Getting Treated

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are treated with medicine called antibiotics. The medicine for chlamydia is different than the medicine for gonorrhea. Usually these medicines are given in a single dose by your doctor but they take a full week (7 days) to clear the infection.  It is very important that you and your sex partner(s) get treated and do not have sex for one full week after you all have been treated. If you need help finding a free or low-cost clinic where you can get treated, use our clinic locator, call the I Know Alameda Hotline at (510) 268-2110, or email [email protected].

If you have insurance, your treatment should be free. If you are already enrolled in Family PACT, California's program to cover family planning services (including STI testing and treatment) for individuals with low-income, let the clinic know and the cost of your treatment may also be covered. If you are not already enrolled in Family PACT, ask the clinic when you go in for treatment if you are eligible to enroll. If you are not eligible and do not have other insurance, most clinics use a sliding-scale fee so you will only have to pay what you can afford.

You should print out your test results from this website and take them with you when you go to your clinic for treatment. You may also be able to show the provider your results on your mobile device if you can pull up the website while you are at the clinic. Your results page will explain to the doctor that you tested positive for chlamydia and/or gonorrhea using an approved home test provided by the Alameda Public Health Department and that you need treatment. If you are unable to print or show your test results to your provider, you can also call the I Know Alameda hotline at (510) 268-2110 while you are at the clinic and we will send your results via confidential fax.

The clinic may ask you if you are enrolled in Family PACT, a program that provides confidential reproductive health services for individuals with low-income. If you are not already enrolled in Family PACT, ask about enrolling in the program when you go to the clinic for treatment. Family PACT may cover the cost of your STI treatment.

You will need to see a nurse or doctor to receive treatment for your infection. They may offer you other tests as part of a comprehensive exam. If you would like further STI testing or birth control services, Family PACT may cover the cost of those services as well. If you need help finding a free or low-cost clinic where you can get treated, use our clinic locator, call the I Know Alameda hotline at (510) 268-2110, or email [email protected].

Chlamydia and gonorrhea can be treated if you follow these 3 important steps:

1. Take all of the medicine your doctor or nurse gives you.
2. Make sure all of your sex partners from the past 2 months get treated as soon as possible.
3. Don't have sex until 7 DAYS AFTER you and your sex partner(s) finish the medicine. If you do have sex before 7 days, you must use a condom.

You should print out your test results from this website and take them with you when you go for treatment. You may also be able to show the provider your results on your mobile device if you can pull up the website while you are at the clinic. Your results page will explain to the doctor that you tested positive for chlamydia and/or gonorrhea using an approved home test provided by the Alameda Public Health Department and that you need treatment.

If you are unable to print or show your test results to your provider, you can also call the I Know Alameda Hotline at (510) 268-2110. Let us know which doctor or clinic you are going to for treatment and we'll send them your test results via confidential fax.

If you tested positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea it’s important that your last sex partner, and any sex partners you had in the last 2 months, also get treated for the same STIs. If your partners are infected and not treated, they could infect you again or they could infect someone else.

There are several ways for your partners to get treatment. The best and fastest way is for you to bring them to the clinic with you when you go in for treatment. Another good option is for your partners to go to see their own doctor right away. If your partners are unable to get to a clinic, some doctors will give you medicine to give to your partners. This is called Patient Delivered Partner Therapy or "PDPT." When you go to the clinic for your treatment, ask if they can give you PDPT to take to your partners.

Talking with sex partners about getting tested and treated for STIs can be tough. Tell Your Partner has some great tips on how to talk to your partners about STIs. They even have a feature that allows you to send an anonymous text message to a partner letting them know that they should get tested. You can also call the I Know Alameda hotline at (510) 268-2110 or email [email protected] for tips on talking to your partners.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone who is treated for chlamydia or gonorrhea gets tested again (re-tested) 3 months after taking their medication. It's common for people to get infected again, often from having sex with an untreated partner. We will send a reminder when it's time for you to be re-tested to the email or phone number that you chose when you placed your order. 

When it's time to be re-tested, you can log-in to re-order a FREE home test kit or go to a clinic near you for re-testing. If you are experiencing symptoms of an STI or if you are pregnant, contact your primary care provider or a clinic near you immediately.

Yes. You can get chlamydia and gonorrhea more than once even if you have received treatment in the past. In fact, a very high number of people with chlamydia or gonorrhea get infected again soon after their first infection. Getting another infection with chlamydia or gonorrhea can cause more damage inside you than the last infection. This damage can make it so that you can’t have a baby later if you want to and it can also lead to you having abnormal bleeding and pain in your lower belly when you have sex. For most people, there are no symptoms so you may not feel that anything is wrong.

This is why it’s important that your sex partner(s) get treated too. Otherwise, they could re-infect you. If you need help telling your partner(s) that they need to be treated, ask your doctor for advice or go to Tell Your Partner to send your partner an anonymous text message.

We also recommend that everyone who is treated for chlamydia or gonorrhea gets tested again (re-tested) 3 months after taking their medication. It's common for people to get infected again, often from having sex with an untreated partner. We will send a reminder when it's time for you to be re-tested to the email or phone number that you chose when you placed your order. When it's time to get re-tested, you can log-in to re-order a FREE home test kit or go to a clinic near you for re-testing. If you are experiencing symptoms of an STI or if you are pregnant, contact your primary care provider or a clinic near you immediately.