Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea Test Kit

A home chlamydia and gonorrhoea test is an at-home test kit you can do by yourself. It’s used to check for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in the genitals (penis or vagina).

The test includes a swab if you have a vagina, or a urine sample tub if you have a penis. Once you’ve taken your sample at home following the instructions in the test kit, you’ll just need to package it up and send it through the post to our partner lab. A pre-paid envelope and label is included.

Once the lab has tested your sample, they’ll send us the results. One of our doctors will review the results and send them to you with instructions on what your results mean and what to do next.

This is a completely confidential process, and the only way to access your results will be through your ZAVA online account. The test will also be sent out in discreet packaging.

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are the 2 most common STIs in the UK so regular testing is important to keep you and any sexual partners safe. They’re both particularly common in people under 25.

If you’re a woman and under 25, it’s recommended to get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhoea once each year, or whenever you have sex with a new or casual partner.

If you’re a man and under 25, it’s recommended to get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhoea once a year if you are having unprotected sex with new or casual partners.

If you’re over 25, get tested whenever you have sex with a new or casual partner and do not use a barrier method of protection.

You should also get tested if you:

• or a sexual partner has any symptoms
• are told a sexual partner has tested positive for the infection
• find out you have another STI
• had unprotected sex and haven’t been tested, and you’re planning a pregnancy or become pregnant

High-risk groups

If you’re sexually active and not using a barrier method of protection you’re at risk of catching chlamydia or gonorrhoea, particularly if you have multiple sexual partners or change partners frequently.

You may be at a higher risk of catching either infection if you:

• have another STI
• have tested positive for chlamydia or gonorrhoea before
• are a man who has sex with men
• are between 15 and 25 years old

In 2019, most cases of gonorrhoea diagnosed in England affected bisexual, gay, and other men who had sex with men.

Why should I get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhoea?

It’s important to get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhoea for several reasons:

1. They are very common, so you could be at risk if you’ve had unprotected sex, even just once.
2. Both infections can cause complications if left untreated, including infertility.
3. You can pass the infection on to new and casual partners, further spreading the infection. Testing regularly can reduce the number of cases so fewer people are affected.
4. Both chlamydia and gonorrhoea are dangerous for a pregnant woman and her baby, such as a risk of miscarriage and premature birth.
5. They are most often symptomless so without regular testing, you can’t know if you have either infection.

It takes around 1 week for gonorrhoea to show on a test and 2 weeks for chlamydia. So if you’re doing a test that checks for both infections, you’ll need to wait 2 weeks after the last time you had unprotected sex to make sure the test is accurate. If you do this test before 2 weeks have passed, you might have to repeat it to make sure you aren’t infected.

Your test kit includes instructions on how to use it, and everything you need to do the sample and send it off safely to our partner lab. The test is slightly different if you have a penis or vagina.

Home chlamydia and gonorrhoea tests for men

1. When you’re ready to pass urine, unpack the test kit and check through the instructions.
2. Wash and dry your hands before doing the test.
3. You’ll need the plastic urine sample container and the urine collection box. Use the collection box to catch the first flow of urine and fill it at least halfway.
4. Finish urinating in the toilet, then carefully pour the urine sample into the sample container and seal it.
5. Wash your hands and make sure the sample container is clean and dry on the outside.
6. Complete the sample label also supplied with your test and attach it to the container. This is important as without it, the lab won’t know who the sample belongs to.
7. You can then put the container into the prepaid envelope and post it in any UK post box.

Home chlamydia and gonorrhoea tests for women

As you’ll be taking a swab of the inside of your vagina, it’s important you avoid using any vaginal creams or products before taking the sample.

1. Wash and dry your hands. Unpack the test kit and get everything ready.
2. Get in a comfortable position so that you will be able to insert the swab into your vagina.
3. Twist the cap to break the seal of the swab test, being careful not to let the tip of the swab touch anything.
4. Point the swab toward you and use your other hand to spread the skin outside the vagina.
5. Insert the tip of the swab into your vagina. It does not need to go deep – around 2 inches is enough to collect the sample.
6. Rotate the swab for around 10 to 15 seconds then remove it, being careful that it does not touch your skin.
7. Place the swab in the tube provided, snapping it at the break line and seal it securely.
8. Wash your hands before putting the label with your details on the tube.
9. Place it in the prepaid envelope. Your sample can be posted in any UK post box.

Our home chlamydia and gonorrhoea test kits are 90% to 95% accurate. Things that can make it more accurate include:

• swabbing for long enough if you’re using a swab test
• trying to catch the first flow of urine if you’re doing a urine sample
• taking the test at the right time – at least 2 weeks after the last time you had unprotected sex

No STI test is 100% accurate but following the instructions carefully should help you get the most accurate results.

Home test kits have been shown in clinical studies to be just as accurate as those carried out by a nurse or doctor in a professional setting. So, if you prefer to take a test privately in the comfort of your home, a home test may be the best choice for you.

After the lab receives your sample, your results will be available in your ZAVA patient account within 2 to 3 working days.

To maintain patient confidentiality, our tests are sent in discreet packaging. We’ll never email or text you about your results, but we will send an email asking you to log in when your results are ready.

Once we receive your results from our lab, one of our doctors will review them. The doctor will include information about what your results mean and any steps you need to take, such as whether you need treatment and where you can get it.

What does a negative chlamydia and gonorrhoea test result mean?

A negative result on your chlamydia and gonorrhoea test means at the time of testing, one or both infections were not detected in your sample.

You do not need to do anything else or get treatment. There’s no need for a follow-up test unless you get symptoms or you have unprotected sex again.

What does a positive chlamydia and gonorrhoea test result mean?

If you have a positive result, it means you have got one or both infections. You should get treatment straight away, as leaving chlamydia or gonorrhoea untreated may lead to some serious health complications.

