Why Do I Need A Chlamydia Test
Chlamydia is a very common STD, especially in sexually active people ages 15 to 24. But chlamydia usually doesnât cause symptoms, so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health organizations recommend regular screening tests if your risk of getting chlamydia is high.
If you are a woman or a transgender or gender diverse person with a cervix , you should:
- Get tested for chlamydia at least once a year if you are:
- Younger than 25 and having sex
- Age 25 or older and have a higher risk of getting chlamydia because you:
- Have a new sex partner or more than one partner
- Have a sex partner who is having sex with others
- Have a sex partner with an STD
- Donât use condoms correctly every time
Regular chlamydia testing at least once a year is also recommended if you:
The best testing schedule for you may be different than the recommendations. Ask your provider how often you should get tested.
Your provider will order a test if your sex partner has been diagnosed with chlamydia or if you have symptoms. Symptoms of chlamydia may include:
- An unusual discharge from your genitals or rectum
- Irritation or itching around your genitals
- Pain or burning when you urinate
- Rectal pain or bleeding if chlamydia infects the rectum
How Soon After Unprotected Sex Can I Test For An Sti
Different STIs have different incubation periods, and therefore different testing windows. Below youll find the testing window periods for some of the most common STIs in the UK.
14 days after exposure
45 to 90 days after exposure
- HIV certain types can detect the virus sooner than others
12 weeks after exposure
Two of the more common STIs in the UK genital warts and genital herpes can only be diagnosed if youre having symptoms. If you develop any lumps, growths, sores or blisters around your genitals, you should go to the sexual health clinic to have a physical examination.
Also Check: Meds Used To Treat Chlamydia
Just Diagnosed Next Steps After Testing Positive For Gonorrhea Or Chlamydia
If youve just found out that you have gonorrhea or chlamydia, you may be trying to figure out what to do next. Here are the three most important steps that you can take:
What can happen if I dont get treated for chlamydia or gonorrhea?
- In women, untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to health problems like ectopic pregnancy or infertility .
- In men, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause a painful condition in the tubes attached to the testicles. In rare cases, this may prevent him from being able to have children.
- Untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea may also increase your chances of getting or giving HIV the virus that causes AIDS.
WHY?Many people with gonorrhea and chlamydia dont have symptoms. Why does this matter? Because an untreated infection can lead to serious and permanent health problems, even if you never have symptoms. Gonorrhea and chlamydia can be cured with the right medicine from your doctor. Just make sure you take all of your medicine exactly as your doctor tells you to.
WHERE?Your regular doctor can prescribe antibiotics to cure the STD. But if you dont have insurance or want to see someone else for treatment, there are other low-cost or free options. You can get tested and treated at your local health departments STD clinic, a family planning clinic, a student health center, or an urgent care clinic. You can also find a clinic using GetTested and ask if they offer treatment for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Recommended Reading: Tested Negative For Chlamydia And Gonorrhea But Still Have Symptoms
What Do False Negative Test Results For Stds Mean
STD testing is more accessible and accurate than its ever been. However, theres always the chance of getting a false negative or false positive result. What makes one test better than another? The answer is specificity and sensitivity. Specificity refers to tests that measure if people dont have the disease, whereas sensitivity measures which people do have the disease.
A false negative STD test result occurs when the test says that you dont have an STD, but you actually do have it. A false positive STD test result happens when the results are positive, but you dont have the disease. If you get a false negative, you most likely took the test too soon for accurate results.
You can see why the possibility of getting false negatives makes regular STD testing so important. Luckily, you can findSTD testing near you at one of the 2,500 Rapid STD Testing locations nationwide, which means you can check your status and get treatment as quickly as possible if you need it.
If I Have Chlamydia Am I At Risk Of Other Sexually Transmitted Infections
Yes. By definition, having unprotected sex means risk of STI. As well as chlamydia, there are also genital warts, genital herpes, gonorrhoea, HIV, pubic lice, and syphilis. Like with chlamydia, gonorrhoea may well cause no symptoms, so being tested is the only way to really know. This can be done at your local sexual health clinic.
