The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all sexually active adolescent and young adult women be tested during their annual exam. Any woman having new or multiple partners should request testing.
It only takes...a urine specimen, obtained after not urinating for at least four
hours to test using the DNA-PCR method and it is recommended to test at the same
time for both Chlamydia and Gonorrhea and, when positive for one, to be treated for both at the same
time.
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- An estimated 3 million Americans are
infected with Chlamydia each year.
- By age 30, 50% of sexually active
women have evidence that they have had Chlamydia at some time during
their lives.
- 5 percent of the young sexually active
people are infected with Chlamydia.
- One out of every twenty sexually
active people in a non-monogamous relationship may have Chlamydia.
- Chlamydia is known as a "silent"
disease because three quarters of infected women and half of
infected men have no symptoms.
- The urine test is highly specific
(98.2 for Chlamydia and 98.9 for Gonorrhea)
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Chlamydia and gonorrhea are transmitted through vaginal, anal or oral sexual
contact. Both infections cause symptoms for some people while other people have
no recognizable symptoms at all. For women, symptoms include a change in the
color or texture of vaginal discharge, irregular bleeding or spotting, vaginal
burning, or pain and burning with urination. Pelvic pain may indicate that the
bacteria have progressed into the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. Because
it is more common that women may not have recognizable symptoms, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all sexually active adolescent and
young adult women be tested during their annual exam. Any woman having new or
multiple partners should request testing.
Gonorrhea symptoms may develop within 2-10 days while Chlamydia symptoms may
occur 7-21 days after exposure.
Symptoms of gonorrhea infections of the throat include redness and swelling of
the tonsils, sometimes accompanied by exudates (white spots) on the tonsils. Ano-rectal
symptoms include rectal pain and bleeding.
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If your partner has been found to have
Chlamydia and/or gonorrhea, recognize that:
- The infection can be present for years
without symptoms.
- It is important that you seek medical
attention to be evaluated and treated.
- It is important to finish all of the
medication even if your Chlamydia test is negative.
- Refrain from all sexual contact until
you both have been examined and have completed treatment.
- The use of condoms is recommended to
prevent re-infection.
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Consistent condom use can reduce but not totally
prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. It is important to
talk with all new sexual partners about their sexual history. Although gonorrhea
and Chlamydia testing can be performed, there are other sexually transmitted
infections that may be transmitted even though no symptoms are present.
Routine screening in the absence of symptoms should be performed approximately
two weeks after a suspected exposure to ensure accuracy of the testing. Since
Chlamydia and/or gonorrhea may occur simultaneously with other infections, such
as hepatitis B, syphilis, and HIV, additional testing may be recommended.
Repeated testing may be done if desired, 3-4 months after medications have been
completed, unless symptoms re-occur.
