Chlamydia Test

A chlamydia test can tell you if you have chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). It can also screen for this infection even if you don’t have symptoms.

This test usually involves giving a urine sample or a swab of fluid from your vagina, anus, throat or eye (depending on where the infection might be). Most often, you get this test in a healthcare provider’s office. But you may be able to collect the sample yourself using an at-home test kit.

Chlamydia doesn’t always cause symptoms. So, testing is the best way to know if you have it. This also helps you avoid spreading it to others. If you have symptoms, they could include:

• Burning feeling when you pee
• Irregular discharge from your vagina, penis or anus
• Pain during sex or bleeding after sex

You should get a chlamydia test if you:

• Have symptoms of the infection
• Are a sexually active woman (especially if you’re under 25)
• Are pregnant
• Have HIV
• Have a partner with an STI
• Have new or multiple sex partners or have a partner with multiple sex partners
• Are a man who has sex with men

You may need a chlamydia test every three to six months if you have a higher chance of getting the infection. Ask a healthcare provider how often you should have the test.

How does chlamydia testing work?

The most common type of chlamydia test is called a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). A NAAT detects Chlamydia trachomatis, the bacteria that cause the chlamydia infection. You provide a sample of your pee, or a healthcare provider collects a sample of fluid from your vagina or urethra. A lab tests the sample for signs of the bacteria.

Less often, providers use a cell culture to test for chlamydia. A provider swabs your vagina, urethra or anus with a brush to collect a cell sample. Then, they send the cells to a lab. If bacteria are present, they’ll grow. This means you have the infection. Providers may choose this type of chlamydia test to detect an infection in your anus or to see how chlamydia treatments are working.

You typically don’t need to prepare for the test. Depending on the type of sample your provider needs, they may ask you to:

• Avoid peeing for one to two hours before giving a urine sample.
• Avoid using creams or medications in your vagina before a vaginal swab.

What to expect during a chlamydia test

Your provider gives you a clean cup and asks you to pee in it. Follow your provider’s instructions carefully when collecting a urine sample. You’ll need to collect the pee as soon as it starts to come out (first-catch sample).

Instead of a urine sample, your provider might collect a sample of fluid from your genitals or anus. They gather this sample by rubbing a cotton swab on the inside of your vagina, penis or anus. If your provider suspects that you have a chlamydia infection in your eye, they’ll collect a fluid sample from your eye with a cotton swab.

If you’re using an at-home chlamydia test, you’ll collect the sample yourself. Be sure to follow the instructions on the test kit carefully.

What to expect after

After collecting a sample, your provider sends it to a lab. If you’re using an at-home kit, you mail the sample to a lab. The lab will test the sample to check for the chlamydia bacteria.

While you're waiting for results, avoid having sex. If you do have the infection and have sex, you can spread it to others.

What do the results of a chlamydia test mean?

A positive test means you have a chlamydia infection and will need treatment with antibiotics. You should notify your sexual partners so they can get tested, too.

After finishing treatment, you’ll need follow-up chlamydia tests. You may need another test three weeks after treatment and possibly another one three months later. Ask your provider when you should get a follow-up test.

If the results are negative, that means the lab didn’t detect a chlamydia infection. Contact your provider if you have symptoms but got a negative test result.

Call your provider if you have any questions about the test results or if symptoms don’t go away after treatment.

When should I know the results of the test?

It can take up to a few days to get results. Although they aren’t used often, rapid chlamydia tests can give you results in about 90 minutes. If your provider uses a cell culture, it may take about a week to get results.

How accurate are the results of a urine chlamydia test?

A urine chlamydia test is less accurate than a swab test. Research shows a urine test is about 87% accurate, while a swab test is about 94% accurate.

How long will I test positive for chlamydia after treatment?

You could continue to test positive for up to three weeks after treatment. This is because the test may detect leftover bacteria even after antibiotics.