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Can Chlamydia Go Undetected In Tests

Just How Is Chlamydia Spread How Long Can Chlamydia Lay Dormant

What is chlamydia? | Infectious diseases | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy

You can obtain chlamydia by having genital, rectal, or foreplay with a person that has chlamydia.

If your sex partner is male you can still obtain chlamydia even if he does not climax.

If you have actually had chlamydia and also were treated in the past, you can still get contaminated once again. This can occur if you have unsafe sex with a person that has chlamydia.

If you are pregnant, you can give chlamydia to your infant during childbirth.

How Long Does It Take To Show Up On A Test

There are several tests that you doctor might use to diagnose chlamydia:

  • Urine test. Youll pee in a cup thats sent off to a laboratory testing facility to see if any chlamydia bacteria are present in your urine.
  • Blood test. Your doctor will use a sterile needle to draw some of your blood and send it to a lab to see if antibodies to the chlamydia bacteria are present in your bloodstream.
  • Swab. Your doctor will use a cotton round or stick to take a small sample of tissue or fluid that carries the infection, which is then sent to a lab to be cultured so that lab technicians can see what bacteria grows from the sample.

How long it takes for the results to show up depends on the test and on your specific health insurance plan.

  • Urine tests take about 2 to 5 days to show a positive or negative result.
  • Blood tests can come back with results in a few minutes if the blood is analyzed on site. But they can take a week or more if sent to an off-site lab.
  • Swab results take about 2 to 3 days to show a positive or negative.

1 to 3 weeks to show up in people with vulvas.

Symptoms may take up a few months to show up. This is because bacteria are living creatures and have an incubation period that affects how long it takes them to cluster together and become infectious.

This incubation period is dependent on a variety of factors, including:

  • how much of the bacteria you were exposed to
  • how quickly the bacteria reproduce
  • how strong your immune system is against the bacteria

How Common Is Chlamydia

CDC estimates that there were four million chlamydial infections in 2018.3 Chlamydia is also the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States.4 However, a large number of cases are not reported because most people with chlamydia are asymptomatic and do not seek testing. Chlamydia is most common among young people. Two-thirds of new chlamydial infections occur among youth aged 15-24 years.3 It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia.5

Disparities persist among racial and ethnic minority groups. In 2019, reported chlamydia rates for African Americans/Blacks were nearly six times that of Whites.4 Chlamydia is also common among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men . Among MSM screened for rectal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 3.0% to 10.5%.6,7 Among MSM screened for pharyngeal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 0.5% to 2.3%.7.8

Recommended Reading: Everything You Need To Know About Chlamydia

How Does Chlamydia Affect A Pregnant Person And Their Baby

In newborns, untreated chlamydia can cause:

  • ophthalmia neonatorum ,

Prospective studies show that chlamydial conjunctivitis and pneumonia occur in 18-44% and 3-16%, respectively, of infants born to those with chlamydia. 9-12 Neonatal prophylaxis against gonococcal conjunctivitis routinely performed at birth does not effectively prevent chlamydial conjunctivitis.37-39

Screening for and treating chlamydia in pregnant people is the best way to prevent disease in infants. At the first prenatal visit and during the third trimester, screen:

  • All pregnant people under age 25 and
  • All pregnant people 25 years and older at increased risk for chlamydia .

Retest those with infection four weeks and three months after they complete treatment.40

Why Should I Get Tested

Is previous azithromycin treatment associated with azithromycin ...

Almost all STIs go undetected. Even though chlamydia can be easily treated, due to the lack of visible symptoms, the younger population often ignore it or have no idea they have it. Individuals who often change partners are exposed to chlamydia and other STIs as well, such as gonorrhea and syphilis.

If left untreated, its incredibly easy to transmit this infection onto your partner and cause numerous problems that can later affect your health.

Recommended Reading: If You Take Antibiotics For Chlamydia

Read Also: What To Use For Chlamydia

How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed And Treated

If you have chlamydia symptoms or had intercourse with someone without protection, you should inform your doctor about testing or take a home chlamydia test.

Chlamydia can be detected at home. You should get a chlamydia test kit and use urine for your test.

However, if you have oral chlamydia symptoms, you may need to see your doctor for throat swab culture. The culture of chlamydia takes about 3 7 days.

If diagnosed with chlamydia, you can easily be treated and cured with azithromycin or doxycycline tablets.

During pregnancy, chlamydia infection can be treated safely with azithromycin.

Am I At Risk For Chlamydia

Have an honest and open talk with your health care provider. Ask whether you should be tested for chlamydia or other STDs. If you are a sexually active woman younger than 25 years, you should get a test for chlamydia every year. If you are an older woman with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has an STD, you should get a test for chlamydia every year. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men as well as pregnant women should also get tested for chlamydia.

