Chlamydia and gonorrhea are two most common STIs. It has certain similarities so it is possible to get confused between the two.

However, there are certain distinctions as well.

Are you confused about which STI do you have? Want to know how to distinguish between the two STIs?

Karepedia is here to clarify your doubts regarding Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.

Join us as we explore the two STI, its symptoms, treatments, and preventive measures. Let’s break down the complexities related to both.

Symptoms of Chlamydia vs Gonorrhea

Studies found that about 75% of women and 50% of men show no symptoms of Chlamydia. Gonorrhea can lead some to experience itchiness and pain during bowel movements, which is an indication you might be dealing with Gonorrhoea as opposed to Chlamydia.

There may be overlap of symptoms of Chlamydia vs Gonorrhea, but minute details tell us about which infection you are suffering from.

Symptoms of Chlamydia are:

• Yellowish vaginal discharge that has a strong smell.
• Milky white/watery discharge from the penis.
• Painful sexual intercourse.
• Bleeding in-between menstrual periods.
• Lower abdominal pain.
• Burning sensation or pain during peeing.
• Swollen testicles.
• Anal pain or bleeding and discharge (at later stages).

Symptoms of Gonorrhea are:

• Yellowish green discharge from the penis or vagina.
• Bleeding in-between menstrual periods.
• Burning sensation or pain during peeing.
• Painful or swollen testicles.
• Some of the notable difference seen in the symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhea are:

Chlamydia can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or PID in severe cases, if the infection ascends up to your uterus and fallopian tubes. You should consult a physician immediately if you are experiencing these symptoms:

• Sudden onset of fever.
• Mid cycle Vaginal bleeding.
• Intense pain in your hip or pelvic region.
• In males, severe form of urethral infection can progress to epididymitis (testicular infection).

Chlamydia during pregnancy may lead to:

• Abortion.
• Premature birth.
• Low birth weight of the baby.
• Eye infections in newborns.
• Other complications.

Another difference between Chlamydia vs Gonorrhea is their incubation period. Chlamydia takes about 2 weeks to show the symptoms whereas Gonorrhea symptoms appear within a week of getting infected.

Treatment Options

Treatment options for Chlamydia vs Gonorrhea are antibiotics, but of different groups. Chlamydia is usually treated with doxycycline or azithromycin that is taken orally. As some gonorrhea strains are already resistant to antibiotics, it requires a combination of different antibiotics based on the patient's resistance profile.

Preventive Measures

The preventive measures of any Sexually transmitted disease is abstaining from unprotected sex. Let’s see what are the precautions you can take if you want to enjoy your sex life without worrying about your sexual health.

• Always use protection

Though there are several differences between chlamydia vs gonorrhea, both can be prevented with use of protection during sex. You can use male or female condoms as per your convenience.

• Set a limit to your sexual partners

You increase your risk of exposing yourself by having sex with more partners. The person may not themselves know about their infection status as some people may remain asymptomatic.

• Get your regular check-up

It is always a better idea to get yourself tested at regular intervals if you are unable to follow the earlier precautions. This will keep you safe and prevent you from spreading the infection to your partners unknowingly.

• Restrain from using products that affect your vaginal bacteria.

Do not use products for your vagina that may disturb the balance of pH of your vagina. The healthy bacteria that protect your vagina from infections, the vaginal flora dies by using scented products and douches.

FAQs

1. I still have symptoms but tested negative for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

You may suffer from other infections which show similar symptoms like UTI, yeast infection or Bacterial vaginosis. Every infection has a different treatment. So, consult your physician if you are still experiencing symptoms and not got chlamydia vs gonorrhea.

2. Can I have chlamydia and gonorrhea simultaneously?

Unfortunately, yes. You can have more than one STDs at the same time. As the spread of both Chlamydia vs gonorrhea is same – sexual contact, having multiple unprotected sexual partners may increase your risk of getting more than one STDs.

3. Which is more serious among the two: Chlamydia vs Gonorrhea?

It’s difficult to compare the seriousness of two infections. Any STDs should not be left untreated. If you fail to catch the initial signs of Chlamydia vs Gonorrhea you may suffer from serious consequences like Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Ectopic pregnancy or even infertility. It can also lead to an increased risk of developing reactive arthritis and even making you susceptible to contracting HIV. So, folks don’t wait for your symptoms to turn into serious life-threatening infections. Take care of your sexual health at regular intervals.

4. Can chlamydia turn into gonorrhea?

A big No. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are caused by different set of bacteria. One bacterial infection cannot turn into another but you can get yourself infected with more than one STDs at a time. You can get yourself tested for separate STDs for a healthy and happy life.

The controversy of Chlamydia vs gonorrhea is very old. Hope Karepedia has cleared all your doubts once and for all.

There are several similarities yet certain differences between the symptoms but the prevention is the same for any sexually transmitted infection.

If you doubt that you are being infected with any of these, get yourself tested at the earliest to get better results and stop unknowingly spreading the infection to your partner.

To keep your sexual life healthy along with your physical health, shift to safer practices like using protection when unsure of your partner’s infection condition.