NAA (Chlamydia & Gonorrhoeae)

STD Testing for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea is done with a urine test.  Periodic STD testing for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea is recommended every six months.  STD testing may be recommended more often for certain groups at greater risk of infection.  

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world. It is estimated by the CDC that over one million Americans are infected at any given time, and 2.8 million are infected annually.  Chlamydia infection may appear asymptomatic for many carriers, though it can still cause damage.  Chlamydia infection is not limited to the genitalia for either sex. It can also be transmitted to the rectum, mouth or eyes, where it will cause inflamed tissues and possibly be spread to other parts of the body. Women with chlamydia may spontaneously transfer it to the rectum. The unborn are particularly at risk, a major reason that all hospital births include STD testing. During birth, babies are susceptible to lung and eye infections, and it is currently hypothesized that untreated infection can lead to premature birth.

Gonorrhea is a disease that is caused by bacteria that thrive in warm temperatures. Gonorrhea is typically sexually transmitted, and survives well in the reproductive areas of the body. In women, gonorrhea can grow within the fallopian tubes, the cervix, the uterus and the urinary tract. In men, gonorrhea also develops within the urinary tract. In everyone, if the bacteria enter into the eyes, throat, anus and mouth, it can also thrive. Because gonorrhea is a disease that is very common in the United States, anyone who is sexually active should consider periodic STD testing for gonorrhea.   

It has been estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that new cases of gonorrhea occur each year at the rate of 700,000 annually in the United States. Two age groups are contracting gonorrhea at a rate faster than all the other age groups in both sexes, but women are contracting the disease at higher numbers than the men.  In the 15 to 19 age group, young males contracted gonorrhea at a rate of 250 times out of 100,000 people, while young women in this age group contracted it at 568.8 per 100,000 people in 2009.  Even more males discovered they had gonorrhea in the 20 to 24 age group. 407.5 out of 100,000 people received the diagnosis. The women’s numbers declined slightly with 555.3 out of 100,000 finding out that they had the disease. As people grow older, their rates for gonorrhea significantly decline.