Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSimilaritiesDifferencesPreventionRisk FactorsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Similarities
Differences
Prevention
Risk Factors
Frequently Asked Questions
Chlamydiaandgonorrheaare bothsexually transmitted infections(STIs) that can infect the vaginal, oral, anal, urethral, and throat tissues. While some of the symptoms may be the same, many people are asymptomatic (experience no symptoms at all) with either infection.
Read on to learn more about the similarities and differences between these infections, risk factors, and prevention.
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Transmission
The bacterium that causes chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) and the bacterium that causes gonorrhea (Neisseria gonorrhoea) can both be found in semen and vaginal fluids.
Transmission between people for either infection can occur during:
Diagnosis
Diagnostic tests for chlamydia or gonorrhea are very similar.
The samples used to test for a gonorrhea infection are essentially the same.
For both infections, you may have the option to collect samples yourself. You will either use a swab to collect samples from the same areas that a healthcare provider would, or collect your own urine sample. Researchers have found that self-collection of samples provides accurate results.
Collecting samples at home and returning them to a clinic or mailing them to a lab to get results may also be an option.
At-Home TestingYou may wish to use arapid at-home testto get results. If so, it’s critical to seek medical care if you get a positive result in order to receive treatment and discuss future prevention.
At-Home Testing
You may wish to use arapid at-home testto get results. If so, it’s critical to seek medical care if you get a positive result in order to receive treatment and discuss future prevention.
Possible Impacts of Untreated Infections
While some people may have a chlamydia or gonorrhea infection without knowing it, it won’t go away without being treated. Some of the long-term impacts of the two infections are similar.
Among other health concerns, some of the possible conditions that can occur if either infection is left untreated include:
While chlamydia and gonorrhea have a lot in common, there are a few differences between the two, mainly in symptoms and treatment.
Symptoms
A person who has a chlamydia or gonorrhea infection may not know they have it, because they have no symptoms. If symptoms are experienced, they may be slightly different depending on the type of infection.
Symptoms of chlamydiamay include:
Symptoms of gonorrheamay include:
Gonorrhea can also infect the anus and throat. In the anus, symptoms may include itching around the area, discharge, or pain. Symptoms in the throat are rare and may only include a sore throat.
Rates of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in the U.S.
Chlamydia infections in the United States are much more common than gonorrhea. According to a 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, there were:
2:22Click Play to Learn About the Symptoms of Gonorrhea
2:22
Click Play to Learn About the Symptoms of Gonorrhea
Treatment
Both infections are treated with antibiotics, though they are not the same medications.
Chlamydia is treatedwith doxycycline taken orally, two times a day for seven days. Alternative medications are also taken orally and may include a single dose ofazithromycinorlevofloxacin, once a day for seven days.
Gonorrhea treatmentswill vary. Some strains of gonorrhea are now resistant to some antibiotic medications that were previously effective.
For an infection in the urethra, cervix, throat, or rectum:
If chlamydia infection hasn’t been excluded, the person should also be treated for chlamydia with doxycycline.
Being tested for either infection right after completing treatment isn’t necessary (unless the infection is in the throat or the person is pregnant). However, retesting at three months after treatment is recommended for everyone.
It’s wise to avoid having sex until your treatment is completed and all your sexual partners have completed their treatment for chlamydia or gonorrhea. This reduces the risk of transmission to other people and being reinfected.
Expedited partner therapy may be available in some healthcare clinics if it’s not possible for your partner(s) to easily get tested or treated. In this case, a healthcare provider gives a prescription to the patient who was diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea so that they can give it to their partner(s) without their needing a medical visit.
Inform Past Sexual PartnersIt’s recommended to inform any sexual partners you had in the three months prior to diagnosis about your infection so they can seek testing and treatment.
Inform Past Sexual Partners
It’s recommended to inform any sexual partners you had in the three months prior to diagnosis about your infection so they can seek testing and treatment.
The only way to completely avoid the risk of getting an STI is to not have sex.
But if you are sexually active, there are a number of ways you and your partner(s) can reduce the risk of transmitting STIs, including:
Risk Factors and Populations With Higher Risk
Anyone who is sexually active may be at risk for getting or transmitting an STI. However, there are certain factors that may increase your risk for getting chlamydia, gonorrhea, or another STI.
Factors That Increase the Risk of STIsThe likelihood of getting an STI may be higher if you have sex:With multiple partnersWith people you don’t knowWithout using a barrier method, such as a condomIf you already have an STI or are currently experiencing an outbreak (such as with genital herpes)While using substances (such as alcohol or drugs) that may lower inhibitions and increase risk-taking
Factors That Increase the Risk of STIs
The likelihood of getting an STI may be higher if you have sex:With multiple partnersWith people you don’t knowWithout using a barrier method, such as a condomIf you already have an STI or are currently experiencing an outbreak (such as with genital herpes)While using substances (such as alcohol or drugs) that may lower inhibitions and increase risk-taking
The likelihood of getting an STI may be higher if you have sex:
There are certain populations of people who may be at a higher risk for STIs. These groups include:
The CDC recommends that MSM and transgender women who have had a bacterial STI (specifically syphilis, chlamydia, or gonorrhea) diagnosed in the past 12 months or who have had condomless oral, anal, or vaginal sex should receive counseling that doxy PEP can be used as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent these infections. Oral doxycycline is taken once within 72 hours of condomless oral, anal, or vaginal sex.
