According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 26 million new STI cases in the U.S. per year. One in 5 Americans are estimated to have an STI. In the past 10 years, chlamydia cases have increased nationally by 16% and gonorrhea cases have almost doubled. Half of all new infections in suburban Cook County are in people ages 18 to 24 years old.
You are eligible for a free test!
Cook County Department of Public Health is partnering with Color to offer free, at-home test kits for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Step-by-step instructions and a return box with a mailing label are included!
Here’s what to expect:
18+ and living in suburban Cook County? We’ll ship you a test for free.
Get your kit in the mail in a few days–it’ll come in a plain, unmarked envelope.
Create a Color account and fill out your information.
Collect your sample(s), following the kit instructions.
Package and drop the test at your nearest USPS drop box. A clinical lab will process the sample.
Privately review your results in your Color account within a week after the lab receives your sample.
Both you and your sexual partner(s) should talk to a healthcare provider about treatment. Antibiotics may be recommended and in most cases can effectively treat chlamydia and gonorrhea.
It is important to complete treatment before having sex to ensure that you and your partner(s) are protected.
Let any sexual partners from the last three months know that you have tested positive.
They may need to get tested and treated. Your partners may be eligible to get a prescription for treatment without a test – ask your provider.
Retest after 3 months to check for reinfection (and continue prevention behaviors).
This is quick and simple for me to do because I don't have a lot of time during the day to go to my doctor.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are both common sexually transmitted infections. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported STI and gonorrhea the second. They can infect both men and women. Women can get chlamydia or gonorrhea in the vagina/uterus, anus, or throat. Men can get chlamydia or gonorrhea in the urethra (inside the penis), anus, or throat.
A person may have gonorrhea and/or chlamydia and not know it. People often have no symptoms or very mild symptoms, are therefore unaware they are infected, and can spread chlamydia and gonorrhea to their sexual partners.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines recommend that you get screened annually for chlamydia and gonorrhea if you’re sexually active. Testing is also recommended if any of the following circumstances apply:
Color offers a free one or three-sample self-test for chlamydia and gonorrhea. The one-sample test is a urine test that looks for infection in the urethra. The three-sample test is recommended for anyone who engages in oral and anal sex, and includes an anal swab, a mouth swab, and a urine sample.
Yes, STI results are kept confidential in accordance with applicable medical privacy laws. If you are tested today, a clinician will call you to discuss your results. As required by law, positive results are reported to your state health department.
Both you and your sexual partner(s) should talk to a healthcare provider about treatment. If you test positive, a healthcare provider will contact you via phone the day your results are released (or Monday, if on the weekend) to discuss your treatment plan. Antibiotics (given orally or intravenously) may be recommended and in most cases can effectively treat chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Also, your partners may be eligible to get a prescription for treatment without a test – ask your provider. It is important to complete treatment before having sex to ensure that you and your partner(s) are protected.
You’ll also have the option to connect with a Color Care Advocate, who can help you to:
This free program is open to all Cook County residents aged 18+, and it’s recommended to get tested annually if you’re sexually active.
If you test positive, a healthcare provider will call you via phone the day your results are released (or Monday, if on the weekend) to discuss treatment options for you and your sexual partner(s). Your partner(s) may be eligible for Expedited Partner Therapy, which means they can get a prescription for treatment without a test.
Antibiotics may be recommended and in most cases can effectively treat chlamydia and gonorrhea. If you test positive for an infection, both you and your sexual partner(s) should talk to a healthcare provider about treatment. It is important to complete treatment before having sex to ensure that you and your partner(s) are protected.
If left untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause serious and long-term health consequences including infertility and poor pregnancy and birth outcomes. People with gonorrhea or chlamydia are more likely to contract and spread other STIs such as HIV (if HIV is present in one of the partners). For pregnant women, both chlamydia and gonorrhea can be passed to the baby during delivery.
If you are not currently eligible, see Cook County Department of Public Health’s list of testing sites in the county, or search the CDC’s website to find free testing near you.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are both common sexually transmitted infections. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported STI and gonorrhea the second. They can infect both men and women. Women can get chlamydia or gonorrhea in the vagina/uterus, anus, or throat. Men can get chlamydia or gonorrhea in the urethra (inside the penis), anus, or throat.
A person may have gonorrhea and/or chlamydia and not know it. People often have no symptoms or very mild symptoms, are therefore unaware they are infected, and can spread chlamydia and gonorrhea to their sexual partners.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines recommend that you get screened annually for chlamydia and gonorrhea if you’re sexually active. Testing is also recommended if any of the following circumstances apply:
Color offers a free one or three-sample self-test for chlamydia and gonorrhea. The one-sample test is a urine test that looks for infection in the urethra. The three-sample test is recommended for anyone who engages in oral and anal sex, and includes an anal swab, a mouth swab, and a urine sample.
Yes, STI results are kept confidential in accordance with applicable medical privacy laws. If you are tested today, a clinician will call you to discuss your results. As required by law, positive results are reported to your state health department.
Both you and your sexual partner(s) should talk to a healthcare provider about treatment. If you test positive, a healthcare provider will contact you via phone the day your results are released (or Monday, if on the weekend) to discuss your treatment plan. Antibiotics (given orally or intravenously) may be recommended and in most cases can effectively treat chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Also, your partners may be eligible to get a prescription for treatment without a test – ask your provider. It is important to complete treatment before having sex to ensure that you and your partner(s) are protected.
You’ll also have the option to connect with a Color Care Advocate, who can help you to:
This free program is open to all Cook County residents aged 18+, and it’s recommended to get tested annually if you’re sexually active.
If you test positive, a healthcare provider will call you via phone the day your results are released (or Monday, if on the weekend) to discuss treatment options for you and your sexual partner(s). Your partner(s) may be eligible for Expedited Partner Therapy, which means they can get a prescription for treatment without a test.
Antibiotics may be recommended and in most cases can effectively treat chlamydia and gonorrhea. If you test positive for an infection, both you and your sexual partner(s) should talk to a healthcare provider about treatment. It is important to complete treatment before having sex to ensure that you and your partner(s) are protected.
If left untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause serious and long-term health consequences including infertility and poor pregnancy and birth outcomes. People with gonorrhea or chlamydia are more likely to contract and spread other STIs such as HIV (if HIV is present in one of the partners). For pregnant women, both chlamydia and gonorrhea can be passed to the baby during delivery.
If you are not currently eligible, see Cook County Department of Public Health’s list of testing sites in the county, or search the CDC’s website to find free testing near you.
If you’d like to learn more about STIs and why testing is important, visit any of the sources below.
Visit our support page.
Reach our team every day from 8 AM to 7 PM CT. You can email us at [email protected] or call at (833) 241-8824.
References