Also Check: Over The Counter Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Test

How To Test From Home

Once you decide which test kit it right for you, the process is the same. By that, we mean that it is convenient and easy to use. You never have to step into a doctors office for a sexually transmitted infection test ever again!

myLAB Box makes the testing process as simple as possible. Youll find the following components included in every kit:

  • The urine, vaginal swab and/or blood sample collection kit
  • Easy to follow instructions
  • Fast and easy access to your results online
  • A free telemedicine consultation with a physician in your state

As you can see, the process is simple. If youre not sure what type of sample is required or which test is right for you, you might want to consider one of myLAB Boxs test combos:

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Home Remedies For Chlamydia Symptoms

What Is Chlamydia Symptoms and Treatment

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.

Also Check: Single Dose Antibiotic For Chlamydia

Incubation & Window Period

There are two periods that any who is sexually active needs to worry about, the Window Period and the Incubation Period

  • The window period is the timeframe between which a sexually active person is exposed to an STD and when a test can accurately detect it. It is suggested that many STDs can take up to 2 days from exposure to manifest and infect to the point at which it can be detected by a lab test. So testing within 24hrs for example might be too soon to tell if you have contracted the STI
  • The incubation period is the timeframe between when a person is exposed to an STD and when symptoms and signs are then visible or noticeable within your body’s functions. Unfortunately, many of us wait around for symptoms before we decide to take a test. And for many STDs the incubation period can be longer than the window period, meaning you have the STD long before the symptoms appear.

It’s difficult and for many impossible to test every time you have sex, but if the sexual activity you are participating in is irregular, outside of a long-term relationship or perhaps you feel comes with the risk of exposure, then getting a test is an act of responsibility for you and any future sexual partners, waiting for symptoms in this situation is not recommended.

What About Rectal And Oral Swabs

Rectal swabs and oral swabs may also be considered for those who have or unprotected oral sex. These tests are known as extragenital, or outside of the genital region, testing. These tests are important to do if chlamydia is suspected but your urine test came back negative.

Rectal and oral swabs can be collected at home and dropped off the same day at a lab, or done in a medical office or lab.

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Male Difficulties Of Neglected Chlamydia

Guy can also experience complications when chlamydia is left untreated. The epididymis the tube that holds the testicles in place may come to be swollen, triggering pain. This is referred to as epididymitis.

The infection can likewise spread to the prostate gland, creating a fever, unpleasant sexual intercourse, and also discomfort in the reduced back. Another possible difficulty is male chlamydial urethritis.

These are just a few of one of the most typical issues of untreated chlamydia, which is why its important to obtain clinical attention right away. The majority of people that obtain treatment promptly have no long-lasting clinical problems. How Soon Can Chlamydia Be Detected

Link to next post: How Soon Do Symptoms Of Chlamydia Appear

Hi there, Im Melissa and welcome to Genier. Im not ashamed to admit that Ive dealt with an STD before and recovered. It was not a pleasant experience but Im glad I got myself tested. If theres one message that you can take away from my site is get tested today! Stay safe.

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Clinical Features And Sequelae

Where To Get Free Chlamydia Test
  • Genital infections with C. trachomatis present as urethritis and proctitis in men and women, cervicitis, salpingitis, endometritis and pelvic inflammatory disease in women, and orchitis, epididymitis and prostatitis in men.
  • Perinatal transmission of C. trachomatis can result in conjunctivitis and pneumonia in newborns and young infants.
  • At least 70% of genital C. trachomatis infections in women and 50% in men are asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis.
  • The natural course of genital chlamydia infections is not well understood:
  • Spontaneous resolution of asymptomatic infections is not uncommon.
  • Asymptomatic infections, particularly endocervical infections, can persist for long periods.
  • Many patients with asymptomatic infections will at some point develop symptoms and clinical disease.
  • Asymptomatic infections can result in complications such as blocked tubes and pelvic inflammatory disease.
  • Lymphogranuloma venereum affects both men and women.
  • Recommended Reading: Can You Do A Urine Test For Chlamydia

    Is It Possible To Not Pass An Std

    Asymptomatic STDs are more common than not. There is a very high prevalence of symptom-free STD infections. People can be, and often are, infected with an STD for many years without knowing it. During that time, if theyre not careful, they can pass their disease on to some or all of their sex partners.

    Can You Test Negative For Chlamydia But Still Have It

    This is because the bacteria needs enough time to multiply within your body in order for it to reach a detectable level when taking a chlamydia test. For chlamydia this is often 14 days. If you test before that 14 days is over, you may test negative, but you could still pass the bacteria on following your test.