You can request chlamydia treatment online from ZAVA, and the recommended treatment is an antibiotic called doxycycline. You can also get treatment on the NHS by speaking with your GP or a sexual health clinic. You might need to make an appointment in person to get treatment.

Gonorrhoea is usually treated with an antibiotic injection rather than tablets, so you’ll need to speak with your doctor or a local sexual health clinic to get treatment. A healthcare professional needs to give the injection.

6 weeks after finishing your treatment, you might be asked to take a follow-up test, to make sure the infection is gone. You also need to:

• avoid having unprotected sex until your treatment is completely finished
• let any sexual partners you’ve been within the last 6 months know you have tested positive, or your most recent sexual partner if you’ve not been with anyone in the previous 6 months

If you’re worried about speaking to sexual partners, a sexual health clinic may be able to send an anonymous text to them on your behalf.

The STI chlamydia is the most common in the UK. It’s often symptomless, so people may not know they have it without getting tested regularly. It’s caused by bacteria and is spread through unprotected sex, or contact with infected genital fluids.

50% of men and at least 70% of women do not get any obvious symptoms. If you do, they include:

• pain when peeing (urinating)
• unusual discharge from the genitals or anus
• bleeding after sex or between periods, and pain in the stomach in women
• pain and swelling in the testicles in men

How is chlamydia spread?

Chlamydia can be spread through:

• unprotected sex in the vagina, anus, or mouth
• getting infected genital fluid into your eye
• sharing sex toys that are not covered and washed between users
• genital contact – so you can still get it without penetration, ejaculation, or orgasm

If you’re pregnant and get chlamydia in the vagina, your baby can catch it during birth.

Chlamydia isn’t spread through contact like kissing or hugging, or by sharing towels, baths, or toilet seats.

What are the risks of leaving chlamydia untreated?

The fact that chlamydia does not always cause symptoms can be dangerous, especially without regular testing. When left untreated chlamydia can cause some serious health issues.

Leaving chlamydia untreated in women means it can spread to the ovaries, womb, or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This can then cause further health issues, such as:

• infertility or difficulty getting pregnant (the chance of this is lowered if treated early)
• an increased risk of having an ectopic pregnancy, where the egg implants itself outside of the womb (this is a medical emergency)
• chronic pelvic pain

If you give birth and have chlamydia, there’s a chance it can be passed onto your baby and cause an infection in the eye or lungs. Having chlamydia in pregnancy can also increase the chance of premature labour, or your baby having a low birthweight.

Leaving chlamydia untreated in men can cause epididymitis, which is inflammation of the epididymis (a tube behind the testicles). This can be painful but is very rare. If you get testicular swelling and pain, speak to a doctor straight away as leaving epididymitis untreated could affect your fertility.

Both men and women are also at risk of getting sexually acquired reactive arthritis. It’s most likely within the first few weeks of getting chlamydia and causes inflammation in your joints, eyes, or urethra. This is more common in men and there is no cure, although most people get better within a few months.

Fortunately, the bacteria that causes chlamydia is easily killed off with a course of antibiotics.

The STI gonorrhoea is the second most common in the UK after chlamydia. It is caused by bacteria and the symptoms can be different depending on whether you have a penis or vagina.

Just like chlamydia, gonorrhoea is often symptomless, with 1 in 10 men and 5 in 10 women not knowing they have it.

Gonorrhoea symptoms in women include:

• unusual discharge from the vagina, such as green, yellow, watery, or thin
• pain or tenderness in the stomach
• burning or pain when urinating
• changes in the way you bleed, such as heavier periods, or bleeding after sex and between periods

Gonorrhoea symptoms in men include:

• unusual discharge from the penis, such as green, yellow, or white discharge
• burning or pain when urinating
• foreskin swelling
• testicular pain or tenderness, although this is rare

How is gonorrhoea spread?

Gonorrhoea can easily be spread through:

• unprotected sex in the vagina, anus, or mouth
• sharing sex toys that are not covered and washed between users
• contact with genital fluid in the urethra, anus, throat, or eyes

New evidence also suggests that gonorrhoea of the throat could be passed on through kissing if one person already has the infection.

If you’re pregnant and get gonorrhoea in the vagina or cervix, your baby can catch it during birth.

Gonorrhoea isn’t spread through contact like hugging, or by sharing towels, baths, or toilet seats. The bacteria that causes the infection cannot live outside the body for long.

What are the risks of leaving gonorrhoea untreated?

Leaving gonorrhoea untreated can lead to complications and long-term health problems. The more times you catch it, the more likely you are to have complications.

In rare cases, gonorrhoea can spread into the bloodstream and cause a life-threatening infection called sepsis. This is a medical emergency and needs to be treated straight away.

Gonorrhoea complications in women and babies

In around 10% to 20% of untreated gonorrhoea cases, it spreads to the female reproductive organs causing pelvic inflammatory disease. This then causes further problems, like:

• long-term pelvic pain
• ectopic pregnancy
• infertility

During pregnancy, untreated gonorrhoea may cause:

• premature labour
• miscarriage
• the baby to get an eye infection called conjunctivitis

If your baby is not treated straight away with antibiotics, there’s a risk of permanent blindness.

Gonorrhoea complications in men

Untreated gonorrhoea in men can cause:

• a painful infection in the prostate gland (prostatitis), epididymis or the tube behind the testicles (epididymitis), or the Mullerian or Cowper glands
• infertility
• urethral stricture (scar tissues that cause the urethra to narrow, causing a blockage and making it harder to urinate)

Catching gonorrhoea early is unlikely to lead to complications. It can be treated with an antibiotic injection given by a doctor or nurse at a GP surgery, sexual health clinic, and some other NHS services.