Chlamydia and gonorrhea are examples of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), that can affect sexually active women and men. They are the most commonly reported STDs in the United States. Chlamydia and gonorrhea testing can help you detect these STDs before they cause serious health issues for you or your partner—like infertility.
What is chlamydia?
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that’s caused by an infection from a bacterium known as Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is about twice as common in women than in men, and most often affects women in the 15–24 age range.
A chlamydial infection usually doesn’t cause symptoms for women, but it can lead to inflammation in the cervix or urethra. Ultimately, in up to 15% of untreated chlamydia infections in women, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) develops—which can result in infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and tubal pregnancy (also called an extrauterine pregnancy).
In men, chlamydia is likewise rarely accompanied by symptoms—and it can cause inflammation of the urethra and testicles.
Because a chlamydia infection often comes without obvious signs and symptoms, the only way to know for sure is by taking a chlamydia test.
How to test for chlamydia
You can use an at-home chlamydia test or get tested at a clinic. A chlamydia test kit like the Everlywell test requires a urine sample you collect with materials included with the kit. You then send the sample to a lab (shipping is free) and get secure, online results a few days later. Screening at a clinic may require a urine sample or oral and/or rectal samples collected with a swab (which can help determine the part of your body that’s infected). How you get your results will depend on the clinic you go to.
Here’s how to test for chlamydia at home using the Everlywell Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Test kit:
- Register your kit online. Use the unique ID included inside your kit and go to www.everlywell.com/register. Write your date of birth and the sample collection date on the transport tube provided by the kit.
- Collect your sample by urinating into the specimen collection cup that’s included with the kit.
- Use the pipette to place the sample into a transport tube, and put the tube into the biohazard bag (which keeps the sample safe on its way to the lab).
- Place the bag into the shipping envelope (also included inside the kit), apply the prepaid shipping label, and place your envelope in the mail. Your sample will then arrive at a laboratory, where it will be analyzed for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
- Just days later, you’ll be notified that your results are ready. You can privately view your results online on our secure platform.
Taking a chlamydia test at home is a great way to skip the trip to your doctor’s office (or the local clinic)—and, instead, check for chlamydial infections from the comfort and privacy of your home.
Treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea can be done through antibiotics once diagnosed. Ask your healthcare provider about re-testing after completing the antibiotics course to ensure you don’t have the infection anymore.
What is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria. Gonorrhea can increase the risk of contracting HIV, and symptoms can include inflammation of the cervix and urethra. Gonorrhea infection rates are nearly equal among women and men.
In women, gonorrhea often occurs without symptoms—but an untreated gonorrhea infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can cause serious issues for women's health (like infertility and chronic pelvic pain). That’s why routine gonorrhea testing is so important: the CDC recommends that all sexually active women under the age of 25 get tested for gonorrhea—as well as chlamydia—every year.
In men, gonorrhea can cause symptoms like painful urination, genital swelling, and testicular pain.