At a Glance Why Get Tested?

To screen for and diagnose a chlamydia infection When To Get Tested?

• For women, yearly screening is recommended if you are sexually active and younger than age 25 or 25 or older and at increased risk for this sexually transmitted disease (STD); when you are pregnant or considering pregnancy
• For men, yearly screening is recommended if you are a man who has sex with men
• When you have symptoms of this STD, such as pain during urination, vaginal discharge and abdominal pain (for women) or unusual discharge from the penis, pain on urination or painful, swollen testicles (for men)
• When a newborn has conjunctivitis

Sample Required?

For women, a swab or brush of cells or secretion from your vagina; for men or women, the initial portion of your urine stream (first-catch urine sample); sometimes a swab of cells or secretion from a non-genital area that may be infected Test Preparation Needed?

Tell your healthcare provider about any use of antibiotics or, for women, douches or vaginal creams; you may be asked to avoid using these within 24 hours before testing vaginal samples since they may affect test results. Menstruation will not affect results. For a urine sample, you may be instructed to wait one to two hours after you last urinated before collecting the sample. Follow any instructions you are given.