Getting Tested For Chlamydia
To receive treatment for chlamydia you will need a diagnosis. If you are experiencing symptoms, or if you have had unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia, its likely that you will be treated before you receive your test results.
In most cases, a test will be carried out and treatment will commence when the test results come back positive. The test for chlamydia is quick and painless. For women it usually involves a swab of the vagina for men it usually involves giving a urine sample.
To get tested for free, you should visit your GP or a sexual health clinic. If youre under 25 youll also be able to benefit from the National Chlamydia Screening Programme , which operates out of some pharmacies, colleges and youth centres. In certain areas, the NCSP also provides free home test kits to under-25s, which can be ordered online .
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.
When Should You Take An At Home Chlamydia Test
You should make at home STD testing part of your regular health screening. In simpler terms you should be undergoing sexual health screening on an annual basis. You should consider sexual health screening on a more regular basis if you fall under the following categories, as there is a greater associated risk of contracting an STD if:
- You are aged 25
- You have sex with multiple partners
- You have had unprotected sex
- You have a partner who has told you theyve recently tested positive for chlamydia
- You have a history of STDs or you are currently in treatment for a previous STD
- You are entering a new sexual relationship
- You are experiencing symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease
- You have received a notification from a previous partner that they have chlamydia
Learn more about the symptoms of chlamydia in men and the symptoms of chlamydia in women.
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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.
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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What Should I Expect After A Chlamydia Test
After collecting a sample, your provider sends the sample to a lab. If youre using an at-home kit, you will mail the sample to a lab. The lab will test the sample to check for bacterial DNA. Your provider will contact you when the results are ready and discuss the next steps.
While youre waiting for results, its very important to avoid having sex. If you do have the infection and you have sex, you can spread it to others.
Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Men And Women
What symptoms will you experience if you have chlamydia?
This depends on whether you are a female or male. Lets take a look at both symptom types for each respective gender:
Chlamydia Symptoms in Women
- Vaginal discharge that is abnormal and may be accompanied by a strange odor
Chlamydia Symptoms in Men
- Burning or itching around the penal opening
- Swelling or pain around the testicles
- Clear or cloudy discharge which forms around the tip of the penis
If you have any of these symptoms, its time to order an at home Chlamydia test. These tests are taken in the comfort of your home, and offer the utmost in privacy and confidentiality. You can be treated for this disease, but it requires that you take action immediately, especially if youre a woman.
Women who are currently pregnant or become pregnant and have chlamydia can pass the disease onto their child. If you seek treatment that is successful, your child will not have this disease. Disease will be contracted during childbirth itself, and can cause:
- Eye infections
- Pneumonia
Complications do occur during childbirth in some cases. If you are pregnant, you should be tested for chlamydia at your very first prenatal visit. Getting tested is the smart choice for any mother to be, and this is essential if you have more than one sex partner and you engage in unprotected sex.
If you are suffering from any of the symptoms listed above, its time to get tested.
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Why It Is Done
A test for chlamydia is done to:
- See whether symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection are caused by a chlamydia infection.
- Check people who are at high risk for being infected with chlamydia. A chlamydia infection does not always cause symptoms. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends checking for chlamydia for:
- All sexually active women age 25 or younger.
- Women and men with high-risk sexual behaviours.
- All pregnant women in the first trimester and again in the third trimester if high-risk sexual behaviours are reported. Treating a pregnant woman who has a chlamydia infection can prevent an infection in her newborn.
When Should I Do A Home Test For Chlamydia
If you had unprotected intercourse not too long ago or you are worried your partner might have carried an infection, then you should get tested. The best time to do a test kit for chlamydia is two weeks after youve been exposed.
Gonorrhea and chlamydia need around two weeks to show up on test results, but for any other infection, like HIV, for example, you will need around four weeks.
Chlamydia is easy to detect and treat, so its crucial that you get tested as much as you can. The best way to know for sure if you are carrying the infection is by getting tested every 3 to 12 months. If you have a history of STIs, you should get tested more often.
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How Can You Test For Chlamydia At Home
Sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia are a serious problem for many countries, only in the UK, more than 200,000 individuals tested positive for this infection. With more than 127 million newly reported cases in 2016, chlamydia is the topmost prevalent STIs in the world. But, the real problem is that chlamydia often doesnt show any symptoms, so people might be infected without even knowing it.
How To Test For Chlamydia
You can use an at-home chlamydia test or get tested at a clinic. A chlamydia test kit like the Everlywell test requires a urine sample you collect with materials included with the kit. You then send the sample to a lab and get secure, online results a few days later. Screening at a clinic may require a urine sample or oral and/or rectal samples collected with a swab . How you get your results will depend on the clinic you go to.
