Swab For Gonorrhea And Chlamydia

Questions For Your Doctor About Test Results

It can be helpful to bring questions to your doctor to learn more about your chlamydia test results. Helpful questions may include:

• What is my chlamydia test result?
• Did my test check for any other STDs?
• Do I need any treatment based on my results?
• How can I talk to my sexual partners about chlamydia?
• When should I be tested for STDs and how often?

Diagnostic Tests For Chlamydia In Male Patients

The process of diagnosing chlamydia in men works slightly different from how the procedure works in female patients. There are certain laboratory tests that a doctor will need to perform on a male patient to determine if they have been infected with chlamydia. Additionally, the doctor will also need to rule out the presence of other sexually transmitted infections. This is critical due to the fact that some of the other STIs that can affect a man may have similar symptoms as chlamydia.

The first test performed on men who are suspected of having been infected with the chlamydia bacterial infection is a urine sample test. The doctor will ask the male patient to provide them with a urine sample. The sample will then be sent toward a laboratory.

A scientist at the laboratory facility will analyze the urine sample that was sent to them. This will help them determine if the organism that causes chlamydia is present in the urine of the patient. This may provide an indication of chlamydia urethritis, which means the urethra of the patient has been infected with the bacterial infection.

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Young People And Sexual Health Clinics

You can attend a sexual health clinic at any age and all results will be treated confidentially.

If youre 13 to 16 years old, nobody in your household will be contacted without your permission. However, you may be encouraged to talk to your parents, guardian or another trusted adult.

The situation is different for people under 13, because the law says that people of this age cannot consent to sexual activity.

Page last reviewed: 15 September 2021 Next review due: 15 September 2024

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What Types Of Chlamydia And Gonorrhoea Tests Are There

The most common test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea is a simple urine or swab test, which is what Superdrug Online Doctor offers. This is the same type of test that you would get in any sexual health clinic. This test is easy to use at home, or with the help of a clinician, and provides highly accurate results.

While chlamydia is not a bloodborne infection, blood tests can pick up the presence of chlamydia antibodies. But, blood tests cannot be used to diagnose chlamydia as they can only detect whether you have had chlamydia in the past and developed antibodies against it. It cannot confirm if you have a current infection.

Why should I get tested for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea?

Testing for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, as well as other sexually transmitted infections, is important to keep yourself and your partners safe. Regular testing makes sure that, if you do pick up an infection, you can get treated as soon as possible. Left untreated, these infections can cause serious health problems, like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.

Getting tested regularly also helps you reduce the spread of these infections. Chlamydia is the most common STI in the UK, and making sure you get tested before having sex with a new partner helps to protect them from a potential infection. Some people choose to do a home chlamydia and gonorrhoea test when they meet a new partner to check they do not have either of these sexually transmitted infections .

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Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Testing

If you have had unprotected sex and think that you have contracted chlamydia or gonorrhea, it is a good idea to get tested in order to get treatment as quickly as possible. In order for the test to show clearly whether or not you have been infected, you must wait at least one week after possible infection.

Testing for chlamydia/gonorrhea and treatment are free, whether you do the test at a clinic or online. If the test shows that you have chlamydia, you need to get treatment at a health centre , youth clinic or sexual health clinic . You will also have to notify any sexual partners. You can read more about sexual diseases, treatment and partner notification at Youmo.se.

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How Does A Chlamydia & Gonorrhoea Swab Test Work

For this test you take a swab of your throat using the kit provided. It is very quick and easy to take a swab and we provide step-by-step instructions on how to do it.

After you have bought your test online, we will post a discreet test kit to your home or chosen address by first class post. The postal packaging is plain so no one will know what it is. Open the pack and you will find a lab form, a swab taking kit and a pre-paid return envelope. In addition, we will email you a copy of the sample collection instruction leaflet. It is important that you follow the instructions on the leaflet carefully. You will get an email to tell you when your results are ready, but you can also log on to our secure website and check your results at a time to suit you.