Summary
Chlamydia and gonorrhea infections are similar in many ways, including how they are transmitted, diagnosed, and what happens if they are left untreated. However, there are some notable differences, such as certain symptoms and the specific treatments for each infection.
A Word From Verywell
If you’re sexually active, it’s wise to know the symptoms and risk factors for sexually transmitted infections. Talk with your healthcare provider about how often you should be tested for STIs depending on your status. Testing will help you identify infections sooner and reduce the risk of transmitting them to others.
For the majority of people who have chlamydia or gonorrhea, the infection will persist in the body until it’s treated and cured. However, some research supports that the infections go away on their own for about 20% of people with asymptomatic chlamydia and about the same percentage for those with gonorrhea.
Yes, the available treatments do effectively cure the infections. However, it is possible to become reinfected. There is also a growing concern of some strains of gonorrhea that may be resistant to certain medications used to treat the infection.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health.Sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chlamydial infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gonococcal infections among adolescents and adults.Lunny C, Taylor D, Hoang L, et al.Self-collected versus clinician-collected sampling for chlamydia and gonorrhea screening: a systemic review and meta-analysis.PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0132776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132776Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STDs & infertility.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chlamydia.Carlin E, Flew S.Sexually acquired reactive arthritis.Clin Med. 2016;16(2):193-196. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.16-2-193Planned Parenthood.Chlamydia.Planned Parenthood.Gonorrhea.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted disease surveillance, 2019.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Expedited partner therapy.American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.How to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to prevent STIs.UpToDate.com.Patient education: genital herpes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2018.Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.CDC clinical guidelines on the use of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis for bacterial sexually transmitted infection prevention, United States, 2024.Cyr SS.Update to CDC’s treatment guidelines for gonococcal infection, 2020.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6950a6Geisler WM, Lensing SY, Press CG, Hook EW.Spontaneous resolution of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection in women and protection from reinfection.J Infect Dis. 2013;207(12):1850-1856. doi:10.1093/infdis/jit094Mensforth S, Ayinde OC, Ross J.Spontaneous clearance of genital and extragenitalNeisseria gonorrhoeae: data from GToG.Sex Transm Infect. 2020;96(8):556-561. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2020-054500
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health.Sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chlamydial infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gonococcal infections among adolescents and adults.Lunny C, Taylor D, Hoang L, et al.Self-collected versus clinician-collected sampling for chlamydia and gonorrhea screening: a systemic review and meta-analysis.PLoS One. 2015;10(7):e0132776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0132776Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STDs & infertility.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chlamydia.Carlin E, Flew S.Sexually acquired reactive arthritis.Clin Med. 2016;16(2):193-196. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.16-2-193Planned Parenthood.Chlamydia.Planned Parenthood.Gonorrhea.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted disease surveillance, 2019.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Expedited partner therapy.American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.How to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to prevent STIs.UpToDate.com.Patient education: genital herpes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2018.Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.CDC clinical guidelines on the use of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis for bacterial sexually transmitted infection prevention, United States, 2024.Cyr SS.Update to CDC’s treatment guidelines for gonococcal infection, 2020.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6950a6Geisler WM, Lensing SY, Press CG, Hook EW.Spontaneous resolution of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection in women and protection from reinfection.J Infect Dis. 2013;207(12):1850-1856. doi:10.1093/infdis/jit094Mensforth S, Ayinde OC, Ross J.Spontaneous clearance of genital and extragenitalNeisseria gonorrhoeae: data from GToG.Sex Transm Infect. 2020;96(8):556-561. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2020-054500
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chlamydial infections.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gonococcal infections among adolescents and adults.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STDs & infertility.
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Planned Parenthood.Gonorrhea.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted disease surveillance, 2019.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Expedited partner therapy.
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UpToDate.com.Patient education: genital herpes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted disease surveillance 2018.
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.CDC clinical guidelines on the use of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis for bacterial sexually transmitted infection prevention, United States, 2024.
Cyr SS.Update to CDC’s treatment guidelines for gonococcal infection, 2020.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6950a6
Geisler WM, Lensing SY, Press CG, Hook EW.Spontaneous resolution of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection in women and protection from reinfection.J Infect Dis. 2013;207(12):1850-1856. doi:10.1093/infdis/jit094
Mensforth S, Ayinde OC, Ross J.Spontaneous clearance of genital and extragenitalNeisseria gonorrhoeae: data from GToG.Sex Transm Infect. 2020;96(8):556-561. doi:10.1136/sextrans-2020-054500
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