Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test

You can test for sexually transmitted infections, or STIs (which can progress to sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs) with an at-home lab test or at a lab. For at-home lab testing with Everlywell, you collect a sample yourself and send it to a lab—and get your results online. This confidential testing makes it easy to get tested for STIs where you want and when you want.

Whether you opt for at-home collection or in-person testing, the type of sample you collect depends on what STIs you’re testing for. Samples can include urine, blood, or genital swabs. If you go to a lab for STI testing services, a healthcare provider may draw blood from your arm, versus the finger pricks that are common for at-home lab testing. Both collection locations usually also require a urine or swab sample, which may be self-collected or clinician-collected.

After purchase, you will be logged in to your MyEverly dashboard to see your lab order status. Once the lab order is processed by the physician network, typically in about 2 hours, you will receive an email with instructions to schedule your appointment at or walk in to any Quest® Patient Service Center near you.

Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria. Having a gonorrhea infection can increase the risk of contracting HIV, and symptoms can include inflammation of the cervix and urethra. Gonorrhea infection rates are nearly equal among women and men.

In women, gonorrhea often occurs without symptoms—but an untreated gonorrhea infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can cause serious issues for women's health (like infertility and chronic pelvic pain). That’s why routine gonorrhea testing is so important: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all sexually active women under the age of 25 get tested for gonorrhea—as well as chlamydia—every year.

In men, gonorrhea can cause symptoms like painful urination, genital swelling, and testicular pain; however, the majority of cases are asymptomatic. The best way to know for sure is to test regularly.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI, also called an STD) that’s caused by an infection from a bacterium known as Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is about twice as common in women than in men, and most often affects women in the 15–24 age range.

A chlamydial infection usually doesn’t cause symptoms for women, but it can lead to inflammation in the cervix or urethra. Ultimately, in up to 15% of untreated chlamydia infections in women, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) develops—which can result in infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and tubal pregnancy (also called an extrauterine pregnancy).

In men, chlamydia is likewise rarely accompanied by symptoms, but it can cause inflammation of the urethra and testicles.

Because a chlamydia infection often comes without obvious signs and symptoms, the only way to know for sure is by regularly taking a chlamydia test.

Per the CDC, many of the most common STIs often have no noticeable symptoms, which means that without testing, there is no way to know your status for certain. Certain STIs can progress to more severe health conditions if not caught and treated properly. Anyone who's sexually active should engage in regular STD screening, and we're excited to make testing easier and more discreet than ever before.

Consider these STI at-home lab tests Everlywell offers:

• Chlamydia and gonorrhea

• Hepatitis C

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) 

• Syphilis

• Trichomoniasis

• Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Once your purchase is complete, your lab order will be processed the same or the next day. You will receive a notification to let you know you can schedule an appointment or walk into a Quest® location of your choice. After sample collection is complete, you will receive your digital results as soon as they are available, likely within a few days.

The frequency of necessary STD testing really varies based on how sexually active you are and if you’re currently outside of a monogamous relationship. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends every 3-12 months depending on risk category, but most medical professionals would agree that a yearly STD test is the minimum responsible frequency and testing should be done more if—and when—you engage in unprotected sex with a new partner. Preventing the spread of STIs and STDs is everybody’s responsibility and knowing your status is a great way to do your part while also keeping yourself and your partner(s) healthy.

Various risk factors are linked with a greater likelihood of getting an STI. These include the following:

• Age - According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 15–24 year olds account for half of all new sexually transmitted infections.

• Biological sex - Young people assigned female at birth are more biologically susceptible to many sexually transmitted infections than those assigned male at birth at the same age. 

• Sexual behaviors - Certain behaviors, like having unprotected sex, can heighten the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

• Substance use - Among sexually active people, using drugs or alcohol is linked with a greater likelihood of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection.

• Sex partners - The risk of getting an STI increases the more sex partners you have and if you have sex with someone who has an STI.

Not all sexually transmitted infections result in symptoms, so it’s important to screen regularly. 

That being said, STIs often do result in symptoms. These symptoms can include:

• Vaginal discharges or penile that may have an unusual odor or color

• Genital warts (small bumps on the genital area or inside the vagina)—typically caused by genital herpes or an HPV infection

• Other sores in and around the genital area

• Flu-like symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, or fevers

• Pain or burning sensations while urinating or during sex

• Spotting between periods (in those who have menstrual cycles)

We take customer privacy very seriously and only you will have access to this information. As is the case with all STI testing—whether through Everlywell lab tests or your healthcare provider—some positive results require a report to state health departments by law. This is only done to track infection prevalence. If you test positive for exposure to chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B/C, or gonorrhea, the independent physician network will report this data to your state health board for tracking, where required.

 Different kinds of samples are used to test for STIs, including:

1. Urine - Urine samples can be used to detect STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis

2. Blood - Blood samples can be collected either through a blood draw or a finger prick, and can help detect exposure to HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis

3. Swabs - Oral, anal, vaginal, and other swabs can also be used to check for some STIs 

This test uses one simple collection: a self-collected urine or vaginal swab sample, depending on your anatomy.

Wondering if you can treat STIs at home? Because of the potentially severe health consequences related to STIs if left untreated —or if not treated properly—do not try to treat an STI on your own. It’s very important to talk with your healthcare provider about treatment options if you test positive for an STI.

If you receive an abnormal test result, our independent clinician network partner will contact you to schedule a consultation at no additional cost, so you can discuss your results with a board-certified physician in your state. When appropriate, and at the physician’s discretion, you may be offered a prescription for medication.

Yes, oral sex is one kind of sexual contact that can increase the risk of getting or transmitting STDs like HIV, syphilis, and gonorrhea. Using a physical barrier (like a condom) during sexual activity can help reduce this risk, as well as making sure there aren’t any cuts in the mouth (like bleeding gums or lip sores) or sores on or near the genitals. This test, as well as others that measure vaginal swabs or urine, cannot detect STIs such as chlamydia or gonorrhea in locations like the mouth or throat.

Though these terms are often used interchangeably, they don’t actually mean exactly the same thing. STD – or “sexually transmitted disease" – is a common term used to describe an infection that is passed on through sexual contact, and becomes a disease after a certain point of severity. STI stands for “sexually transmitted infection.” Many people, mostly within the medical community, have begun transitioning from “STD” to “STI” in an effort to clarify that not all sexually transmitted infections turn into a disease.

 “Venereal disease” (or VD) is an old term for sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. So a “VD test” is simply another way of referring to an STD test.

Sexually transmitted infections can harm your health, especially if they aren’t detected early. In people with penises, STIs can cause infertility—as well body aches, fever, nausea, vomiting, or other flu-like symptoms; a burning sensation of pain during urination; abnormal genital discharges; pelvic inflammatory disease; and more. In people with vaginas, STIs can lead to complications like cervical cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. If you have multiple sex partners, engage in unprotected sex, or have any other STD risk factors, regular STI testing may help prevent health complications associated with untreated sexually transmitted infections.