FACTS & FAQ
About Getting Tested
It's the only way to know. Chlamydia and gonorrhea usually do not cause any symptoms so you might not notice that anything is wrong. In fact, most people with chlamydia or gonorrhea don't know they have it.
If you do get symptoms, they could include pain with urination (peeing) or a discharge (drip) from the vagina, penis or anus.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, sexually active women age 24 years or younger should be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea every year. CDC also recommends getting tested if:
- you have symptoms
- you change sex partners
- you have more than one sex partner
- your partner has more than one sex partner
You should also be re-tested 3 months after you finished treatment for either a chlamydia or gonorrhea infection.
There are two ways of testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea. You can go to a clinic or you can order a FREE home test kit from this website.
The test itself is easy and painless. Testing is usually done with a urine sample (pee in a cup) or a cotton swab of your vagina, mouth, or anus. The I Know home test kit only tests for vaginal infections using a vaginal swab.
When doctors do a pelvic exam or Pap test they do not always do a chlamydia or gonorrhea test at the same time. You should always ask your doctor for a chlamydia and gonorrhea test by name – don’t just assume you are being tested.
Yes. In California, if you are age 12 or older you can get a confidential STI test without your parents' permission - it's the law!
