Q: What is the accuracy of urine culture analysis, nucleic acid amplification test and DNA probe test for gonorrhoea and chlamydia infection? Is it possible for a person infected with gonorrhoea or chlamydia not to have any symptoms for more than 2 to 5 years? A 42 years old man had a skin infection for a day 3 years back and got his urine culture and microscopy done thrice in 3 years but didn't find any bacterial infection (pus cell- occasional count; epithelial cell – 1.2 hpf). He never took medicines for these infections. Do these results confirm that the person is not infected with gonorrhoea or chlamydia?

A:Gonorrhoea and chlamydia infection usually present with burning micturition and discharge per urethra (purulent in gonorrhoea and mucoid or mucopurulent in chlamydia infection). Diagnosis is arrived at by Gram-stained smear examination of urethral swab and culture. Urine culture is not undertaken for the diagnosis of gonorrhoea or chlamydia. Chlamydial infection may remain asymptomatic in females, but in males it expresses as urethritis, epididymo-orchitis, prostatitis, etc. Without these features, it is difficult to diagnose chlamydial infection in males. For detailed consultation, consult a venereologist. Venereophobia may be the cause of doctors' hoping in some cases.