Screening check
Should I get screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea?
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are among the most common sexually transmitted infections in the US, and in women they usually cause no symptoms. The US Preventive Services Task Force says who should be screened. Check where you fall.
About you
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What you will see
Whether the USPSTF recommends chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for you.
Educational only, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about testing.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, September 2021 recommendation on screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Validated in
Sexually active teens and adults without symptoms, including pregnant people.
Limits
It is not a test and does not cover people with symptoms. The USPSTF did not review screening for people living with HIV or taking HIV PrEP; the CDC has advice for them.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Sexually active women 24 or younger, including pregnant people | Screen for chlamydia and gonorrhea | B |
| Women 25 or older at increased risk | Screen for chlamydia and gonorrhea | B |
| Sexually active men | Evidence insufficient to weigh benefits and harms | I |
The USPSTF recommends screening for both infections at the same time, because their risk factors overlap (USPSTF 2021). The recommendations are split by "men" and "women", but they follow biological sex rather than gender identity. People should consider their sex at birth and current anatomy, especially whether they have a cervix or vagina, and ask their clinician which advice fits (USPSTF 2021).
Why it matters
About 1.8 million cases of chlamydia and more than 600,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported to the CDC in 2019. Rates are highest in teens and young adults: 61% of reported chlamydia infections in 2019 were in people aged 15 to 24 (USPSTF 2021). In women the infections usually cause no symptoms and can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, with complications such as ectopic pregnancy, infertility and chronic pelvic pain (USPSTF 2021). Babies born to someone with an untreated infection can develop pneumonia or eye infections. Both infections can also raise the risk of getting or passing on HIV (USPSTF 2021).
Who counts as increased risk at 25 or older
The USPSTF lists a past or current sexually transmitted infection, a new partner or more than one, a partner who has other partners at the same time, a partner with an infection, and inconsistent condom use outside a mutually monogamous relationship. Exchanging sex for money or drugs and a history of incarceration are also linked to higher risk (USPSTF 2021). Local rates matter too, and clinicians may use local public health data (USPSTF 2021).
The test and how often
Screening uses a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT). A urine sample works at least as well as a swab in clinical settings, and the same sample can test for both infections (USPSTF 2021). There are no studies on the best interval. The USPSTF suggests testing again when your sexual history shows new or ongoing risk since your last negative result (USPSTF 2021).
Both infections are treated with antibiotics. Gonorrhea is becoming more resistant to antibiotics, so clinicians follow the latest CDC treatment guidance (USPSTF 2021).
Common questions
Why is there no advice for men?
The USPSTF found the evidence too limited to say whether screening men without symptoms does more good than harm (USPSTF 2021). Men often have no symptoms, though gonorrhea causes symptoms in men more often than chlamydia does (USPSTF 2021).
Does this apply in pregnancy?
Yes. The recommendation for women includes pregnant people (USPSTF 2021).
Also see the syphilis screening check, the HIV screening check, the hepatitis B screening check, the cervical cancer screening check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;326(10):949. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/chlamydia-and-gonorrhea-screening
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-29. Spotted an error? See About.