Read Also: Chlamydia Symptoms If Left Untreated
What If I’m Pregnant
During delivery, the infection can spread to the newborn from the birth canal. It can cause eye infection or pneumonia. There may also be an association with preterm labour and low birth weight. Screening and treatment of chlamydia during pregnancy can prevent these complications. This is not part of the routine NHS antenatal screening. Doxycycline cannot be taken during pregnancy, but azithromycin is safe and effective.
What To Do If Std Test Results Are Negative But You Are Still Worried
One of the most important parts of being a responsible, healthy, and sexually active adult is getting regular STD tests and knowing your status. But what should you do if an STD test is negative, but youre still worried? The best thing to do is get tested to know whether you contracted an STD or not.
You can get a 10-panel STD test orsame-day STD testing from Rapid STD Testing to check your status and get accurate, fast results. All you have to do is order your test panel and then head to one of the convenient clinic locations.
Also Check: Can You Get Rid Of Chlamydia For Good
Coping With Inconsistent Results
If you get two different results from two different tests, what should you do? The answer depends largely on the type of STI involved.
If the condition is easily treated, and the treatment doesn’t have any serious side effects, then you may decide to take the treatment.
Two such examples are chlamydia and gonorrhea, which are sometimes treated presumptively. This means treatment is given if there’s a chance the person may be infected. For example, sexual partners of a person who tests positive may be treated without being tested themselves.
However, if treatment is costly or poses certain harms, then additional tests may be ordered to confirm the results. Such is the case with HIV tests, which require a confirmatory test to accurately diagnose the virus. When a confirmatory test is used, HIV tests are rarely ever wrong.
Does Azithromycin Also Cure Chlamydia
Azithromycin was the first choice antibiotic to treat chlamydia until February 2019 when BASHH guidance was issued recommending a 7-day course of doxycycline as the first choice treatment based on recent data. Azithromycin is now recommended only for pregnant women and those with an allergy to doxycycline.
Recommended Reading: Azithromycin Chlamydia Where To Buy
Does Chlamydia Treatment Have Side Effects
An antibiotic called Doxycycline is the most common medicine used to treat chlamydia. Like most medicines, it can cause mild side effects. The most common side effects of Doxycycline are nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, loss of appetite, mild diarrhea, skin rash or itching, change in skin color, vaginal itching, or discharge. These side effects should go away after you finish taking the medicine. Talk to your nurse or doctor about any medicines youre already taking and any medical issues you already have before taking Doxycycline.
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.
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.
Recommended Reading: Can You Get Chlamydia From A Toilet Seat
Can Chlamydia Not Show Up On A Test
Even though they are usually asymptomatic or dormant, they will still test positive for the STD. Most STDs that are in a dormant stage can be detected with a test. A significant number of men do not typically show symptoms for STDs like chlamydia despite the fact that they are very capable of spreading the disease.
Telling A Current Partner About An Std
Being diagnosed with an STD while in a relationship can bring up lots of emotions. You may question your trust in your partner or feel ashamed if you cheated. But keep in mind that some STDs donât always show up right away. Itâs possible that you or your partner got the STD in a previous relationship without even knowing it.
If you find out that you have an STD while youâre in a relationship, talk to your partner as soon as possible. Be honest even if you havenât been in the past. Your partner may be upset, even angry, and that can be hard to deal with.
The most helpful thing you can do is listen to your partnerâs concerns and fears and offer information about the STD. Give your partner time to take in the information.
If you and your partner have already had sex, stop having sex until you can both get tested, even if your partner doesnât have any symptoms. You and your partner will probably need treatment. Take any medicine exactly as your doctor prescribes. If you have an STD, like herpes or HIV, treatments can lower the chance of passing the infection to your partner.
If you or your partner have multiple sex partners, itâs important they all get tested and treated. If you think youâve had an STD for a while, you need to let past sex partners know. They should get tested too.
Read Also: How Much Is Chlamydia Testing At Planned Parenthood
Also Check: How Long Should You Wait After Chlamydia Treatment
When And How To Test Again
Gersh recommends that people get tested once a year, or after every new partner whichever comes first!
Its also good practice to get site-specific STI tests before engaging in sex acts that incorporate a new part of the body.
To get tested, find an STI clinic that tests for all the STIs youre interested in getting tested for.
