LAB DOCTOR STD testing and treatment.

The Chlamydia Test at the Lab Doctor is a simple painless urine test.
No embarrassing examination needed for the Chlamydia or Gonorrhea test.
Collect your own urine specimen in a private bathroom.
All tests are Confidential or Anonymous
Results in one to two days.

A positive test means you have chlamydia and need to take an antibiotic.

A negative test result means that you do not show evidence of chlamydia at that time. It is best to wait 7 days after exposure before testing to insure accuracy.

Chlamydia is easily treatable and curable with antibiotics. Chlamydia is commonly treated with Doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for seven day or with Azithromycin 1 gram at once.

STDs & Infertility

What happens if I don't get treated?

The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems.

If you are a woman, untreated chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes (tubes that carry fertilized eggs from the ovaries to the uterus), causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID often has no symptoms, however some women may have abdominal and pelvic pain. Even if it doesn’t cause symptoms initially, PID can cause permanent damage to your reproductive system and lead to long-term pelvic pain, inability to get pregnant, and potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus).

Ask a Health Care Professional

Feel free to ask to ask specific questions about your tests. Your questions will be answered by a health care specialist. Please submit your questions via our Contact Us form.

Thank you.

Tell me about Chlamydia testing.
This urine test for Chlamydia is based on amplification of the DNA that is present in Chlamydia trachomatis. Molecular testing for Chlamydia trachomatis is currently the standard and is widely used. The advantage of molecular Chlamydia tests is that they are generally more sensitive and specific than conventional culture (swabbing) and can identify more positive specimens.

What kind of sample is required?
This Chlamydia test is a urine test. All you have to do is give an urine specimen at the Lab Doctor office. No embarrassing, uncomfortable exams, or undressing is necessary.

Any preparation?
Yes. Please do not urinate for at least 1 hour before going to the STD Test Center for accurate results.

What do I have to know about the results?
Chlamydia test results are either positive or negative. A positive result means that you have an infection and need to be treated. Don't worry, this is a very curable disease with antibiotics.

A negative test means that your symptoms may be caused by the number two cause of sexually transmitted disease in the United States, Gonorrhea. Gonorrhea is tested in the same way, and can also be cured with antibiotics.

A negative Chlamydia test result means there is no evidence of infection at the time of the test. If you have a positive result, it's important to notify and treat any sexual partners who may have been exposed to the infection.

Why would I need a test for Chlamydia or Gonorrhea?
You may have signs of a discharge from your penis or vagina. You may have symptoms of burning with urination. You may have an abnormal odor from your urogenital region.

How do I get tested?
Submit a urine sample.

Do I need an examination to be tested?
No, an examination is not needed to screen yourself for Chlamydia or Gonorrhea.

Chlamydia (C. Trachomatis) infections are the leading cause of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. C. Trachomatis is known to cause cervicitis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), infant conjunctivitis, infant pneumonia, urethritis, epididymitis and proctitis. It is also the most frequent cause of non-gonococcal urethritis in men.Among women, the consequences of chlamydial infections are severe if left untreated.Approximately half of chlamydial infections are asymptomatic.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae ( gonococci) is the causative agent of gonorrhea. In men, this disease generally results in anterior urethritis accompanied by purulent exudate.In women, the disease is most often found in the cervix, but the vagina and uterus may also be infected.

C. Trachomatis, the number one cause of sexually transmitted disease in the United States, is responsible for an estimated 3-4 million new cases annually. Infants born to women with chlamydial infection of the cervix are at risk acquiring an infection during vaginal birth. Gonococcal and chlamydial urethritis may coexist. Demonstrating the presence of N.Gonorrhoeae is important in initiating appropriate therapy to prevent the spread of infection.
 

You may become sterile if untreated.

You will infect your partners.

You will increase your risk for HIV if untreated.

Chlamydia trachomatis is associated with infections of the mucous membranes of the urogenital system, the upper respiratory tract, and the eye. in industrialized countries, c. trachomatis usually causes sexually transmitted disease. In developing countries, it is the major cause of preventable blindness (trachoma). The organism may cause urethritis, cervicitis, salpingitis, epididymitis or proctitis. Infections are often asymptomatic. Thus, infected individuals may unknowingly transmit chlamydial disease to others. Coinfection with C. Trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae is common, with multiple recurrences that may result in serious complications. Chlamydial infections of the upper respiratory tract occur primarily in newborns exposed at parturition through an infected birth canal. Approximately 10-20% of such infants develop pneumonia and 50% inclusion conjunctivitis. In adults, eye disease is often transmitted by the hands from genital secretions or from eye secretion of infected babies. Isolation in tissue culture recommended when testing individuals under the age of 13 years. (MMWR 1993; 42 (No. Rr-12). Bowie, w. R and K. K. Holmes. 1990. Chlamydia trachomatis (trachoma, perinatal infection, Lymphogranuloma venereum, and other genital infections), pp. 1426-1440. In: G. L. Mandell, et al. , (eds) principles and practice of infectious diseases, 3rd ed. , Churchill Livingstone, Inc. , NY)

About the Chlamydia Test
The Lab Doctor uses the most accurate method available. The Nucleic Acid amplification Chlamydia trachomatis test. Other test for chlamydia are less sensitive.