What Do The Results Mean

Your results will be given as negative, also called normal, or positive, also called abnormal.

Negative/Normal: No gonorrhea bacteria were found. If you have certain symptoms, you may get additional STD tests to find out the cause.

Positive/Abnormal: You are infected with the gonorrhea bacteria. You will be treated with antibiotics to cure the infection. Be sure to take all the required doses. Antibiotic treatment should stop the infection, but some types of gonorrhea bacteria are becoming resistant to certain antibiotics. If your symptoms don’t improve after treatment, your health care provider may order a “susceptibility test.” A susceptibility test is used to help determine which antibiotic will be most effective in treating your infection.

Regardless of your treatment, be sure to let your sex partner know if you have tested positive for gonorrhea. That way, he or she can be tested and treated promptly.

If you have questions about your results, talk to your health care provider.

Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.

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The Aptima Multitest Swab Allows For Retesting The Sample For Other Infections And Disease States

The Aptima Multitest Swab allows for re-collection when reflex or add-on testing is ordered, which simplifies sample collection and decreases patient callbacks.

7. CDC. Recommendations for the Laboratory-Based Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. MMWR Recomm Rep.2014 632. https://www.cdc.gov/std/laboratory/2014labrec/2014-lab-rec.pdf 8. Aptima Multitest Swab , AW-14413. San Diego, CA, Hologic, Inc. 2019

How Do I Know If I Have Chlamydia

You cant tell if you have chlamydia just by the way you feel. The only way to know for sure if you have chlamydia is to get tested whether or not you have symptoms.

If youre showing any signs of chlamydia, you should get tested. Testing is also a good idea if youve had unprotected sex or if a partner has chlamydia . In general, people who are sexually active should get tested for STDs, including chlamydia, about once a year. If youre pregnant, get tested for chlamydia at your first prenatal visit. Want to know if you should be tested for chlamydia? Check out this quiz to find out.

Chlamydia testing is pretty easy and painless. The best part about getting tested for STDs? Once you get it over with, it can really put your mind at ease. And if you DO have chlamydia, its best to know right away so you can take medicine and get better as soon as possible.

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Urine Testing Vs Bacterial Culture

Urine testing is currently primarily used to detect bacterial STDs. Chlamydia and gonorrhea urine tests are widely available. Trichomoniasis urine tests are also available, but they are less common.

The gold standard for diagnosing bacterial STDs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, used to be bacterial culture. That involved attempting to grow bacteria out of samples that were taken directly from the cervix or urethra.

These days, bacterial DNA testing is considered a better option. It works differently than bacterial culture. Instead of trying to grow bacteria, these tests just look for bacterial DNA. This can be done using a process called ligase chain reaction or with other DNA amplification techniques.

These types of testing are sensitive to even very small amounts of bacterial DNA. Even better, they do not require a live bacterial sample. As such, they can be run on urine samplesnot just urethral or cervical swabs.

For most people, the thought of a getting gonorrhea urine test or chlamydia urine test is a lot less intimidating than the thought of needing a physical exam.

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When And How Will You Get Your Results

We send results by text message within 10 days after we receive the samples, often sooner. If you have not heard back from us after 14 wdays, please call your local service.

You will receive one of two messages:

Your test results are all negative. This means that we did not find any infections. Visit http://tinyurl.com/jspy5kp to find out how to reduce your risk

If you receive the second message, this does not necessarily mean you have an STI. Sometimes we need to repeat the tests or ask a couple of questions before we can confirm the results. However, it is important that you call us as soon as you can.

Reactive results: Occasionally low level reactive results occur, which may be classed as a non-specific positive. If your test result is reactive you will be invited to attend one of our clinics for a confirmatory blood test which will then reveal a negative result or confirm a positive.

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About The Chlamydia & Gonorrhoea Test For Women

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 .

• 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.

