In order to make a chlamydia diagnosis, a doctor will typically follow several steps. He or she will likely talk to the patient to get a medical history, discuss risk factors, and find out if the person has any symptoms. A physical examination may then be performed to see if there is evidence of the disease. Diagnostic tests using culture swabs or urine samples will typically be the final step.
One of the first things involved in a chlamydia diagnosis is a discussion between the patient and his or her doctor. The patient should explain any symptoms that are occurring, which for women can include abnormal discharge or bleeding from the vagina, abdominal pain, or burning during urination, and for men can include discharge from the penis, burning during urination, or testicular pain. Chlamydia often has no symptoms, however, so if a patient is concerned that he or she may be infected, the doctor may ask for a sexual history to determine if there are any risk factors. Some groups that are most at risk are younger, sexually active women, men or women who have frequent, unprotected sex, and those who have a known partner who has chlamydia; pregnant women specifically may also need to be tested one or more times during their pregnancy due to possible additional risks from being infected during that time. The doctor will also likely review the patient's medical history to see if he or she has had chlamydia before.
The next step in making a chlamydia diagnosis is typically a physical exam. The doctor will likely take the patient's temperature to see if a fever is present, which is possible with a severe chlamydia infection. He or she will check to see if there is any pain or tenderness around the sex organs in a woman. Checking to see if there is a discharge coming from the penis or vagina may also be part of the process.
If the patient's history or symptoms indicate an infection may be present, the doctor will likely order a diagnostic test to confirm a chlamydia diagnosis. This may involve taking a culture with a swab, from the cervix in women or from the urethra at the end of the penis in men, to see if the bacteria is present; in certain cases, a sample may also be taken from the anus. The other method that may be used is a urine sample, which can also be analyzed for infection.