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    How Long Can Chlamydia Go Undetected

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    How To Know If You Have Chlamydia

    STD Glossary: Chlamydia

    Chlamydia is incredibly difficult to diagnose due to its symptomless nature for 70% of women and 50% of men. The only certain way to know that you have chlamydia is to get tested. If you do have symptoms then you will still need to be tested to effectively diagnose that the symptoms are caused by chlamydia. If youre sexually active, you should get tested regularly whether you have symptoms or not.

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    How Long Can Chlamydia Be Dormant

    • Oyewale Oyelami

    Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection induced by bacteria known as Chlamydia Trachomatis.

    You can pass chlamydia by transferring bodily fluids from one infected person to another through sexual activities.

    It is one of the prevalent sexually transmitted infections in the United States of America.

    This is mainly because it has no visible symptoms most time. Thus, people can have Chlamydia and be unaware, infecting others unknowingly through sex. Can Chlamydia be dormant? Chlamydia can remain inactive in the body, causing a low-grade infection without symptoms.

    Need help with Chlamydia?

    The Center for Disease Control estimates that 50% of men and 75% of women have Chlamydia. In addition, 40% to 96% of people with Chlamydia show no symptoms of this disease. When discovered, however, Chlamydia can be treated.

    However, untreated Chlamydia can cause irreparable health complications like damaging a womans reproductive system, causing ectopic pregnancy, and causing infertility in men.

    This is why healthcare providers recommend regular screening for sexually active people at higher risk of getting infected.

    Can Chlamydia Be Cured

    Yes, chlamydia can be cured with the right treatment. It is important that you take all of the medication your doctor prescribes to cure your infection. When taken properly it will stop the infection and could decrease your chances of having complications later on. You should not share medication for chlamydia with anyone.

    Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. You should be tested again about three months after you are treated, even if your sex partner was treated.

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    Know The Incubation Period For Chlamydia

    At this point, two things are clear. First, there are different common symptoms of chlamydia for men and women. Second, many people do not experience any symptoms at all. Thats a troubling prospect. While regular testing is always the smartest course of action, it is sometimes helpful to know a bit more about a potential infection first.

    This brings us to our main discussion point: the incubation period for chlamydia. But first, what is an incubation period? Incubation period is the time between when a person is first exposed to an infection to the time that person shows the first signs of symptoms. Just as important, you probably want to know how soon you can test for an infection and know for sure its an accurate result. This means you will want to know the window period. After an individual is exposed to an STD and becomes infected, there is a period of time before a test will show a positive result is called the window period. Lets tackle these questions together.

    The incubation period for chlamydia is poorly defined. Most experts would say it is often seven to 14 days or longer. The window period, however, we break down in more detail below.

    To be more specific, here are the main points to remember:

    Please note: Re-testing is especially important if you have multiple sex partners and had unprotected sex.

    Chlamydia Can Show On A Test Seven Days After Exposure

    How Long Can Chlamydia Stay In Your System

    Sexually transmitted infections and diseases are spreading in record amounts lately. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently estimated that there are currently 110 million cases of STIs in the United States alone. So we completely understand why people are saying I dont know where to get tested for STDs near me. These stats are scary, and the whole process can seem overwhelming and nerve-wracking. The good news is that the whole process is not nearly as scary as you may think. In fact, you can now test at home and it only takes 5 minutes to complete. Now, isnt your health and ease of mind worth a measly 5 minutes?

    A sexually transmitted infection doesnt always strike immediately. Take chlamydia, for example. Chlamydia is one of the most common STIs in the United States. In fact, the CDC estimates that there are 2.86 million chlamydia infections each year. Considering that this STI is so rampant, we often receive questions about the incubation period for chlamydia.

    In this article we will explore the common symptoms of chlamydia, learn a bit more about how chlamydia affects the body, and discuss the incubation period for it.

    Also Check: Penicillin For Chlamydia And Gonorrhea

    What Std Are Not Curable

    However, there are still four incurable STDs: hepatitis B. herpes. HIV.HPV

    Can you have chlamydia for 10 years without knowing?

    Chlamydia can lie dormant in the body for many years causing a low grade infection without symptoms. It could potentially flare up to cause a symptomatic infection, especially if there is an alteration in the persons immune system, such as a severe cold or flu, cancer or some other severe illness.

    What kind of STD can stay dormant for a long time?

    Latent STDs can cause someone to remain undiagnosed until symptoms begin to appear. This may put them at risk for long-term complications. Chlamydia, hepatitis C, HIV, HSV , and syphilis can all have periods of latency.

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