Can Chlamydia Make Men Infertile
Yes, untreated chlamydia may make men infertile in rare cases.
Chlamydia can spread to a manâs testicles and the tubes which carry sperm from the testicles, called epididymis. Both the testicles and epididymis can become painful and swollen. This is a condition known as epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis. It is very rare. Chlamydia infections in testicular tissue may affect a manâs fertility, due to a lower sperm count and lower quality sperm. Antibiotics can treat the infection effectively.
Chlamydia Symptoms In Women:
- testicular pain and/or swelling
Depending on the localization of the infection, women, men and children may experience inflamed rectum, urethra or eyelids. The symptoms of mouth and throat infections are rare although a person can suffer a sore throat. Eyes infected with chlamydia can be itchy, swelled, cause painful sensations or produce discharge similar to conjunctivitis. Infection in the rectum results in bleeding, chlamydia discharge and pain.
Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes
In the United States and other developed countries, the prevention of sexually transmitted genital infections and complications mainly focuses on screening and treating nonpregnant sexually active women aged 25 years or younger on an annual basis. Screening for pregnant women is recommended, and screening and treatment of women over 25 years of age are recommendations if there are identifiable risk factors, such as new or multiple sexual partners. Screening of young men in high-risk settings should be a consideration if resources allow. Urine or endocervical NAAT are the recommended screening tests. The partner should be screened and treated at the same time.
Healthcare workers and nurse practitioners should educate patients on the importance of using a condom during sex, practicing safe sex or abstaining from sexual activity to prevent chlamydia.
Pharmacists should verify dosing and agent selection for antimicrobial therapy, check for drug interactions, and report any concerns to the prescriber.
The prognosis is excellent with prompt initiation of treatment early, and with the completion of the entire course of antibiotics, antibiotic treatment is 95% effective for first-time therapy.
No vaccine is currently available for either trachoma or chlamydial genital infections.
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Why Is Azithromycin Not A Chlamydia Treatment Anymore
The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV recently released guidelines explaining that Azithromycin is no longer an effective treatment for chlamydia. This is because of increasing levels of bacterial resistance to azithromycin. Instead, the recommended first-line treatment is now only doxycycline.
Chlamydia Tests And Treatment
Chlamydia tests are simple and painless.
A sample of cells can be collected for testing in two ways:
- giving a sample of urine
- gently wiping a swab over the area that might be infected.
Swabs only take a few seconds and dont hurt they may be uncomfortable for a moment or two.
Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. The most common treatments are:
- a single dose of Azithromycin
- a week-long course of Doxycycline.
Even if you are given a single dose of antibiotics, you need to wait 7 days to have sex.
It is important that people you have had sex with recently are also tested and treated. A clinic can contact them if you dont want to.
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What Are The Symptoms
Chlamydia is known as a silent infection because most infected people have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they may not appear until several weeks after exposure. Even when it causes no symptoms, chlamydia can damage a womans reproductive organs.
In women, the bacteria first infect the cervix and/or the urethra . Some infected women have an abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. Untreated infections can spread upward to the uterus and fallopian tubes , causing pelvic inflammatory disease . PID can be silent, or can cause symptoms such as abdominal and pelvic pain. Even if PID causes no symptoms initially, it can lead to infertility and other complications later on.
Home Remedies For Chlamydia Symptoms
You may still experience painful or uncomfortable symptoms while youre taking chlamydia antibiotics.
Here are some home remedies for reducing your pain and other symptoms while youre waiting for the antibiotics to work:
- pain medications, such as ibuprofen to reduce pain
- cold pack to help limit swelling and inflammation
- goldenseal to reduce inflammation and potentially make symptoms less severe
- echinacea to bolster your immune system against the infection and reduce your symptoms
- turmeric containing an ingredient called curcumin to reduce inflammation and make symptoms less severe
No studies support the effectiveness of these supplements specifically for chlamydia, so take them with caution.
And theres no substitute for antibiotics when treating chlamydia. Only try these remedies if youre already taking antibiotics or if you plan to go to the doctor.
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Chlamydia Is Only Contagious From Person To Person
You can only get chlamydia by having intimate sexual contact with an infected person, not from casual contact, touching another persons clothing, or consuming contaminated food or water.
The chlamydia organism lives only in human cells and cannot be transmitted by external contact, such as towels or toilet seats, Schaffir says.
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How Can I Prevent Getting Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
Get some information about their sexual history. Get some information about any recently treated diseases. Have safe sex with right utilization of a condom. Utilize a condom each time you have vaginal, oral, or butt-centric sex. Get tried for explicitly sent diseases in the event that you or your partner are not mono
gamous
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How To Treat Oral Chlamydia
Oral chlamydia is treated in the same way as other chlamydia infections: with antibiotics. The CDC recommends:
- Doxycycline two times a day for seven days
Alternative treatments include:
- Azithromycin in a single dose
- Levofloxacin once a day for seven days
A single dose of azithromycin may be the simplest way to treat chlamydia. However, people have developed resistance to this antibiotic, whereas doxycycline has a nearly 100% cure rate.