Hereâs how to test for chlamydia at home using the Everlywell Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test kit:
- 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.
Taking a chlamydia test at home is a great way to skip the trip to your doctorâs office âand, instead, check for chlamydial infections from the comfort and privacy of your home.
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What Does The Chlamydia Test Involve
The recommended tests for chlamydia are simple, painless and generally very reliable.
They involve sending a sample of cells to a laboratory for analysis. You don’t necessarily have to be examined by a doctor or nurse first and can often collect the sample yourself.
There are two main ways the sample can be collected:
- using a swab a small cotton bud is gently wiped over the area that might be infected, such as inside the vagina or inside the anus
- urinating into a container this should ideally be done at least 1 hour after you last urinated
Men will usually be asked to provide a urine sample, while women will usually be asked to either swab inside their vagina or provide a urine sample.
The results will normally be available in 7 to 10 days. If there’s a high chance you have chlamydia for example, you have symptoms of the infection or your partner has been diagnosed with it and you’ve had unprotected sex with them you might start treatment before you get your results.
Read more about treating chlamydia.
What Happens During A Chlamydia Test
Chlamydia testing can be as simple as peeing in a cup. Sometimes the test is done by gently rubbing your genitals with a cotton swab, to take cell samples from your urethra, vagina, cervix, or anus. The samples are tested for chlamydia bacteria. Your doctor may also be able to see chlamydia symptoms, like discharge on your cervix, during an exam.
Chlamydia can look like other common STDs like gonorrhea, so your nurse or doctor might test for a few infections.
The idea of getting tested may seem scary, but try not to freak out. STD testing is a regular part of being a responsible person and taking care of your health. The good news is chlamydia is totally curable with medication so the sooner you know you have it, the faster you can get rid of it.
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Are Std Tests Accurate
Most modern STD tests are very accurate. However, test accuracy varies depending on the type of sample collected and the test detection method.
Traditional in-office tests are more accurate than online-only tests, and home-to-lab tests are more accurate than self-collected ones. However, both are highly efficient.
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 Test For Std
Many STDs can cause serious health complications, and itâs possible to have an STD without experiencing any warning signs or symptoms. As a result, testing is the only way to know for sure whether or not you have an STD that may require treatment and potentially be spread to a partner. Generally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual testing for sexually active men and women, particularly for those who have multiple partners or new partners.
Heres How The Average At Home Chlamydia Test Works:
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What Is A Chlamydia Test
This test detects a chlamydia infection, the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States. A chlamydia test looks for the bacteria that cause the infection .
For this test, you provide a urine sample. Or your provider takes a swab of fluid from your vagina, anus, throat or eye . Most often, you get this test in your healthcare providers office. But you may be able to do the test on your own using an at-home test kit.
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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What Is An Std
An STD is a medical condition that is spread through sexual contact. Sometimes, sexually transmitted diseases are referred to as sexually transmitted infections or STIs. There are a number of STIs that can be transmitted through oral, vaginal or anal intercourse. Common STIs include genital herpes, human papillomavirus , chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis C. You can help reduce your risk of contracting an STD by using condoms during sex.
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With STDCheck.com you choose which STI tests youre interested in and order them online or by phone. That order is then sent to a lab near you, where you provide a urine and/or blood sample. This company has an option for HIV tests that can detect a new infection, and they also provide in-depth information about each STI they test for. You can use an FSA or HSA card to pay for these tests. A doctor is also available for you to consult with by phone.
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Getting Tested Is Essential For Treatment Of Chlamydia
The good news is that chlamydia is treatable. Treatment consists of antibiotics, which will be prescribed to you. While you can still contract this disease after youve been cured, antibiotics will elimimate chlamydia completely.
Getting an at home chlamydia test is simple:
- Order the test right online.
- Schedule testing at a lab.
- Be given a number without providing any personal information.
- Go to the lab and take a test.
- Results will be sent to you via email within three days.
Getting tested for chlamydia has never been easier. You do have the option of using your insurance, which will lower the cost of the test. Depending on the test that is taken, out-of-pocket expenses are between $79 and $249 depending on the test.
The test that youll be taking at home is called the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test . Known as the best test for chlamydia, this test will detect the bacteria that chlamydia causes the form called the trachomatis bacteria. This bacterium is only present when chlamydia is present.
CLIA certified labs will conduct the test. And you never have to draw blood to be tested for chlamydia. Instead, urine will be used for your test. The CDC recommends every woman get a Chlamydia test if they have a new sexual partner and are aged 25 or under. Chlamydia testing is recommended as a routine STD testing.
Once you go to the lab and take a test , youll receive your test results typically within three days. You wont need to fast or stop eating before taking the test.