How Is Chlamydia Spread
You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia.
If your sex partner is male you can still get chlamydia even if he does not ejaculate .
If youve had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can still get infected again. This can happen if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia.
Who Is At Risk For Chlamydia
Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. It is a very common STD, especially among young people.3 It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia.5
Sexually active young people are at high risk of acquiring chlamydia for a combination of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons. Some young people dont use condoms consistently.15 Some adolescents may move from one monogamous relationship to the next more rapidly than the likely infectivity period of chlamydia, thus increasing risk of transmission.16 Teenage girls and young women may have cervical ectopy .17 Cervical ectopy may increase susceptibility to chlamydial infection. The higher prevalence of chlamydia among young people also may reflect multiple barriers to accessing STD prevention services, such as lack of transportation, cost, and perceived stigma.16-20
Men who have sex with men are also at risk for chlamydial infection since chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex. 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
Is Stomach Pain A Common Std Symptom
The easiest way to answer this question is to say that stomach pain is not uncommon for people with certain STDs. While individuals with an STD may be more likely to experience other symptoms, its entirely possible to develop stomach pains as a result of an STD. In its early stages, HIV bears a strong similarity to influenza. And its easy for individuals to confuse the two sets of symptoms. A few of these symptoms include: nausea, fatigue, headaches, fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
As mentioned above, women who have chlamydia or gonorrhea are at risk for developing pelvic inflammatory disease if they remain untreated. Not only is pelvic inflammatory disease painful, but it can also contribute to infertility.
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Does Your Stomach Hurt Two Weeks Into Pregnancy
Many women will notice that they feel uterine cramping as an early sign and symptom pregnancy. You could even feel period like cramps or even pain on one side. The most common reason for this kind of cramp is that your uterus is growing. This is normal pain and should be expected in a healthy pregnancy.
How Do You Get Chlamydia
Chlamydia is usually passed on through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex.
Chlamydia can be passed on through genital contact. This means you can get chlamydia from someone who has the infection if your genitals touch, even if you dont have sex or ejaculate .
You can also get chlamydia if you come into contact with infected semen or vaginal fluid, or get them in your eye.
Chlamydia cant be passed on through kissing, hugging, sharing towels or using the same toilet as someone with the infection.
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Can Hitting Your Pregnant Belly Hurt Your Baby
How much pressure can a pregnant belly take? Whether its a little collision or a more serious fall, heres what to know and when to worry if you accidentally hit or bump your pregnant stomach.
A strangers elbow here, a kitchen counter thereas your pregnancy progresses, you may feel like your abdomens on a collision course with the world. You might even find yourself wondering, How much pressure can a pregnant belly take?
Its not just your imagination: Many factors during pregnancy make your belly bump-prone, such as loose ligaments and joints, a growing girth , and a feeling of being somewhat distracted.
Thankfully, theres no need to worry every time you bump your tummy even a front-forward fall or a kick from your toddler is unlikely to hurt your baby-to-be.
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Mother Nature provides a safe and protected environment for a fetus, which floats in amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac, which in turn is protected by the muscles of both the uterus and the abdomen, says Owen Montgomery, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences. The spine in back and the pelvis and rib cage in front also form bony barriers.
What Does Chlamydia Feel Like
In women, chlamydia usually infects the cervix first, causing cervicitis or inflammation of the cervix. Cervicitis can cause feelings of pain, irritation, or a vaginal discharge. Chlamydia bacteria can also irritate the urethrain both men and womenleading to urethritis, which is often signified by pain while urinating. In men, untreated chlamydia can also cause epididymitis, swelling in the tube in the back of the testicles, causing pain.
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Female Chlamydia Symptoms To Watch For
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that can affect both males and females.
Up to 95 percent of females with chlamydia dont experience any symptoms, according to the This is problematic because chlamydia can cause damage to your reproductive system if left untreated.
But chlamydia can occasionally cause symptoms. Heres a look at the common ones you might notice.
Just remember, you could still have chlamydia without these symptoms. If theres a chance you may have been exposed to the bacteria, your safest bet is to get tested as soon as possible.