This requires you to collect a Urine Specimen in the privacy of a bathroom. Do not urinate for at least one hour prior to increase the accuracy. Female patients should not cleanse the labial area prior to the chlamydia or gonorrhea test. Approximately 20 to 30 ml of urine is collected in a preservative free collection cup.

Testing for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) are typically done together as they many times occur at the same time and have the same signs and symptoms. A specific diagnosis is important since the symptoms of chlamydia can resemble those of gonorrhea and the two infections require different antibiotic treatment.

The nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) is the preferred test. This test is based on amplification of the DNA that is present in Chlamydia trachomatis. It is generally more sensitive and specific than other chlamydia tests and can be performed on urine from both men and women, and eliminates the need for a pelvic exam in women.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that victims of sexual assaults get NAAT testing for bothC. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae, which are among the diseases most commonly transmitted in such cases, so that they can receive treatment if infected.

When is a Chlamydia test indicated? 
                               Signs of Chlamydia?
                                                       Symptoms of Chlamydia?
Most people who have chlamydia have no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may not appear until several weeks after you have sex with an infected partner. Even when chlamydia causes no symptoms, it can damage your reproductive system.

A new partner to prevent transmission due to many people do not have symptoms

Women with symptoms may notice

• An abnormal vaginal discharge;
  
• A burning sensation when urinating.
  

Symptoms in men can include

• A discharge from their penis;
  
• A burning sensation when urinating;
  
• Pain and swelling in one or both testicles (although this is less common).
  

Men and women can also get infected with chlamydia in their rectum, either by having receptive anal sex, or by spread from another infected site (such as the vagina). While these infections often cause no symptoms, they can cause

•   Rectal pain;
  
•   Discharge;
  
•   Bleeding.
  

The CDC, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) all recommend chlamydia screening for sexually active women under age 25 (CDC says age 25 and younger) and for all other sexually active women who are at increased risk. CDC and ACOG specifically recommend annual screening.

Testing for both chlamydia and gonorrhea may be done when a newborn has symptoms of conjunctivitis, such as redness and swelling of the eye, and discharge.

What does the test result mean?
A positive chlamydia test indicates an active infection that requires treatment with a course of antibiotics.

A negative chlamydia test means only that there is no evidence of disease at the time of the test. It is important for those who are at increased risk of infection to have screening tests performed on a regular basis to check for possible exposure, especially since re-infection is common, particularly among teenagers.

If you are infected, your sexual partner(s) should also be tested and treated as well.

Is there anything else I should know?
People who are infected have a higher risk of developing other sexually transmitted diseases, including a 3 to 5 times greater risk of acquiring HIV if exposed to it.

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) that can be easily cured. If left untreated, chlamydia can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant.

What is chlamydia?
Chlamydia is a common STD that can infect both men and women. It can cause serious, permanent damage to a woman's reproductive system, making it difficult or impossible for her to get pregnant later on. Chlamydia can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that occurs outside the womb).

How is chlamydia spread?

• You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia.
  
• If your sex partner is male you can still get chlamydia even if he does not ejaculate (cum).
• If you’ve had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can still get infected again if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia.
• If you are pregnant, you can give chlamydia to your baby during childbirth.
• Anyone who has sex can get chlamydia through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. However, sexually active young people are at a higher risk of getting chlamydia. This is due to behaviors and biological factors common among young people. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men are also at risk since chlamydia can be spread through oral and anal sex.
  
  

Have an honest and open talk with your health care provider and ask whether you should be tested for chlamydia or other STDs. If you are a sexually active woman aged 25 years or younger, you should get a test for chlamydia every year. Gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men; as well as pregnant women should also be tested for chlamydia.

I'm pregnant. How does chlamydia affect my baby?
If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection to your baby during delivery. This could cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your newborn. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby too early.
If you are pregnant, you should be tested for chlamydia at your first prenatal visit. Testing and treatment are the best ways to prevent health problems.

How will I know if I have chlamydia?
There are laboratory tests to diagnose chlamydia. A simple urine chlamydia test can make the diagnosis with having to undress in front of strangers or be examined.

What will the results tell me?
Chlamydia test results are either positive or negative. Positive means the test found chlamydia. Negative means the test did not find any signs of chlamydia.

Can chlamydia be cured?
Yes, chlamydia can be cured with the right treatment. It is important that you take all of the medication your doctor prescribes to cure your infection. When taken properly it will stop the infection and could decrease your chances of having complications later on. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone.
Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. You should be tested again about three months after you are treated, even if your sex partner(s) was treated.

I was treated for chlamydia. When can I have sex again?

You should not have sex again until you and your sex partner(s) have completed treatment. If your doctor prescribes a single dose of medication, you should wait seven days after taking the medicine before having sex. If your doctor prescribes a medicine for you to take for seven days, you should wait until you have taken all of the doses before having sex.