Both chlamydia and gonorrhea are STDs that most commonly cause frequent urination. These are among the most common STDs diagnosed in the United States. In fact, as recently as 2016, the CDC reported nearly 1.6 million cases of chlamydia across the country.
Burning sensation when urinating
Chlamydia can cause a burning sensation when you urinate. It's easy to mistake this for a symptom of a urinary tract infection. You might also feel like you have the urge to urinate more often than usual. And when you do go to urinate, only a little bit comes out.
Frequent, urgent trips to the washroom along with lower abdominal pressure or pelvic pain and a burning sensation during urination could mean a urinary tract infection (UTI). However, it could also be a sexually transmitted disease (STD) like chlamydia or gonorrhea.
Late-stage chlamydia refers to an infection that has spread to other parts of the body. For example, it may have spread to the cervix (cervicitis), testicular tubes (epididymitis), eyes (conjunctivitis), or throat (pharyngitis), causing inflammation and pain.
Chlamydia. Symptoms usually appear after 1 to 3 weeks but can start much later. Symptoms include: discharge from the vagina or penis.
Some antibiotics for chlamydia must be taken multiple times a day for several days. Others can be administered in a single dose. Either way, it can take around one week for a chlamydia infection to go away [8]. During this treatment period, it's important to abstain from having sex.
In the later stages of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, people often complain about being extremely tired. Along with these infections, fatigue can also be caused by Hepatitis A, B, or C. Associating fatigue with having a busy lifestyle is not a good idea as it can be a symptom of a Sexually Transmitted Disease.
Men rarely have health problems from chlamydia. The infection can cause a fever and pain in the tubes attached to the testicles. This can, in rare cases, lead to infertility. Untreated chlamydia may also increase your chances of getting or giving HIV.
How is chlamydia diagnosed? Diagnose chlamydia with nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), cell culture, and other types of tests. NAATs are the most sensitive tests to use on easy-to-obtain specimens. This includes vaginal swabs (either clinician- or patient-collected) or urine.
Understanding Trichomoniasis
Chlamydia and trichomoniasis are similar infections and they are commonly confused, but it's important to know the difference, as the two infections are not treated with the same antibiotic. Trichomoniasis (trich) is caused by a parasite called Trichomonas Vaginalis.
Chlamydia is often asymptomatic, meaning that many people don't know they have it. Chlamydia symptoms can include pus-like yellow discharge; frequent or painful urination; spotting between periods or after sex; and/or rectal pain, bleeding, or discharge.
Discomfort when you urinate and when you have sex. Irritation or itching around your genitals. If the infection spreads, you might get lower abdominal pain, pain during sex, nausea, or fever. The majority of chlamydial infections in men do not cause any symptoms.
Some complications of these STIs can happen to anyone. Others are unique to each sex due to differences in sexual anatomy. Gonorrhea has more severe possible complications and is more likely to cause long-term problems like infertility.
NAAT is the preferred method for detecting a chlamydia infection. This type of test detects the genetic material (DNA or RNA) of Chlamydia trachomatis. It can be performed using a urine sample or swab of fluid taken from a site of potential infection such as the urethra, vagina, rectum, or eye.
If left untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women, which can lead to chronic pain and infertility. In men, untreated chlamydia can cause pain and swelling in one or both testicles. If detected early, chlamydia may be treated with a single dose of antibiotics.
Chlamydia possesses two distinct, equally prevalent exit mechanisms: lysis and extrusion (14, 15). Lysis proceeds through the sequential destruction of the inclusion and nuclear and plasma membranes, culminating in the release of individual bacteria into the extracellular space (14).
In women, untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy and infertility. In men, in rare cases, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and epididymis (tubes that carry sperm from the testicles), causing them to become painful and swollen.
Can chlamydia go away without treatment? It can, but it can take a long time. If you delay seeking treatment you risk the infection causing long-term damage and you may still be able to pass the infection on to someone else.
However, if chlamydia is left untreated, it can cause permanent damage. Your risk of getting other STIs, like gonorrhea or HIV, increases. In males, untreated chlamydia can lead to sterility (inability to make sperm).
Symptoms can occur within 2-14 days after infection. However, a person may have chlamydia for months, or even years, without knowing it.
As most people do not have symptoms, it is possible the person (who tested positive) could have had chlamydia/gonorrhea from a previous relationship, and has not passed it to their partner yet. It is never 100% that you will pass an STI when you have sex.
Urine tests take about 2 to 5 days to show a positive (you have it) or negative (you don't have it) result. Blood tests can come back with results in a few minutes if the blood is analyzed on site. But they can take a week or more if sent to an off-site lab.