Chlamydia Diagnosis

If you think that you are experiencing signs of a sexually transmitted disease (STD), such as chlamydia, make an appointment to see your doctor or gynecologist. Because of the risks to a newborn, many doctors recommend that all pregnant women get tested for chlamydia as part of prenatal care. It is also important for people at increased risk of infection to have screening tests performed on a regular basis to check for possible exposure, especially since re-infection is common, particularly among teenagers.

Medical history
Before you go to a doctor's appointment, write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to an STD. Make a list of all the medications, vitamins or supplements that you're taking.
Your doctor will probably ask you a number of questions, such as:

• Are you experiencing any pelvic pain?
• Do you have a new sexual partner or multiple partners?
• Do you have any pain while urinating?
• Do you have any sores or unusual discharge?
• Do you use condoms?
• What are your symptoms?
• When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?

Medical exams
Screening and diagnosis of chlamydia is fairly simple. Test results are usually available quickly, within 24 hours. A positive test indicates an active infection that requires treatment .A negative test means only that there is no evidence of chlamydia at the time of the test. Tests for chlamydia include:

Swab culture - In women, doctors take a swab of the discharge from the cervix for culture or antigen testing for chlamydia. For men, doctor can insert a slim swab into the end of the penis to get a sample from the urethra. In some cases, a doctor may swab the anus to test for the presence of chlamydia.

Urine test - A urine sample can be analyzed in the laboratory to indicate the presence of this infection.

If you are infected with chlamydia, your sexual partner(s) should also be tested and treated as well. Treatment for chlamydia is straightforward and effective. But what can you expect? How long should you take medications? And what can you do to prevent another infection? We cover chlamydia treatments next so that you can learn is there a cure for chlamydia.