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
Protect Yourself From Hiv
The best way to protect yourself from HIV is to not have sex unless you’re in a relationship with only one person and you have both tested negative.
Here are other steps you can take to help prevent HIV:
- Use a latex condom with water-based lubricant every time you have vaginal or anal sex.
- If you share sex toys with your partner, use a condom and clean them between each use.
- Dont inject drugs or share needles.
Check out these condom do’s and don’ts.
What Stis Should People Test For
Typically, sexual health clinics test for the more common STIs, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. If people know that a previous partner has tested positive for a specific STI, it is advisable to get tested for the same STI. A person can also discuss their sexual and STI testing history with a healthcare provider, who can offer help and suggestions about appropriate tests.
To get a reliable test result, people should perform the test within a specific timeframe after exposure due to incubation periods. Below are some common STIs and their testing windows:
- Gonorrhea: 5 days to 2 weeks
- Chlamydia: 12 weeks
- Trichomoniasis: 1 week to 1 month
notes that at-home testing kits are becoming more available and are likely to contribute to higher rates of testing and treatments.
Individuals have many options for STI testing, some of which include:
Recommended Reading: How To Screen For Chlamydia
When To Get Tested
Free Isnt Always What It Seems
Free isnt always free, at least not entirely. Free STD testing clinics often advertise free testing, but what they leave out is that this price is based on your income.
This means their testing is only free for some. Rather than paying for a so-called free test, schedule your test with Rapid STD Testing. You can count on us to protect your privacy, provide accuracy and affordable pricing, and deliver exceptional customer service. Contact us today at
Read Also: What Can Chlamydia Do To You
All Info Shared With A Healthcare Provider Is Confidential
Any personal information that your doc asks is used to give you the best possible care and to contact you about your results.
The that labs and physicians notify them anytime theyve received a positive STI result for:
- gonorrhea
But your name and other identifying info arent attached to this information.
Faq About Chlamydia Testing
It isnt uncommon for a person to not know they are infected with Chlamydia. The reason behind this is that Chlamydia can be asymptomatic, in other words, it may not present symptoms. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is easily spread from one individual to another. Serious health consequences can occur if left untreated.
It doesnt take long to test for Chlamydia. Testing requires a simple urine test. If you are worried you are experiencing symptoms of Chlamydia or may have come in contact with it, we recommended you get tested as soon as possible. Testing for Chlamydia can also be done to identify the status of your overall sexual health.
Recommended Reading: How Fast Can I Get Chlamydia Results
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.
How Do People Get Chlamydia
Chlamydia is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected partner. Ejaculation does not have to occur for chlamydia to be transmitted or acquired. Chlamydia can also be spread perinatally from an untreated mother to her baby during childbirth, resulting in ophthalmia neonatorum or pneumonia in some exposed infants. In published prospective studies, chlamydial conjunctivitis has been identified in 18-44% and chlamydial pneumonia in 3-16% of infants born to women with untreated chlamydial cervical infection at the time of delivery.9-12 While rectal or genital chlamydial infection has been shown to persist one year or longer in infants infected at birth,13 the possibility of sexual abuse should be considered in prepubertal children beyond the neonatal period with vaginal, urethral, or rectal chlamydial infection.
People who have had chlamydia and have been treated may get infected again if they have sexual contact with a person infected with chlamydia.14
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Where To Get Tested
Finding a place to get tested for STIs is straightforward! Your local GP, sexual health clinic, or Family Planning clinic are all good places for a sexual health check-up.
While STI testing is usually best done in person, there is another option. Online testing allows you to go online, download and print a referral, skip the doctors office and go directly to a pathology centre for testing. Once the results are in, you are contacted by the service and referred for treatment if needed.
Some states have their own government supported services that provide chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing for free. Nationally, there are two private services that provide a range of tests at a cost.
One thing to keep in mind when deciding whether to test in person or online is that a sexual health check-up at your local clinic or GP provides you with the opportunity to discuss your health with someone who can answer any questions you might have, assess your risk, and decide the STI tests that are right for you.
Online testing isnt for you if you have symptoms or have been told by a partner that they have an STI. In those instances, it is best to book in with your GP or a clinic.
Can Chlamydia Affect My Fertility
A chlamydia or gonorrhea infection may cause inflammation or scarring of the reproductive organs. Sometimes, this may lead to infertility . Both men and women can experience fertility problems after a chlamydia infection. Your risk of infertility increases if you delay treatment.
Women with untreated gonorrhea or chlamydia can also develop a condition known as pelvic inflammatory disease . PID sometimes causes your reproductive organs to swell, triggering chronic pelvic pain and making it difficult to conceive.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea can also trigger early laborâand pregnant women with chlamydia can spread the infection to their babies during delivery .
Prompt treatment reduces your risk of complications, as undiagnosed chlamydia may put your health at risk. Regular STI testing can help with early diagnosis of the infection, and most people who receive treatment for chlamydia make a full recovery.
Learning more about the different types of STDs someone can getâlike chlamydiaâcan help you care for your sexual health. To easily check for chlamydia from the comfort of home, simply collect a urine sample and send it to a lab with prepaid shipping using the Everlywell at-home Gonorrhea and Chlamydia test kit.
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Better Sexual Health In Lincoln Ne
The excitement of a Cornhuskers game is contagious, so are STDs. Its easy to forget certain things in the thrill of the moment. This isnt an excuse, its a fact and could happen to anyone. You dont have to live in fear of an unseen virus, only know that testing should be an important part of your life.
Avoid lines and inconvenient hours. Use a private lab. Its easier than you think, even if insurance wont cover you. If you do get caught up in excitement, at least youll know that youre safe.