After being diagnosed with a chlamydia infection, all sexual partners need to be told and treated as well. You should also refrain from having any sex for seven days after completing treatment.
Chlamydia is easily treated and cured, but you can get chlamydia again. If you are sexually active, it is essential to test for sexually transmitted infections regularly.
Toxicity And Side Effect Management
In neonates being treated for chlamydial infection, both azithromycin and erythromycin are associated with a risk of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. This is particularly a concern for infants two weeks old or younger. Parents and physicians should observe infants closely for any signs of intestinal obstruction.
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What Can Happen If Chlamydia Isnt Treated
Untreated chlamydia can put your health at risk. Make an appointment with your provider immediately if you notice any symptoms of chlamydia, and get regular STI screenings to avoid complications later.
Complications of chlamydia for people with vaginas
Untreated chlamydia can cause:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease . PID is a serious condition that requires hospitalization. It can occur when an untreated STI, like chlamydia, damages your reproductive organs. PID can lead to infertility and chronic pelvic pain. It can also cause an ectopic pregnancy, which is life-threatening for the fetus and potentially deadly for the mother or gestational parent, too.
- Pregnancy complications. An untreated infection can lead to pre-term delivery. Also, if youre pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection on to your newborn. Babies born with chlamydia may have pneumonia or conjunctivitis that could lead to blindness if not treated.
Complications of chlamydia for people with penises
Untreated chlamydia can cause:
- Epididymitis. Infection can spread to the testicles and the tube that carries sperm to your testicles , causing symptoms like pain, swelling and tenderness in your testicles.
- Reduced fertility. Chlamydia can harm your sperm, negatively impacting your ability to conceive.
Complications of chlamydia that can affect all genders
Untreated chlamydia can:
How To Get Tested
A person can meet with a doctor to get a diagnosis for either of these infections.
Most health insurance plans, including Medicare, cover sexually transmitted infection testing completely. If a person does not have health insurance, they can go to a free clinic, their local health departments STI clinic, a student health center, or an urgent care clinic.
Because both chlamydia and gonorrhea can present with no symptoms, it is important that people who are sexually active get tested regularly.
After a doctor has determined which infection a person has contracted, they will prescribe an antibiotic.
People should take the full course of antibiotics and wait an additional 7 days before having sex again. This helps prevent a person from spreading the infection to another person and possibly reinfecting themselves later.
A person can contract both chlamydia and gonorrhea again, even if they have already experienced and treated the STI before.
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How Long Does It Take To Show Up In The Throat
Symptoms of chlamydia in your throat are typically caused by having oral sex with someone whos contracted the infection.
Its much less common to notice throat symptoms, but they may still appear after a week or so, up to a few months or longer.
STI tests that look for chlamydia arent always done on the throat since its an area that does not carry the infection often. Ask your doctor for a throat swab or other chlamydia test if you think youve been exposed through oral sex.
Here are the most common symptoms of chlamydia in both people with penises and people with vulvas.
Chlamydia Symptoms In Men Vs Women
Despite the population having more sex, there has been no relevant increase in the quality of sex education. This increases existing concerns over the sexual health of the UK population the threat of STIs becoming even more widespread looms over the country like the grey clouds that often occupy our skies.
Since the 1990s, the rates of Chlamydia infections have risen ten-fold. With an estimated 131 million people affected by this sexually transmitted infection worldwide, it is now more important than ever to make sure you use a condom during sexual intercourse with any partner and to get tested regularly. Especially when 70% of women and at least half of all men do not experience any signs of a Chlamydia infection the risk of transmission and further health problems increases.
According to the FPA, Chlamydia is so common that it accounted for just under half of all STIs diagnosed in England. Also, of the 200,000 or so infections in men and women that were diagnosed, around 70% of the women and 50% of the men had no noticeable symptoms. This shows why getting tested is so important as its the only reliable way to know if you are infected. Mike Asher, Co-Founder of Better2Know
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Are There Complications Of Chlamydia
Chlamydia can cause serious complications if it isnt treated promptly and properly.
Untreated chlamydia can trigger arthritis, skin rashes, and inflammation in the eye or rectum.
For women, chlamydia can spread into the uterus and the fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease . This can cause problems with pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancy. Women with untreated chlamydia have up to a 1 in 12 chance of becoming infertile. In men, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and the tubes that carry sperm, causing pain and fertility problems.
Pregnant women who are infected with chlamydia have a higher chance of miscarriage or premature birth. Their babies may also get an eye or lung infection. You can read more about chlamydia and pregnancy here.
Chlamydia Treatment For Men
Chlamydia is a curable sexually transmitted infection . Treatment involves a short course of antibiotics.
Chlamydia treatment for men and women are the same. There are two types of chlamydia tablets – doxycycline, and azithromycin.
