Why should I take a chlamydia test? You should take a chlamydia test to screen for or diagnose a chlamydia infection. Chlamydia is known as the “silent disease” because infections are so common yet many people do not know that they are infected. Chlamydia is especially widespread among young people under the age of 25. You should take a Chlamydia test because chlamydia is almost always transmitted through sexual intercourse - the likelihood of having the infection depends on your sexual behaviour.
The more partners you have, the more likely you are to be exposed to infection. However, you only need to have unprotected sex with one person who happens to have the infection and you can catch it.
You don't have to be promiscuous to get chlamydia. A definitive diagnosis is important because chlamydia can resemble gonorrhoea, and the two infections require different antibiotic treatment. What does a chlamydia test involve? A chlamydia test involves taking a urine sample or a swab sample using a “wand” that a woman inserts into the vagina herself, the sample is sent to the laboratory for analysis. These tests avoid the need for an intimate and uncomfortable examination and makes testing much easier for women. It is also possible to carry out a chlamydia test in the privacy of your own home. For men and women, the urine sample can be taken at home and sent to a laboratory for analysis. The result is sent to you personally. For women, there is a chlamydia test that involves taking a sample from the vaginal canal. The results are available to you within minutes. How do I know if I should take a chlamydia test? If you are sexually active, particularly in the age range 16-25, you should take a chlamydia test, or if you have any of the symptoms of chlamydia. Most infected people have no symptoms at all, they do not even know they have chlamydia so they do not seek treatment. For women, symptoms (if they occur) include bleeding between menstrual periods and after sexual intercourse, abdominal pain, painful intercourse, and an abnormal vaginal discharge. For men, symptoms include pus or milky discharge from the penis. Both sexes can experience painful or frequent urination. In a recent survey of young male army recruits, almost 10 per cent proved positive on chlamydia urine tests. However, 88% of these had no symptoms whatsoever! What would happen if chlamydia is left untreated? If left untreated, women may develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) from lesions that start on the cervix that can spread to the fallopian tubes and ovaries. This can cause infertility and increase the risk of tubal or ectopic pregnancy, which may be fatal. Women who are infected and pregnant may experience heavy bleeding before delivery and premature rupture of the membranes. Men, too, may become sterile. Both sexes may develop rectal itching and red, swollen, itchy eyes. If you are infected, your sexual partner(s) should also be tested and treated. People who are infected have a higher risk of developing other sexually transmitted disease, including a 3 to 5 times greater risk of acquiring HIV if exposed to it. |
