There is a significant overlap between the symptoms of chlamydia vs. In very rare cases, gonorrhea can cause meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain) or endocarditis (inflammation of the inner layer of the heart muscle). When it affects the joints, gonorrhea can cause a condition called septic arthritis.

Untreated gonorrhea, on the other hand, can spread to the joints, skin, and valves of the heart. Untreated chlamydia eye infections can also lead to a chronic form of conjunctivitis, called trachoma.Īccording to the WHO, trachoma can cause irreversible blindness and it has been estimated to affect 137 million people around the world, mainly in endemic areas. Unlike gonorrhea, chlamydia can cause reactive arthritis in some cases. Epididymitis in men, which can lead to infertility in rare cases.Gonorrhea, on the other hand, tends to cause discharge that is white, yellow, or greenish.Ĭomplications of both chlamydia and gonorrhea can include: The discharge caused by chlamydia is more likely to have a strong, unpleasant smell and a cloudy appearance. According to the CDC, chlamydia is more prevalent than gonorrhea, with 1,800,000 new cases of chlamydia reported in the United States in 2019 vs. gonorrhea: Whats the difference?īoth chlamydia and gonorrhea can be completely asymptomatic in a large number of people. Read on to discover the main differences between chlamydia vs. gonorrhea that can help us distinguish between them. And although these two conditions share some similarities, there are also differences between chlamydia vs.

Written by Andrea Pinto on August 4th, 2021Ĭhlamydia and gonorrhea are both common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that affect many people around the world.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea symptoms