How Do You Test For Chlamydia
Given many people with chlamydia do not even know they have it you are probably wondering, how do you test for chlamydia?
Getting tested is pretty straight forward. All you need to do is visit your GP or local sexual health center. Your healthcare professional will ask you about your sexual acitivity and symptoms. If you have symptoms they are likely to perform an exam to assess the severity of your case.
Following the exam, you will be tested. The most common test is a swap for the vagina for women, and a urine test for men. If there is a chance that infection is present in the throat or anus you will have these swabbed too.
You can also purchase a test online. Once you order online all you need to do is visit your local test center and the test will only take a matter of moments. You can use this STD check coupon to order your test today
You will likely have to wait several days for your test results. Depending on your healthcare service you will receive a call or text informing you of your results. If you test positive you will be called by your doctor to arrange a follow up appointment to discuss treatment.
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When Is It Ordered
Screening
Because many infected people do not have any noticeable symptoms, a number of health organizations recommend regular chlamydia screening for certain people:
Women
All sexually active women younger than age 25 and sexually active women age 25 and older who are at increased risk should get yearly screening for chlamydia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists . The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommend routine screening for these women .
Examples of risk factors for chlamydia infection include:
For pregnant women, the CDC recommends screening for chlamydia during the first trimester or first prenatal visit. For women younger than age 25 or at increased risk of infection, testing is repeated in the third trimester. Pregnant women diagnosed with chlamydia should be retested about 3 months after completing treatment.
Diagnosis
Chlamydia testing may also be done when your sex partner has been diagnosed with chlamydia or when you have signs and symptoms of chlamydia.
For women, if symptoms occur, they may include:
For men, symptoms may include:
Should I Get A Chlamydia Test
It can be a good idea to screen for chlamydia and other STIs if youâre considering having sexual intercourse with a new partner. If you believe you have been exposed to chlamydia or are experiencing symptoms , consider screening for infection by visiting a local clinicâ âor take a chlamydia test at home.
Also, according to the CDC, if you’re a sexually active woman younger than 25, you should test for chlamydia and gonorrhea at least once a year . You should also get tested yearly if you’re 25 or older and have risk factors like new or multiple sex partners. The CDC also recommends annual gonorrhea and chlamydia testing for gay and bisexual men.
Recommended Reading: How To Get A Chlamydia Prescription
Whats The Treatment For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is usually easy to get rid of. Your nurse or doctor will get you antibiotics to treat the infection. Sometimes you only have to take one dose of medication. Another chlamydia treatment lasts for 7 days. Your doctor will help you figure out which treatment is best for you.
If youre treated for chlamydia, its really important for your sexual partners to get treated also. Otherwise, you can keep passing the infection back and forth, or to other people. Sometimes your doctor will give you medicine for both you and your partner.
Who Is At Risk For Chlamydia
Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. It is a very common STD, especially among young people.3 It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia.5
Sexually active young people are at high risk of acquiring chlamydia for a combination of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons. Some young people dont use condoms consistently.15 Some adolescents may move from one monogamous relationship to the next more rapidly than the likely infectivity period of chlamydia, thus increasing risk of transmission.16 Teenage girls and young women may have cervical ectopy .17 Cervical ectopy may increase susceptibility to chlamydial infection. The higher prevalence of chlamydia among young people also may reflect multiple barriers to accessing STD prevention services, such as lack of transportation, cost, and perceived stigma.16-20
Men who have sex with men are also at risk for chlamydial infection since chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex. Among MSM screened for rectal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 3.0% to 10.5%.6.7 Among MSM screened for pharyngeal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 0.5% to 2.3%.7.8
Also Check: How Easy Is It To Get Rid Of Chlamydia
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
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 cure 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.49 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.50,51 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.40
Infants infected with chlamydia may develop ophthalmia neonatorum and/or pneumonia.10 Chlamydial infection in infants can be treated with antibiotics.
Also Check: How Do Men Get Tested For Chlamydia
How Common Is Chlamydia
CDC estimates that there were four million chlamydial infections in 2018.3 Chlamydia is also the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States.4 However, a large number of cases are not reported because most people with chlamydia are asymptomatic and do not seek testing. Chlamydia is most common among young people. Two-thirds of new chlamydial infections occur among youth aged 15-24 years.3 It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia.5
Disparities persist among racial and ethnic minority groups. In 2019, reported chlamydia rates for African Americans/Blacks were nearly six times that of Whites.4 Chlamydia is also common among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men . Among MSM screened for rectal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 3.0% to 10.5%.6,7 Among MSM screened for pharyngeal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 0.5% to 2.3%.7.8
How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed
There are a number of diagnostic tests for chlamydia, including nucleic acid amplification tests , cell culture, and others. NAATs are the most sensitive tests, and can be performed on easily obtainable specimens such as vaginal swabs or urine.43
Vaginal swabs, either patient- or clinician-collected, are the optimal specimen to screen for genital chlamydia using NAATs in women urine is the specimen of choice for men, and is an effective alternative specimen type for women.43 Self-collected vaginal swab specimens perform at least as well as other approved specimens using NAATs.44 In addition, patients may prefer self-collected vaginal swabs or urine-based screening to the more invasive endocervical or urethral swab specimens.45 Adolescent girls may be particularly good candidates for self-collected vaginal swab- or urine-based screening because pelvic exams are not indicated if they are asymptomatic.
NAATs have demonstrated improved sensitivity and specificity compared with culture for the detection of C. trachomatis at rectal and oropharyngeal sites.40 Certain NAAT test platforms have been cleared by FDA for these non-genital sites and data indicate NAAT performance on self-collected rectal swabs is comparable to clinician-collected rectal swabs. 40
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