In Both Males And Females

Complications that may be seen in anyone include:

• Other STIs. Chlamydia and gonorrhea both make you more susceptible to other STIs, including human immunodeficiency virus . Having chlamydia can also increase your risk of developing gonorrhea, and vice versa.
• Reactive arthritis . Also called Reiters syndrome, this condition results from an infection in your urinary tract or intestines. Symptoms of this condition cause pain, swelling, or tightness in your joints and eyes, and a variety of other symptoms.
• Infertility. Damage to reproductive organs or to sperm can make it more challenging or, in some cases, impossible to become pregnant or to impregnate your partner.

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Why Do I Need This Test

You may have this test if you have certain risk factors that increase the chance of gonorrhea infection. You may also have this test if your healthcare provider thinks that you have gonorrhea.

Females with gonorrhea often have no symptoms. Those with symptoms may have:

• Vaginal discharge

• Bleeding between periods

If you are pregnant, you may also be checked for gonorrhea as part of prenatal testing. That’s because gonorrhea can be passed to the baby during delivery. This may cause blindness or a blood infection that can cause death. Finding and treating gonorrhea prevents these problems.

Males also may not have symptoms. If symptoms happen, they may include:

• Pain when urinating

• Painful or swollen testicles

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

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Is This Chlamydia & Gonorrhoea Test Accurate

Yes, this is an accurate test that allows you to test for Gonorrhoea & Chlamydia in the throat, from the comfort and privacy of your own home with a swab sample. However, if you are not sure which STI or STD you may have, or you are concerned about a risky encounter, a Better2Know Full STI Screen may be more suitable for you as it tests for a number of sexually transmitted diseases.

You may have a chlamydia and/ or gonorrhoea infection in your throat if you have given oral sex to someone who has one or both of these infections. The infections are localised, so a urine test will not detect whether or not you have an infection in your throat. The only way to know is to get tested.

Detection Of Genitourinary C Trachomatis And N Gonorrhoeae Infections In Women

Screening programs have been demonstrated to reduce both the prevalence of C. trachomatis infection and rates of PID in women . Sexually active women aged 25 years and women aged > 25 years with risk factors should be screened annually for chlamydial infections .

The prevalence of gonorrhea varies widely among communities and populations health-care providers should consider local gonorrhea epidemiology when making screening decisions. Although widespread screening is not recommended, targeted screening of young women at increased risk for infection is a primary component of gonorrhea control in the United States because gonococcal infections among women are frequently asymptomatic. For sexually active women, including those who are pregnant, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that clinicians provide gonorrhea screening only to those at increased risk for infection . USPSTF does not recommend screening for gonorrhea in women who are at low risk for infection .

BOX 2. Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae testing in women

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Almost Everyone Needs Tested

If youre sexually active and not in a long-term relationship, you should be tested for STDs on a regular basis. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers this general testing guide:

• Everyone 13 to 64: At least once for HIV.
• Sexually active women under 25: Yearly for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
• All pregnant women: Tested for syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B
• All women in at-risk pregnancies: Tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
• Those having unprotected sex or sharing needles: Yearly for HIV.

Also, sexually active bisexual or gay men should get frequent tests for HIV, up to every 3-6 months, and yearly tests for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.

How To Collect A Urethral Sample

The urethra is a tube that drains urine from the bladder. This is the preferred culture site in men, or in women with no cervix. Specimens should be taken no earlier than two hours after the patient has last voided his or her bladder.

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How To Collect An Endocervical Sample

A woman’s endocervix, the area around the opening of the uterus, is the preferred site for specimens from females. It’s recommended that specimen collection should be done with a sterile swab and not a Cytobrush. Harsher brushes may cause trauma and bleeding that can corrupt the specimen.

Use two swabs: one to clean the cervix to remove excess mucus, and another to collect the sample.

For gonorrhea testing, an ideal choice in swab includes a transport and collection system.

Rates Of Chlamydia And Gonorrhea In The Us

Chlamydia infections in the United States are much more common than gonorrhea. According to a 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, there were:

• 1.8 million reported cases of chlamydia, with rates of infection up 19% since 2015
• 616,192 cases of gonorrhea, with rates up by 56% since 2015

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