What’s the difference between gonorrhoea and chlamyida?

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are two are the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the UK. You may know them as “the clam” and “the clap”. 

Both chlamydia and gonorrhoea commonly don’t present any symptoms in either men or women, so you should regularly test for STDs if you are sexually active just to be safe. 

If you think you may have chlamydia or gonorrhoea and aren’t sure which, here’s what you need to know about their similarities and differences.

Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea: What are the similarities?

Both of these STDs are caused by different bacteria, but they do have some similarities:

#They share the same method of transmission

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are transmitted in the same way as most STDs, either by:

• anal sex
• fingering or fisting (if hands have come into contact with bodily fluids)
• oral sex

#They present similar symptoms

Although many symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhoea aren’t always easy to detect, the ones that do appear will often affect similar areas of the body. These symptoms can include:

• Discharge from the urethra (tip of the penis) or vagina
• Itching, pain or burning when weeing
• Pain, swelling or redness of the testicles
• Pain, discharge or bleeding from the bottom

#They can be prevented by always having protected sex

Using condoms or an oral dam is the most effective way to prevent the transmission of chlamydia or gonorrhoea as they cover the skin and protect you from any exposure to any STDs or the possibility of passing an STD onto your partner. 

#They can both affect the eyes as well

Just as both of these STDs can affect the penis, bum and throat, they can also affect your eyes. If you touch your eyes after coming into contact with the bodily fluids of someone with one of these STDs, your eyes can become infected. This can result in pain or discharge due to a bacterial infection. 

Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea: What are the differences?

While there are some similarities between these two STDs, there are also some differences.

# Different bacteria cause them

The bacteria Chlamydia Trachomatis causes chlamydia while Neisseria Gonorrhoeae causes Gonorrhea. 

#Gonorrhoea has slightly different symptoms

If you experience itchiness and pain during bowel movements, as well as the symptoms outlined above, this may indicate you have gonorrhoea as opposed to chlamydia.

#They have different treatments 

While both chlamydia and gonorrhoea are curable, there are different treatments for both of them. 

Chlamydia is usually treated with a single dose of a solid oral antibiotic, followed by a short course of a weaker oral antibiotic for seven days. Gonorrhoea is usually treated with an intramuscular injection of an antibiotic and then an oral antibiotic.

How to find out if you have chlamydia or gonorrhoea.

If you have sex regularly, you should also test for STDs regularly. You can do this at your doctor or a sexual health clinic or buy a private chlamydia and gonorrhoea test from Test2Go. 

This test is done in the privacy of your own home by you collecting a urine sample, which is then sent to our accredited labs for testing. All tests come with a free 24-hour Royal Mail return label. A complete set of instructions are also included with the test to tell you how to properly collect, store and return your sample to our labs.