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What Does This NAAT Report Indicate?
Question: Hi
I have just taken an std urine test (NAAT method) for chlamydia and gonorrhea and fortunately the test results came up negative.
However, at the time of the test I was 9 days in to a 10 day course of Phenoxymethyl Penicillin - x2 250g tablets 4 times a day.
I have read that being tested while taking anti-biotics can affect the reliability of the tests. I know that the anti-biotics I have been taking are not normally effective against chlamydia and gonorrhea and are not the prescribed medications. However, I have three questions:
1. Is it true that anti-biotics, like the ones I am on, can affect the reliability of tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea? And if so, in what ways?
2. What is the likelihood that these anti-biotics may have cleared up any infection I had (assuming I had one)?
3. What is the likelihood that these anti-biotics may have suppressed the infection to mean that it could not be detected by the tests and I consequently received a negative result, but that I still have an infection (assuming I had an infection in the first place).
I should add that I do not know if I had an infection. I had no symptoms and I only got tested as a former partner said they had tested positive, but we only had a one time encounter and it is very possible that I did not have anything and the test results are accurate.
Thank you.
I have just taken an std urine test (NAAT method) for chlamydia and gonorrhea and fortunately the test results came up negative.
However, at the time of the test I was 9 days in to a 10 day course of Phenoxymethyl Penicillin - x2 250g tablets 4 times a day.
I have read that being tested while taking anti-biotics can affect the reliability of the tests. I know that the anti-biotics I have been taking are not normally effective against chlamydia and gonorrhea and are not the prescribed medications. However, I have three questions:
1. Is it true that anti-biotics, like the ones I am on, can affect the reliability of tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea? And if so, in what ways?
2. What is the likelihood that these anti-biotics may have cleared up any infection I had (assuming I had one)?
3. What is the likelihood that these anti-biotics may have suppressed the infection to mean that it could not be detected by the tests and I consequently received a negative result, but that I still have an infection (assuming I had an infection in the first place).
I should add that I do not know if I had an infection. I had no symptoms and I only got tested as a former partner said they had tested positive, but we only had a one time encounter and it is very possible that I did not have anything and the test results are accurate.
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Welcome to Healthcare Magic.
I read carefully your query.
Penicillin usually is not use to treat Gonorrhea and Chlamydia infection.Penicillin is not effective against Chlamydia ,so the antibiotic has not affected the result of this test.
There is a very small possibility that penicillin could have affected the test.In most of the cases Gonorrhea is resistant to penicillin.In sporadic cases can happen that gonococcus bacteria can be still sensitive to penicillin.In this case the antibiotic could have affected the test by treating the infection.Even if you were infected with Gonorrhea ,the fact that you tested negative means two things: you were not infected or you were infected but the antibiotic you took has cured the infection but the probability that Penicillin can cure gonorrhea is very very low.
Chlamydia is resistant to penicillin and the test was negative ,means you are not infected with Chlamydia.
So ,to answer your queries :
1) Antibiotics like penicillin can affect the test result only by treating the infection.
2)The chances for penicillin to treat Gonorrhea/Chlamydia are very low due to the resistance of the bacteria responsible for the infections.
3)For the same reason ,it is very unlikely that penicillin has suppressed these infection ,which caused a negative result.
Considering the fact that Gonorrhea/Chlamydia test was negative and you don't have any symptom , you have nothing to worry about.
Hope it helps.
Let me know if you have any question.
Kind regards,
Dr.Rovena Murati
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Welcome to Healthcare Magic.
I read carefully your query.
Penicillin usually is not use to treat Gonorrhea and Chlamydia infection.Penicillin is not effective against Chlamydia ,so the antibiotic has not affected the result of this test.
There is a very small possibility that penicillin could have affected the test.In most of the cases Gonorrhea is resistant to penicillin.In sporadic cases can happen that gonococcus bacteria can be still sensitive to penicillin.In this case the antibiotic could have affected the test by treating the infection.Even if you were infected with Gonorrhea ,the fact that you tested negative means two things: you were not infected or you were infected but the antibiotic you took has cured the infection but the probability that Penicillin can cure gonorrhea is very very low.
Chlamydia is resistant to penicillin and the test was negative ,means you are not infected with Chlamydia.
So ,to answer your queries :
1) Antibiotics like penicillin can affect the test result only by treating the infection.
2)The chances for penicillin to treat Gonorrhea/Chlamydia are very low due to the resistance of the bacteria responsible for the infections.
3)For the same reason ,it is very unlikely that penicillin has suppressed these infection ,which caused a negative result.
Considering the fact that Gonorrhea/Chlamydia test was negative and you don't have any symptom , you have nothing to worry about.
Hope it helps.
Let me know if you have any question.
Kind regards,
Dr.Rovena Murati
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for the very helpful answer. One follow up question:
You state that: 'the probability that Penicillin can cure gonorrhea is very very low.'
Do you have any estimate as to how low a probability? I'm a mathematician and I like numbers! It will just help put the probability in to context.
Many thanks.
You state that: 'the probability that Penicillin can cure gonorrhea is very very low.'
Do you have any estimate as to how low a probability? I'm a mathematician and I like numbers! It will just help put the probability in to context.
Many thanks.
Brief Answer:
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
It is difficult to give an exact number because there are no study of the last years regarding the percentage of gonorrhea strains resistant to penicillin.This because penicillin is no longer used to treat gonorrhea since 1980.
It is known that the percentage of gonorrhea strains resistant to penicillin is very high (in 2010 40% of gonorrhea strains in infected patients involved in this study were penicillin resistant ,and this number increases every year).
Even if you were infected and the strain was sensitive to penicillin in your case ,then the infection is cured ,considering your treatment.
So in both cases you have nothing to worry about.
Take care.
Dr.Rovena
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
It is difficult to give an exact number because there are no study of the last years regarding the percentage of gonorrhea strains resistant to penicillin.This because penicillin is no longer used to treat gonorrhea since 1980.
It is known that the percentage of gonorrhea strains resistant to penicillin is very high (in 2010 40% of gonorrhea strains in infected patients involved in this study were penicillin resistant ,and this number increases every year).
Even if you were infected and the strain was sensitive to penicillin in your case ,then the infection is cured ,considering your treatment.
So in both cases you have nothing to worry about.
Take care.
Dr.Rovena
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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