Chlamydia & Gonorrhea

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by bacteria. There is often no symptoms. However, chlamydia can cause serious complications if left untreated and so it’s important to get tested regularly if you have multiple sexual partners.

What is gonorrhoea?

Gonorrhoea is an STI caused by bacteria. It does not always display symptoms and can cause sterility if left untreated. Gonorrhoea can also cause permanent blindness in unborn babies so it’s very important to be tested if you’re thinking of getting pregnant.

How is chlamydia and gonorrhoea transmitted?

Unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex are the main ways a chlamydia or gonorrhoea infection can be transmitted. Penetration doesn’t have to occur for transmission to take place. Touching genitals together or sharing unclean sex toys may transmit the bacteria.

Newborn babies can acquire chlamydia or gonorrhoea from their mother during birth.

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can infect:

  • the rectum if you have unprotected anal sex – this can cause discomfort and discharge from your rectum
  • the throat if you have unprotected oral sex – this is uncommon and usually causes no symptoms
  • the eyes if they come into contact with infected semen or vaginal fluid – this can cause eye redness, pain and discharge (conjunctivitis)

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea symptoms

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea often do not display any symptoms. In fact, about 90 percent of women and 70 percent of men with chlamydia and 10% with gonorrhoea show no symptoms.

You can still infect others even though you may have no symptoms.

When they are present, symptoms include:

Chlamydia symptoms in women

  • pain when urinating
  • unusual vaginal discharge
  • pain in the tummy or pelvis
  • pain during sex
  • bleeding after sex
  • bleeding between periods

Gonorrhoea symptoms in women

  • discharge from the vagina (watery, creamy, or slightly green)
  • pain or burning sensation while urinating
  • the need to urinate more frequently
  • heavier periods or spotting
  • sore throat
  • pain upon engaging in sexual intercourse
  • sharp pain in the lower abdomen
  • fever

Chlamydia symptoms in men

  • pain when urinating
  • white, cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis
  • burning or itching in the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body)
  • pain in the testicles
  • If chlamydia is left untreated, the infection can cause swelling in the epididymis (the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles) and the testicles. This could affect your fertility.

Gonorrhoea symptoms in men

  • greater frequency or urgency of urination
  • a pus-like discharge (or drip) from the penis (white, yellow, beige, or greenish)
  • swelling or redness at the opening of the penis
  • swelling or pain in the testicles
  • a persistent sore throat

Complications from chlamydia and gonorrhoea

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea often do not display any symptoms but if left untreated they can lead to serious complications.

  • Both chlamydia and gonorrhoea can spread to the womb and cause a serious condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This is a major cause of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women. Symptoms of PID include:
    • fever
    • severe pelvic pain
    • nausea
    • abnormal vaginal bleeding between periods
  • Gonorrhoea can cause permanent blindness in a newborn baby. It can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby. If planning to have a baby, it’s important to get tested. If you’re pregnant and may have gonorrhoea, it’s important to get tested and treated before your baby is born.
  • Both chlamydia and gonorrhoea can cause sterility/infertility in men and women if left untreated.

Order a Discreet Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea Home Test Kit

Order a discreet Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea Test Kit. Our home test kit checks for the presence of these two common bacterial infections.

Get the convenience of home testing with the reassurance of professional clinical analysis. Your results are delivered quickly and securely online.

Get a chlamydia, gonorrhoea and home test kit

This Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea  Test is advised if you:

  • have a partner who has been diagnosed with an STI
  • have entered a new sexual relationship with someone
  • have had unprotected sexual intercourse
  • have symptoms that indicate the presence of an STI

What’s included in the test kit?

  1. Female swabbing/male urine testing kit
  2. FREE post & packaging
  3. Results usually within 24 Hours
  4. Accredited laboratory testing by clinical professionals
  5. Personalised report with detailed guidance in your secure online dashboard
  6. The same accuracy and quality as your GP or hospital

What is tested?

  1. Genital Chlamydia. Chlamydia can lie dormant for many years without symptoms so it should be checked if you are at risk.
  2. Genital Gonorrhoea. Most carriers – especially women – show no or very mild symptoms so a test is essential if you are at risk.

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea prevention

The surest way for a sexually active person to avoid contracting chlamydia is to use a condom during sexual intercourse.

To practice safe sex, it’s recommended to:

  • Use protection with each new partner.
  • Get tested regularly for STIs with new partners.
  • Avoid having oral sex, or use protection during oral sex, until a partner has been screened for STIs.

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea treatment

If you have any symptoms of chlamydia or gonorrhoea, visit your doctor as soon as possible.

If you’re sexually active and under 25 years old, you should get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhoea every year or every time you have a new partner.

The good news is that chlamydia and gonorrhoea are easy to treat. Since they’re bacterial in nature, they’re treated with antibiotics. This can take up to two weeks, even with the single-dose medications.

When antibiotics are prescribed, dosage instructions should be followed carefully to make sure the infection clears up fully. You must always finish a course of antibiotics – even if you no longer display any symptoms – to avoid building bacterial resistance to the antibiotic.

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SYMPTOMS: SYMPTOMS ARE NOT ALWAYS PRESENT (which is why it's important to get tested). Untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause sterility in both sexes. Where there are symptoms, these include: pain or burning when urinating; pain during sex; heavier/irregular periods; itching or soreness in infected area; discharge from vagina, penis or rectum; swelling/redness of genitals; greater frequency or urgency to urinate; stomach/pelvis pain; a persistent sore throat.

April 13, 2020