Testing For Chlamydia:
The Latest News
The most common sexually transmitted bacterial disease in the United States, chlamydia has been labeled "The Silent Epidemic".
An estimated three million people are newly infected each year. Yet, 75% of the women, and 50% of the men, will experience no symptoms, and, therefore, may not seek medical assistance for this easily curable yet potentially life-altering disease.
Chlamydia is most prevalent in young women age 15 24. This age group accounts for more than 70% of the cases of chlamydia infection.When left untreated, a chlamydia infection can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) (which can cause infertility), ectopic pregnancy or chronic pelvic pain. Infected women who deliver a baby may pass the infection on to the baby in the form of severe eye infections or pneumonia.
The good news, however, is the infection can be cured quickly when antibiotics are taken.
Should I Be Tested? How To Know
If you are a sexually active woman, have had more than one sexual partner, or if your partner may have had other sexual partners, you should be tested at least annually.
A good time to be tested is during the appointment for your annual Pap test when it is very easy for your doctor to collect a specimen for testing.
Since the majority of women experience no symptoms, routine annual screening is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and several other organizations.
Why would my doctor order this test?
Your doctor is aware that, as noted above, a chlamydia infection can be devastating to a woman of childbearing age.
Once diagnosed, treatment for a chlamydia infection is as simple as taking an antibiotic for either one day, or twice a day for seven days.Chlamydia is so prevalent that physicians are being urged to test patients who fall into any of the following categories:·
Suspicion of pregnancy ·
History of any sexually transmitted disease
·
Seeks contraceptive advice ·
Shows signs of sexual assault or abuse ·
Shows any indication of sexual relations ·
Seeks any gynecological services
What do the test results mean?
A negative chlamydia result means that you probably do not have a chlamydia infection. You should be aware, however, that there are different types of testing for chlamydia, which have different sensitivity levels.
You should ask your doctor if the testing performed on your specimen was "amplified testing", a method that is much more sensitive than other testing methods.
Quest Diagnostics offers chlamydia testing by PCR, which is an amplified DNA methodology.If your chlamydia result is positive, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics.
As mentioned previously, he may offer you the choice of taking an antibiotic twice a day for seven days, or just once as a single dose. Although more convenient, the single dose is more expensive.Additionally, if your test result is positive, all of your sex partners should also be treated.
Otherwise, you will easily become re-infected. Your doctor may be able to give you advice on how to handle this situation.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Testing
1.Am I at risk for chlamydia?
2.What are the symptoms of a chlamydia infection for me and for my partner?
3.Will using a condom give me 100% protection? How can I best protect myself?
4.Tell me about the test for chlamydia. How is the specimen collected? How long will I have to wait for the result?
5.Is there one type of test for chlamydia that is more sensitive than other tests available?
6.If my result is positive, what is the treatment? Do I have a choice of treatments?
7.Once I am cured, can I become infected again?
8.How do I tell my partner I have a sexually transmitted disease? Can you provide some counseling advice for me?
