Now you can get an STI test without talking to your doctor

The Sudbury and District Health Unit has made it a bit easier for residents to get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea thanks to a new form anyone can access online.

The health unit launched MyTest on March 31, and by filling out a form available online a person can go straight to a lab so they can provide a urine sample, without having to book an appointment with their family doctor or nurse practitioner beforehand.

“They're skipping a step – not having to see a health care provider,” said Nancy Hanbury, a public health nurse with the Sudbury and District Health Unit. “We wanted to make sure people have access to screening in the comfort of their home.”

Hanbury said around 10 people used the online form in April to get tested for both sexually transmitted infections.

In 2014, there were 610 reported cases of chlamydia in Sudbury and the surrounding district, and 53 gonorrhea cases.

The health unit says people who have had unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex or most at risk of contracting chlamydia or gonorrhea.

People who have had two or more sexual partners in the last year should also consider getting tested, the health unit says.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that can lead to abnormal discharge from the genitals, a burning sensation when urinating and pain around the lower abdomen.

Untreated chlamydia can spread to a woman's uterus and fallopian tubes causing pelvic inflammatory disease. If it goes untreated, pelvic inflammatory disease can damage the reproductive system and even lead to the inability to get pregnant.

Complications are more rare in men, but the infection can sometimes spread to the tube that carries sperm from the testicles, causing a fever and pain.

Gonorrhea can also cause a burning when urinating, and in men can lead to a white, yellow or green discharge from the penis.

In women gonorrhea can lead to vaginal discharge, and can also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease if it goes untreated.

Gonorrhea can also increase a person's chances of getting or giving HIV.

Hanbury said chlamydia and gonorrhea are often asymptomatic, which makes it especially important to get tested.

If they are caught early enough, both infections are easily treated with antibiotics.

For more information about chlamydia and gonorrhea, and how to get tested, visit the health unit website.