrhea tests:
- Gonorrhea nucleic acid amplification testing: NAAT testing detects the genetic material of the gonorrhea bacteria and is considered the optimal test for gonorrhea infection. This type of test can be performed on a urine sample or a swab taken from a site of potential infection.
- Gram stain: Gram stains look for certain types of cells that are characteristic of a gonorrhea infection under a microscope. This test is performed on urethral swabs and is used primarily in men who are experiencing urinary symptoms.
- Gonococcal culture: Gonococcal cultures attempt to grow the gonorrhea bacteria from swabs taken from sites of potential infection. Cultures are the only tests that detect the infections susceptibility to antibiotics. Doctors may order a gonococcal culture if they suspect that a patient has an antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhea.
- Rapid gonorrhea tests: While rapid testing for gonorrhea isnt common, several tests are being developed to allow health care professionals to give same-day gonorrhea testing results.
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What Is A Quick Check
Sometimes people with a sexually transmitted infection do not get any symptoms. This is particularly common with chlamydia, as 75% of women and 50% of men with chlamydia have no symptoms. This means that its especially important to regularly get screened for STIs, even if you havenât noticed any changes or symptoms.
A quick STI check-up will test for the four most common sexual infections: chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV and syphilis. Youll need to provide a urine sample or swab sample and also a blood sample.
The online STI testing kits are discreet, quick and can be ordered to your home â you can get the results quickly too.
Request a free and confidential testing kit here or contact our service for further information.
What Happens If I Get A Test Too Early
If you get a test too early, it may not pick up the infection, which means you run the risk of getting a misleading result. To avoid this, you shouldnt use an STI test without speaking to a doctor or nurse first, as theyll be able to advise you on the best time to get tested.
There are some circumstances where you might be advised to take more than one test. If you think youve been exposed to HIV, for instance, you might be told to get a test as soon as possible, followed by another test to confirm the first result a few weeks or months later.
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How To Test For Chlamydia
- Register your kit online. Use the unique ID included inside your kit and go to www.everlywell.com/register. Write your date of birth and the sample collection date on the transport tube provided by the kit.
- Collect your sample by urinating into the specimen collection cup thatâs included with the kit.
- Use the pipette to place the sample into a transport tube, and put the tube into the biohazard bag .
- Place the bag into the shipping envelope , apply the prepaid shipping label, and place your envelope in the mail. Your sample will then arrive at a laboratory, where it will be analyzed for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
- Just days later, youâll be notified that your results are ready. You can privately view your results online on our secure platform.
Risk Of Bias Assessment
Two reviewers will independently assess the ROB of each included study, with disagreements resolved through discussion or a third reviewer. The results for each study and across studies will be reported by each domain. The ROB for each study will be assessed on an outcome basis where needed, particularly when different outcomes are assumed to have different susceptibilities to bias for example, self-reported outcomes are more prone to bias from non-blinding than objective outcomes. Outcomes at different time points may also differ in their ROB.
RCTs and controlled experimental studies will be appraised using the 2011 version of the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool . For non-randomized trials, we will add an additional assessment of selection bias using a checklist developed by the National Institutes for Health and Care Excellence , such that some of these studies may receive an unclear rather than high ROB rating for sequence generation. Our assessments will consider the extent to which the possible biases may, or may not, have a meaningful impact on the direction or magnitude of the study findings .
Critical appraisal tools from the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme and the Centre for Evidence-Based Management will be used for qualitative and cross-sectional/survey studies, respectively. We will not use a specific tool for utility/preference-based studies but rather comment on key study characteristics, which may be associated with biased results .
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Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Cases In Arizona
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, the number of chlamydia cases in Arizona increased by 7% from 2015 to 2016. Both men and women can be infected with chlamydia, but women are at a significantly higher risk of acquiring chlamydia than men. As of 2016, 690 out of every 100,000 women were infected with chlamydia while only 331 out of every 100,000 men were infected with the disease. Rates of gonorrhea increased by 25% from 2015 to 2016 in Arizona, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. However, the overall number of gonorrhea cases in Arizona are much lower than the number of chlamydia cases. In 2016, 177 out of every 100,000 men were infected with gonorrhea while 126 out of every 100,000 women were infected with the disease.