Chlamydia can cause unusual vaginal discharge. It might be:
- foul smelling
Chlamydia can also affect your rectum. This can result from having unprotected anal sex or a vaginal chlamydia infection spreading to your rectum.
You might also notice mucus-like discharge coming from your rectum.
Chlamydia sometimes causes inflammation that leads to bleeding between your periods. This bleeding may range from light to moderately heavy.
Chlamydia can also lead to bleeding after any type of sexual activity involving penetration.
Is Testicular Pain A Sign Of An Std
Fast, Easy, Affordable. At-Home Testing
Certain sexually transmitted diseases can cause pain in your testicles and scrotum. Two of the main STDs that cause testicular pain are Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.
Chlamydia often goes unnoticed due to the lack of symptoms. In men, the most common symptom is a small amount of discharge from the penis. The symptoms can go away for periods of time, but that doesnt mean that you no longer have the std. Even without symptoms, you can spread chlamydia to others and develop further complications in yourself.
Gonorrhea, like chlamydia, can sometimes be asymptomatic. That means that even though you are infected, you would have no apparent signs of infection.
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Diagnosing Stomach Pain During Pregnancy
Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms, check your blood pressure, and perform a physical exam. They will most likely look at the fetus with an ultrasound as well.
Additional tests will depend on what the doctor suspects may be causing the pain but may include blood tests and other imaging.
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How Does Chlamydia Spread
A person can pass on chlamydia through unprotected oral, anal, or vaginal sex or through genital contact.
As chlamydial infection often has no symptoms, a person may have the infection and pass it on to a sexual partner without knowing.
It is not possible to pass on chlamydia through:
- contact with a toilet seat
- sharing a sauna
- touching a surface that a person with chlamydia has touched
- standing close to a person who has the infection
- coughs or sneezes
- sharing an office or house with a colleague who has the infection
- conjunctivitis or pneumonia in the newborn
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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
Dealing With Cramps And Bloating
The reality is that cramps and bloating can be caused by a myriad of conditions some of which are innocuous and some of which are very serious. Everything from irritable bowel syndrome, to pregnancy, to a regular old stomach ache can contribute to cramps and bloating. However, if youve experienced stomach cramps in conjunction with other STD symptoms, or if you havent been tested in the last 12 months, then you should seek out testing ASAP.
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Stomach Pain During Pregnancy: Causes And Treatment
Upper stomach pain pain during pregnancy can be a normal part of the process as your body changes to accommodate your growing baby. While there are many harmless causes of this abdominal pain, some may be more serious. As an expectant mother, it is important to educate yourself on all potential causes so you are able to recognize symptoms that may cause concern.
Is It Possible To Prevent Chlamydia
Since most people who have the infection do not have symptoms and may not be aware they are infected, it is commonly spread, and it can be difficult to prevent the infection. Male condoms can reduce the risk of spreading or acquiring the infection. Having a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested or treated also reduces the risk of contracting chlamydia infection.
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What Can Happen If Chlamydia Is Not Treated
In women
Chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease . PID is a serious infection of the reproductive organs. PID can cause:
- Infertility.
- Tubal pregnancies, which can lead to death of the mother and unborn child.
- Inflammation surrounding the liver.
A mother also can pass the infection to her child during birth. Infection in newborns can lead to:
- Eye infections .
How Do I Know Its A Uti
Urinary tract infections can have classic symptoms, non-classic symptoms, and female or male related symptoms. Those symptoms related to both genders are easily recognizable.
- Both genders experience burning sensations while urinating
- Both have frequent needs to urinate, but produce less output
- Both may have discolored urine white, cloudy, pink, red, dark
- Men and women develop a strong odor in the urine output
- Aching pain in the pelvic area
- Incontinence
- Men may experience pain between the rectum and scrotum
- Men may have dribbling, leakage, or a slow stream
Treatment with antibiotics, drinking plenty of fluid, and taking over the counter pain medications will relieve most patients of a UTI. The doctor will test the urine to find which bacteria is the culprit and order the antibiotic accordingly.
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What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia
Chlamydia can be easily cured with antibiotics. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV-negative.
Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days after single dose antibiotics or until completion of a 7-day course of antibiotics, to prevent spreading the infection to partners. It is important to take all of the medication prescribed to cure chlamydia. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone. Although medication will cure the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease. If a persons symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, he or she should return to a health care provider to be reevaluated.
Repeat infection with chlamydia is common.49 Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple chlamydial infections increases a womans risk of serious reproductive health complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy.50,51 Women and men with chlamydia should be retested about three months after treatment of an initial infection, regardless of whether they believe that their sex partners were successfully treated.40
Infants infected with chlamydia may develop ophthalmia neonatorum and/or pneumonia.10 Chlamydial infection in infants can be treated with antibiotics.
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Pain In Your Lower Tummy: Uti Or Could It Be Something Else
Chances are that if you have guessed you are suffering from a UTI you are probably correct. A UTI is one of the most commonly diagnosed problems that cause lower abdominal pain along with bowel issues and trouble with a womans reproductive system.
Pain in the tummy or lower abdomen can have simple causes that will go away on their own. Most people have experienced these several times in their lives. They are constipation, diarrhea, stomach flu, and stress related pain.
- What are the symptoms? Pain upon urinating? Blood in urine? Discharge? Urine discoloration? Painful sex? Odor?
- Where is the pain? Upper or lower abdomen? Left or right side?
- Did something trigger the pain? Coughing? Food? Alcohol? Stress? Injury?
- What relieves it? Pain medication? Antacids? Changing positions? Avoiding certain foods?
- What accompanies the pain? Swelling? Weight loss? Vomiting? Gas? Rash? Fever? Burning during urination?
Because abdominal pain of any kind is cause for concern, anyone experiencing it should seek a diagnosis and treatment from the doctor if the pain persists, gets worse, or doesnt go away within a day or two. Blood in the urine, vomiting blood, and excruciating pain that is debilitating are emergency situations. Dont wait. Seek help immediately.
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How Does Chlamydia Affect A Pregnant Woman And Her Baby
In pregnant women, untreated chlamydia has been associated with pre-term delivery,34 as well as ophthalmia neonatorum and pneumonia in the newborn. In published prospective studies, chlamydial conjunctivitis has been identified in 18-44% and chlamydial pneumonia in 3-16% of infants born to women with untreated chlamydial cervical infection at the time of delivery.9-12 Neonatal prophylaxis against gonococcal conjunctivitis routinely performed at birth does not effectively prevent chlamydial conjunctivitis.37-39
Screening and treatment of chlamydia in pregnant women is the best method for preventing neonatal chlamydial disease. All pregnant women should be screened for chlamydia at their first prenatal visit. Pregnant women under 25 and those at increased risk for chlamydia should be screened again in their third trimester. Pregnant women with chlamydial infection should be retested 3 weeks and 3 months after completion of recommended therapy.40
How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Getting Chlamydia
The only way to avoid STDs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting chlamydia:
- Be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and has negative STD test results
- Use latex condoms the right way every time you have sex.
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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.
When Abdominal Pain During Pregnancy Is Serious
Although many women who experience abdominal pain have healthy pregnancies, there are times when abdominal pain can pose a serious risk. If you exhibit any severe symptoms, such as those discussed below, please consult your medical care professional immediately.
- Ectopic Pregnancy: Occurring in 1 out of 50 pregnancies, an ectopic pregnancy is when the egg is implanted anywhere other than the uterus. Most often, the egg is implanted in the fallopian tube. Sadly, an ectopic pregnancy cannot continue to term and requires medical treatment. In the unlikely event that you have an ectopic pregnancy, you may experience intense pain and bleeding between your 6th and 10th weeks of pregnancy. Women at increased risk for ectopic pregnancies include those who have had an ectopic pregnancy in the past or have had endometriosis, a tubal ligation, or an intrauterine device in place at the time of conception. Learn more about Ectopic Pregnancies.
- Placental abruption: Placental abruption is a life-threatening condition in which the placenta separates from your uterus before the baby is born. One symptom of placental abruption is constant pain that causes your stomach to stay hard for an extended period of time without relief. Another sign is bloody fluid or premature breakage of your water. Additional symptoms include tenderness in your abdomen, back pain, or fluid discharge that includes traces of blood. You can access the complete Placental Abruption article here.
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