Can throat chlamydia/gonorrhea be detected with a vaginal test?

[texasgirl89]

I have been tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea several times and every time it comes out negative.  However, my doctor only did the Q-tip swab on my cervix (I think that's what it was...but it certainly wasn't in my throat).  It always came out negative so i figured I was OK.  But could it have been in my throat all this time and not been noticed?  And if so, could that cause infertility or any other incurable health problems?  I believe my doctor said that if I had throat chlamydia or gonorrhea, it would show up in the test anyway, but I'm not sure if she actually said that.  So I'm getting tested again soon just for routine.  Should I request a throat swab too, or will it all be covered with a vaginal/cervical test?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

False positves are very rare.  AGain, rather than worry, do not get a chlamydia test of your throat.  I would refuse to do it if you came to me to request one.  EWH

[texasgirl89]

Thanks!  How common are false positives, though, and how can I tell if I have a false positive?  

[Edward W Hook, MD]

You didn’t mention oral sex or whether or not your partners have been known to have STDs of any sort so I will make the assumptions that you do practice oral sex but that you have not had partners who are known to have STDs.  That is the most common situation on a statistical basis.

Regarding oral gonorrhea and chlamydia.  I’ll address oral chlamydia first.  The risk of this is so low and should it occur, so inconsequential that you should not worry further.  Testing of the throat is far, far more likely to give a false positive result than to detect a true infection.   As for gonorrhea, it can and does occur and can occur even in the absence of genital infection.  Gonorrhea of the throat is most often asymptomatic so testing with a swab test is the best way for it to be detected.  We do recommend testing of the throat for gonorrhea in persons who have had oral sex with new or multiple partners.  A swab test is the test to do.  Once you have been tested, you need not be re-tested if you are in a mutually monogamous relationship but should be re-tested if you or your partner have new partners.

If you should have gonorrhea of the throat, you could pass it on to a sex partner by performing oral sex on him.  Such an infection however would not put you at risk for infertility.  You need to be infected in the genital tract for there to be risk of infertility.

Hope these answers to your question are helpful.  Overall I suspect you are not likely to be infected. Take care.  EWH

[texasgirl89]

Oh and moreover, if I do have throat chlamydia or gonorrhea, could I pass it to my boyfriend via unprotected oral or vaginal sex or kissing?  Sorry to update so much but I didn't want to pay another 15 dollars for the same basic question I just asked.

[texasgirl89]

Also I realized chlamydia in the throat is incredibly rare, so I suppose I'm mainly concerned about gonorrhea, but I'm concerned with both.