Chlamydia

Chlamydia trachomatis causes one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections. There are reports estimating 3-4 million new cases of Chlamydial infections every year. It is the most common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women. Chlamydia is a frequent cause of testicular and prostate infections and is the most common cause of sterility in men.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is a bacterial infection that often co-exists with chlamydia. There are reports estimating close to 600,000 new gonorrhea infections every year. These bacteria can also cause PID, ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women and testicular and prostate infections in men.

Transmission and Symptoms

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are transmitted through vaginal, anal or oral sexual contact. Both infections can cause severe symptoms or can be completely asymptomatic in some patients. For women, symptoms include a change in the color or texture of vaginal discharge, irregular bleeding or spotting, vaginal burning, or pain and burning with urination. Pelvic pain may indicate that the bacteria have progressed into the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. Because it is more common that women may not have recognizable symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all sexually active adolescent and young adult women be tested during their annual exam. Any woman having new or multiple partners should request testing. Men may experience mild burning during urination and may notice a yellow penile discharge. Symptoms may resolve without treatment even though the infection is still present. Examination is recommended for symptoms of discharge or pain and burning with urination even if the symptoms have spontaneously resolved. Gonorrhea symptoms may develop within 2-10 days while Chlamydia symptoms may occur 7-21 days after exposure. Symptoms of gonococcal infections of the throat include redness and swelling of the tonsils, sometimes accompanied by exudate (white spots) on the tonsils. Ano-rectal symptoms include rectal pain and bleeding.

Diagnosis

Testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea involves taking a sample of cells from the urethra or cervix using a small cotton swab. A urine specimen obtained after not urinating for at least four hours is sometimes used as an alternative method of testing. At Clongen Labs, we offer a highly sensitive molecular detection method that simultaneously detects two genes in each of the two organisms. Swabs or fresh urine samples are accepted. Please contact customer support if you need instructions for shipping or if you have pricing or technical questions. Routine screening in the absence of symptoms should be performed approximately two weeks after a suspected exposure to ensure accuracy of the testing. Since chlamydia and/or gonorrhea may occur simultaneously with other infections, such as hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, and HIV, additional testing may be recommended. Repeated testing may be done if desired, 3-4 months after medications have been completed, unless symptoms re-occur.

How do I ship my samples to Clongen Labs for testing?

Urethral or Cervical swabs as well as urine samples are accepted for chlamydia and gonorrhea testing. Samples must be sent overnight on blue ice (ice packs). Patients need to fill out the Patient Registration Form, Sample Submission Form, and Test Request Form. If paying by credit card, the credit card payment authorization form needs to be completed. If paying by check or money order, payment should be sent along with the sample or separately. Please fax a copy of the completed sample submission form to the lab. 301-916-0175 or e-mail a completed form to prior to shipping. Samples should be shipped Monday through Thursday. We do not accept samples on Saturday and Sunday unless it is local.

Cost of the test:

To submit samples for Confidential Testing, please print the form below and fill out the necessary information and indicate that you are requesting Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea by PCR.