Doxycycline is the first line treatment, as it is a more effective treatment for chlamydia. You take doxycycline twice a day for seven days. A test of cure is not usually required, due to the effectiveness of this antibiotic. It generally has positive reviews.
If you canât take doxycycline, youâll usually be prescribed azithromycin for 3 days. On day 1 you take two 500mg tablets and on day 2 and 3 you take one 500mg tablet. Although the course is shorter, azithromycin is not as effective as doxycycline, and is usually reserved for those that cannot take doxycycline.
Both are available in tablet or pill form and can be swallowed whole with water.
You should refrain from sexual activity during treatment, and for 7 days after having completed treatment. This is because there may be remnants of the infection that are still present after the treatment course has been complete. The antibiotics will still be working to get rid of the infection during these 7 days after treatment.
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Who Is At Risk For Chlamydia
Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. Anyone with genital symptoms such as discharge, burning during urination, unusual sores, or rash should refrain from having sex until they are able to see a health care provider about their symptoms.
Because chlamydia is usually asymptomatic, screening is necessary to identify most infections. Screening programs have been demonstrated to reduce rates of adverse sequelae in women. CDC recommends yearly chlamydia screening of all sexually active women age 25 or younger and older women with risk factors for chlamydial infections . Pregnant women should be screened during their first prenatal care visit. Pregnant women younger than 25 or at increased risk for chlamydia should be screened again in their third trimester. Any woman who is sexually active should discuss her risk factors with a health care provider who can then determine if more frequent screening is necessary.
Routine screening is not recommended for men. However, the screening of sexually active young men should be considered in clinical settings with a high prevalence of chlamydia when resources permit and do not hinder screening efforts in women.
Signs And Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Men
Chlamydia doesnât cause symptoms in many people, which is why itâs so easily spread. At least 50% of men with the infection show no symptoms. This means they donât know theyâve got it, and continue to engage in unprotected sexual activity, without seeking treatment.
For those men who do have symptoms, they can include:
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How Do You Treat Oral Chlamydia
95% of those who suffer from chlamydia will be treated effectively if they take antibiotics correctly following their diagnosis.
Whilst our tests can detect the presence of regular chlamydia through a urine sample, we do not currently offer to test for oral chlamydia. A swab based sample test is required for oral chlamydia detection, commonly procured through a medical professional or sexual health clinic.
How Long Can You Have Chlamydia Without Knowing Years Or Months
How long can you have chlamydia without knowing is a common question after an unprotected sexual contact.
What is chlamydia infection?
Chlamydia infection, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, is a common sexually transmitted infection that affects both men and women. In the united stated, more than 1.4 million new cases of chlamydia are detected yearly.
In women, chlamydia infection can ascend up the genital tracts resulting to pelvic inflammatory disease with symptoms like fever, abdomen pain and difficulty conceiving.
Chlamydia trachomatis infection is transmitted through
If youve had intercourse with these symptoms, then its likely you have chlamydia. You should inform your doctor ASAP or get a chlamydia test kit to detect chlamydia.
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How Do You Avoid Getting Mouth Chlamydia
How to avoid getting infected the only guaranteed way to avoid chlamydia is not having sex, but this is not a suitable options for most people. To reduce your chance of getting chlamydia you can try the following:
- Choose sexual partners carefully however difficult, you should try to discuss any previous sexual history with a new partner before you first have sex
- Get tested before the start of a new relationship and do not have unprotected sex until you know your test results and your partners an extended STI test kit which tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis is recommended
- Use barrier contraception such as the male condom carefully and correctly always apply the condom before any sexual contact, including oral sex
- If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, always follow the advice about treatment very carefully try to make sure, if you have had chlamydia once, you dont get it again and keep getting tested regularly
- Use condoms at the same time as other contraceptives other contraceptives dont protect against STIs and using condoms alone as a method of contraception has a high failure rate. Women are advised to use a reliable contraceptive method to avoid an unplanned pregnancy, but to use condoms as well, to reduce the chance of acquiring an STI
Who is it at a higher risk of STIs like oral chlamydia? risk factors for chlamydia include:
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If Its Not Throat Chlamydia What Is It
The symptoms of throat chlamydia are like many other throat infections sore throats and a fever can be common for different infections which are not sexually transmitted such as:
It is hard to tell what infection you may have the best way to get diagnosed is to visit your GP. If you have had unprotected oral sex or penetrative sex you should inform them, so they can give you a chlamydia test. However, it is possible that a streptococcal infection may cause a sore throat.
Multiple infections it is also possible to have other throat infections as well as chlamydia. You may also have gonorrhoea, another bacterial STI. Just like oral chlamydia, oral gonorrhoea may also be symptomless, or it can present with symptoms like throat chlamydia.
Treating multiple infections if you have throat chlamydia but at the same time also have a mild throat infection such as a sore throat, there is treatment available. You can help to soothe a sore throat by:
- Taking painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
- Drink plenty of water
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