Testing by CLIA approved lab: Molecular Testing Labs
What's it used for?
What are Chlamydia and Gonorrhea?
Oral sex is a very common sexual practice where an individual puts his or her oral area on the genital area of his or her partner. According to the American Sexual Health Association, more than 80% of sexually active individuals between the ages of 15 and 44 years engage in oral sex with their partner.
Just like for vaginal and anal sex, oral sex can put the individual at high risk of contracting a sexual disease and infection. One can get an STD in the mouth and pharynx when performing oral sex with a person who has an infection in his/her genitals. Likewise, an infected person can transfer the disease from his/her mouth to the genitals of his/her partner. The transmission mode is the mouth who gets in contact with bodily fluids.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are very common sexually transmitted diseases caused by two distinctive bacteria. They are both contracted sexually when someone engages in unsafe sex with an infected person. While both do not show symptoms upon infection, some experience some signs. Men and women can be both infected with these two bacteria. The best way to prevent the spread is to get tested early, identify the specific cause of infection, and treat it.
Oral chlamydia and gonorrhea can happen. While in most cases, symptoms do not show, some report having sore throats when infected. One of the most common oral STDs is the pharyngeal gonorrhea. This bacterial infection affects the mouth and throat. Its symptoms include having painless sores in the mouth, developing lesions around the mouth that look like fever blisters, having a red and painful throat, having difficulty swallowing, and tonsillitis. The throat would look red and covered with white spots, like when you have strep throat. According to a study published by the journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases, 15.3% of men who have sex with men who have STDs are infected with gonorrhea. The study also explains that the pharynx is the most common form of gonococcal infection among them.
Why take the at-home Chlamydia/Gonorrhea - Oral test?
Since both gonorrhea and chlamydia do not show symptoms, the oral test can help screen for and detect an oral infection of chlamydia and/or gonorrhea. It can also evaluate the effectiveness of a given treatment in the eradication of the infection. Both bacterial infections can be cured after being treated.
If you have signs of oral sexually transmitted disease following sex, you need to get tested. These include having a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Also, getting tested for pharyngeal gonorrhea can help lower the risks of genital gonorrhea. Oral sex is considered to be an independent risk factor for genital gonorrhea (urethral gonorrhea) as the infection can spread from the oral cavity of an infected person to the urethra of the partner.
If you are at high risk of contracting oral chlamydia or gonorrhea; then, you have to be tested regularly. Early detection is essential for the eradication of the infection. But it will not be capable to reverse any damage done as a complication of these two bacteria. Those who have had a previous oral STD are at risk of contracting it again, or getting infected with another kind of sexually transmitted disease.
What your at-home Chlamydia/Gonorrhea - Oral test results mean?
A positive/detected oral test indicates an active infection while a negative/not detected oral test indicates the absence of an infection.
The best way to prevent an oral infection is by abstaining from any sexual activity, or being in a monogamous relationship with someone who does not have any sexually transmitted disease. Just like for regular sex (vaginal and anal) wearing a condom is recommended, oral sex can have preventive measures as well. These include wearing a non-lubricated condom (on the penis) when performing oral sex, or using dental dam.
The best way to treat oral infections is with the use of antibiotics. Oral gonorrhea is treated with cephalosporins while oral chlamydia is treated with azithromycin or doxycycline.
Where can I get an at-home Chlamydia/Gonorrhea - Oral test?
This test kit will be mailed to you via USPS. You will receive an oral swab, as well as other test kit materials. Please review all instructions prior to performing this test. Specimens should be shipped via USPS back to the laboratory. Results take 3-4 days upon receipt of the specimen by the laboratory.
TEST KIT REFUND POLICY- Kits can be cancelled anytime prior to sending the specimen to the lab. There is a $25 fee to cover the kit costs and shipping. So a full refund is minus $25.
TEST COLLECTION INSTRUCTIONS PDF
Reviewed By: Dr. Kurt Kloss, MD
Last Reviewed Date: Nov 02, 2021
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