If you dont know which STIs you want to get tested for and are looking for a doctor to breakdown what STIs youre most at risk for given what sex acts are part of your sex life, its best to go to a clinic that *doesnt* specify one or two or three STIs in their online marketing.
Some clinics, for example, only test for HIV or only test for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Factors That Affect Test Accuracy
Most STIs have a window period during which the body hasn’t produced enough antibodies to produce an accurate test result. If the tests are performed too soon after infection, it may return a false-negative result. In such cases, a person may be asked to come back for retesting if the exposure was recent and the risk of infection is high.
You May Like: How Long Does Chlamydia Last With Treatment
What To Do If Your Std Test Is Negative But Youre Still Worried
Weve come a long way in terms of STD testing and treatment. For the most part, modern STD tests are extremely accurate and reliable. In almost all instances, STD tests deliver the correct results. However, mistakes can sometimes occur false positives and negatives are an unfortunate possibility. Here, well provide information for individuals who have had a negative STD test, but are still worried about their well-being. This is what you should do:
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. Thatâs because repeat infections are very common. Ask your provider to tell you how often to get tested after that.
You May Like: How Effective Is Chlamydia Medication
You May Like: How Soon Is Chlamydia Detected
Are You Guaranteed To Get Chlamydia If Your Partner Has It
Myth: If youve only had sex once with a partner who has chlamydia, you cant get the infection. Fact: If you have sex once with a partner who has chlamydia, you have a 30% chance of getting the infection from that one time.Can chlamydia lay dormant and test negative?Many men do not typically exhibit symptoms for STDs like chlamydia despite the fact that they are very capable of transmitting the disease, but they will still test positive for the STD even though they are usually asymptomatic or dormant.
I Tested Positive For Chlamydia But My Husband Tested Negative
Posted on Lauren R.D. Fox
Today, a pregnant woman wrote to Cosmopolitans relationship adviser Logan Hill, seeking advice about a pressing dilemma.
She was recently diagnosed with Chlamydia after a routine check-up. To make matters worse, her husbands results came back negative three times. He got tested three times and each time the test came back negative. I have always been faithful to my husband, she told Hill. But now everyone is accusing me of cheating even though he and I are together at least 90 percent of the time and when we arent, he normally knows exactly where I am, or Im texting him or sending picture messages to him.
The woman researched her current predicament with her husband and found similar accounts from other couples. However, heath specialists told the husband infidelity is the only reason that would cause them to have different test results. Although the woman claims shes never been unfaithful in her marriage, it appears her husband doesnt know whether or not to believe her. Desperately, the woman told Hill:
How can I convince him I havent cheated and obviously got this from the person I was with before him? This is putting a lot of stress on our relationship and on me, which doesnt help my growing baby.
Do you agree with Hill or would you resolve this issue differently?
Also Check: What Antibiotics Are Good For Chlamydia
Letting Partners Know You Have Chlamydia
Sexual partners may be infected too. If you have chlamydia, anyone you have had sex with from the last 6 months needs to be informed, tested and treated.
If they dont know, they could reinfect you or infect someone else if they are not treated. dont receive treatment.
Most people will appreciate being told they may have an infection and it is an important step in preventing further infection in the community.
Your local GP and sexual health centre can help you inform your partners and let them know that they need a test. This process is called partner notification. It can be done anonymously, and your confidentiality is always respected.
You can also anonymously notify your sexual partners of the need to get tested and treated for chlamydia via the Let Them Know website if you feel unable to speak to them personally.
There are also nurses who can help you anonymously notify your partners. They can be contacted on .
Donât Miss: What Happens Chlamydia Is Not Treated
Can You Have An Sti Even If You Tested Negative
Reviewed by our clinical team
If youre sexually active, theres always a bit of risk associated with having sex with a new or casual partner. This is the case even if you use condoms although its true that condoms do reduce your risk of STIs significantly.
Many STIs including the most common one, chlamydia dont always cause symptoms in their early stages. This means that you might not know youre infected until you get tested.
However, STI testing is complicated by the fact that different infections have different window periods. Certain STIs will show up on a test within a couple of weeks of infection, while others will take much longer. This means if you test too early for certain STIs, the infection might not show up.
In other words, its possible to have an STI even if you tested negative the first time.
Read Also: Can Chlamydia Disappear On Its Own