Chlamydia Result

[worried9834421]

Dr,

This is connected to my previous post last month. I don't intend for this to be ongoing and thought it was all over. I had blood tests for Syphilis, HIV and Hep b&c last month and all was clear. Last week i had a swab test for Gon and a urine test for Chlamydia. The Gon test came back negative but the Chlamydia test was positive. The test was Chlamydia ELISA.

Given the advice on other posts this was the last thing i thought would be positive. My intention is to repeat the test next week before taking the doxy and telling my wife to get tested. We have only had protected sex since the incident and i had a routine chlamydia test last year (part of a screening program) that was negative.

Could the test be a false positive? or could i have got it from the oral encounter given by a high risk person?

This was obviously not the news I was hoping for.

Thanks in advance

[Edward W Hook, MD]

ELISA tests do have occasional false positve tests.  The ELISA is an inferior tests and almost no matter what the result, I expect you will have continuuing questions.  It would be good if you could arrange for an NAAT.  EWH

[worried9834421]

I'm in the military which may help to explain things.

The gonorrhea test was a microscopy culture test on the swab. The chlamydia was an ELISA test on the urine. They said NAATS's tests could not be done due to the logistics and the amount of time it would take to get a sample to a laboratory making it void. I have a repeat test for next week.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I suspect that there has been some miscommunication here or a misunderstanding about the tests performed.  Chlamydia is almost never transmitted through oral sex. The rare instances when it is, these are the exceptions that prove the general rule.

Also, can you tell me where you were tested?  At the present time, nearly all gonorrhea and chlamydia tests are now peformed using the same swab or on a single urine specimen.  In the past two separate swabs were needed but at present typically a single specimen (urine or swab) is sufficient to be tested using methods based on nucleic acid amplification technology.  These far more sensitive tests, called nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are widely used and provide highly reliable test results.  There are many different brands of NAATs for chlamydia and gonorrhea and all are highly reliable and accurate.  ELISA tests for chlamydia on urine are almost never performed any longer in North America, Europe or in other developed nations.   Please find out more details about the tests  performed and I can comment further.  EWH