Kemi booked an STI screen at the end of a relationship — she felt fine and expected all-clear results. Chlamydia NAAT came back positive. She had no symptoms. Without the test, she would not have known — and could have unknowingly transmitted it to a new partner or developed silent pelvic inflammatory disease.
Graphic designer, Lekki. Presented for STI screening after ending a long-term relationship — no specific symptoms. Last tested 18 months earlier. NAAT for chlamydia: positive. Gonorrhoea NAAT: negative. HIV: negative. Syphilis: non-reactive. Hepatitis B: immune (vaccinated).
STI Screen (Full Panel)Kemi had been with her ex-partner for 14 months. When the relationship ended, she decided — almost as a matter of principle — to get tested before starting anything new. She had read enough about STIs to know that chlamydia was common, often asymptomatic, and easily treated. She expected all-clear. She booked the test as an act of responsibility, not because she was worried.
At Mascot Healthcare, the STI screen took one appointment: a urine sample for chlamydia and gonorrhoea NAAT, a blood draw for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. Results came back promptly. The nurse called her with the chlamydia result.
"Chlamydia NAAT is positive," the nurse said. Kemi's first response was disbelief — she had no symptoms. No discharge, no pain, no burning. "Most women with chlamydia have no symptoms," the nurse explained. "That's why testing is the only way to know."
A full STI screen tests for multiple infections simultaneously — the majority of which cause no symptoms in their early stages. Testing is the only way to know your status. Most STIs are completely curable with a single course of antibiotics.
Nucleic acid amplification test — the most sensitive method, detects chlamydia DNA. Can be done from urine or a swab. Kemi's: positive.
Same method — detects gonorrhoea from urine or swab. Both chlamydia and gonorrhoea are often asymptomatic in women. Kemi's: negative.
Combination antigen-antibody test — detects HIV from 18–45 days post-exposure. Kemi's: negative.
Screening (VDRL) and confirmatory (TPHA) tests for syphilis — a bacterial infection with widely variable presentation. Kemi's: non-reactive.
HBsAg, anti-HBs — confirms current infection or immunity. Kemi's: anti-HBs positive (immune from vaccination).
Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI in Nigeria. The majority of women infected — up to 70% — have no symptoms at all. Without testing, the infection remains undetected and untreated.
Untreated chlamydia in women can ascend from the cervix into the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID causes pelvic pain, fever, and — if recurrent or severe — permanent fallopian tube scarring that leads to infertility and increased ectopic pregnancy risk. Kemi had no symptoms — but the infection had been present for an unknown duration.
Treatment: a 7-day course of prescribed medication (the standard single-course treatment for uncomplicated chlamydia — 97% cure rate). Kemi was advised to avoid sexual contact until 7 days after completing treatment and until any partners had been treated.
Partner notification: her ex-partner was contacted (Kemi chose to do this directly) and advised to attend for testing and presumptive treatment. Partner attended a clinic and tested positive for chlamydia — treated with the same regimen.
Test-of-cure NAAT at 6 weeks: negative — chlamydia cleared. Full STI repeat screen at 3 months: all negative. Kemi was counselled on consistent condom use, regular testing (every 6–12 months if sexually active with new partners), and HPV vaccination.
Chlamydia NAAT positive; all other STIs negative. A single treatment course — chlamydia cleared at 6-week test of cure.
A 7-day course of prescribed medication; abstinence during treatment; partner notification; test-of-cure NAAT at 6 weeks; repeat full screen at 3 months.
Test-of-cure at 6 weeks: chlamydia NAAT negative. Repeat full screen at 3 months: all negative. HPV vaccination course initiated.
Chlamydia cleared without complications. Partner treated. Kemi now tests every 6 months and has discussed regular STI screening with three friends.
Chlamydia is often entirely asymptomatic in women — feeling well is not a reliable indicator of STI status. Regular testing (every 6–12 months for sexually active people with new partners) is the only reliable approach.
Asymptomatic chlamydia treated promptly has no long-term consequences. Untreated chlamydia developing into PID can cause infertility. The treatment — a single 7-day antibiotic course — could not be simpler. The barrier is testing.
You can have chlamydia with no symptoms at all. The only way to know is to test. A full STI screen takes one appointment — and if you're positive, a 7-day course of antibiotics clears it completely.
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