How Can I Avoid Spreading A Std
- Stop having sex until you see a health care provider and are treated.
- Follow your health care provider’s instructions for treatment.
- Use condoms whenever you have sex, especially with new partners.
- Don’t resume having sex unless your health care provider says it’s OK.
- Return to your health care provider to get rechecked.
- Be sure your sex partner or partners are also treated.
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Complications Of Chlamydia In Pregnancy
Untreated chlamydia can cause several complications in both pregnant and nonpregnant women, including pelvic inflammatory disease , which is inflammation of the cervix, uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes.
PID can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes, which increases the risk of future ectopic pregnancy . If the scarring blocks the tube, the fertilized egg cant get to the uterus and begins to grow in the fallopian tube. Since the fallopian tubes dont have room for the embryo to grow, the tube can burst, causing internal bleeding, shock, and blood loss that can be fatal.
Ectopic pregnancy is not the only potential complication from chlamydia. You can get a chlamydial infection at any time during pregnancy. Around 220% of pregnant women have a chlamydial infection, even though most dont realize it. Unfortunately, if you have chlamydia while pregnant, you have an increased risk of premature rupture of the membranes , preterm delivery, and having a baby with a low birth weight .
In 5070% of cases, untreated chlamydia passes from the mother to the infant during childbirth. This can lead to conjunctivitis or pneumonia in the newborn .
Diagnosis Of Chlamydia In Women
A chlamydia screening is a combination of two tests. The first is a simple urinalysis to determine if chlamydia trachomatis is present in the urine.
Usually, only one test is necessary. Either a urine specimen or a cervical swab. The sensitivity and specificity of the cervical swab are slightly higher than for urine sample but for most clinical situations one test is sufficient
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How Common Is Ectopic Pregnancy
A little over 1% of all pregnancies in the UK are ectopic. The great majority of ectopic pregnancies result in miscarriage.
However, if the egg does implant in a fallopian tube, the woman needs to be treated or undergo surgery to remove the egg. Ectopic pregnancies are very dangerous and they can lead to internal bleeding.
How Can Chlamydia Affect My Pregnancy
Prompt treatment may reduce the risk of these problems, but women who have chlamydia during pregnancy tend to have higher rates of:
- Infection of the amniotic sac and fluid
- Preterm premature rupture of the membranes
Some studies have linked chlamydia to an increased risk of miscarriage, although other studies have found no connection.
An untreated chlamydia infection also makes you more susceptible to HIV and some other sexually transmitted infections if you’re exposed to them. It also raises your risk of a uterine infection after you have your baby.
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Can You Conceive While On Antibiotics
Antibiotics refer to antimicrobial drugs used to fight bacterial infections. Women have reported deviations, such as depleted cervical mucus while taking antibiotics. However, there is no evidence they influence your chance at conception. That said, if you have any kind of infection, it is wise to talk to your doctor.
How Do You Treat Chlamydia In Pregnancy
Remember that chlamydia during pregnancy cause birth defects, and therefore it should be treated with immediate effect. In addition, chlamydia medication is readily available and inexpensive. Therefore, if you have been infected, seek suitable medicines from your doctor.
Once your doctor prescribes the treatment, it’s recommended they you follow all the instructions and take the medication as prescribed. Afterwards, your doctor may require you to undergo an additional test after 3 to 5 weeks to confirm whether or not the initial treatment was effective. If not, the doctor will advise you on another treatment until your infection is cleared.
Here is a guideline to some of the antibiotics treatment options your doctor is likely to prescribe
- A single dose of azithromycin
- A one week dose of Amoxicillin
- One week course of erythromycin
According to research, almost these three antibiotics are safe and effective for treating chlamydia during pregnancy as well as breastfeeding. It’s however recommended that pregnancy-related treatment should be dealt with one-by-one basis. Pregnant women should also consult with a doctor before deciding on taking any medication.
Additionally, chlamydia treatment usually has rare side effects including vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. Erythromycin usually presents more side-effects than Amoxicillin and azithromycin.
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How Can You Avoid Chlamydia And Pregnancy
- Chlamydia and pregnancy can both be avoided by not having sex, but this is not a valid option for many people
- You can avoid pregnancy and reduce the risk of contracting STIs by using condoms
- You can also take the contraceptive pill to avoid pregnancy, but it will not protect you from STIs like chlamydia
Can chlamydia treatment affect the pill most broad-spectrum antibiotics do not affect the combined contraceptive pill or the mini pill. This includes the antibiotics used to treat chlamydia. The only exception is if you vomit or have severe diarrhoea whilst taking the contraceptive pill and antibiotics. You would need to read your patient information leaflet or speak to a doctor or pharmacist for advice.
Can other antibiotics affect the pill? antibiotics that have consistently proven to have an effect on the contraceptive pill are rifampicin-like antibiotics. They include rifampicin or rifabutin and are not used to treat chlamydia.
How Likely Is It To Be Infertile From Chlamydia
Both chlamydia and gonorrhea are preventable causes of both PID and infertility. If a chlamydia infection isnt treated promptly and properly, its estimated that 10-15% of women with chlamydia will develop PID .
When it comes to keeping an eye on your sexual health and avoiding and potential complications, regular screening is a must. CDC recommends annual chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for all sexually active women younger than 25 and older women with risk factors. This can be done with your doctor or from home with an at-home lab test.
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How Do I Know If Im Infertile From Chlamydia
If the inflammation persists over a long period of time, it can cause scarring and block the fallopian tubes. If your fallopian tubes are blocked, sperm wont get to an egg, which means that you can become infertile. This means, that chlamydia can cause infertility if it causes PID.
Can I Breastfeed If I Have An Sti
Maybe. Some STIs affect breastfeeding, and some dont. The following are some general guidelines, but talk to your doctor, nurse, or a lactation consultant about the risk of passing the STI to your baby while breastfeeding:
- If you have HIV, do not breastfeed. You can pass the virus to your baby. In countries like the United States where clean water is available, using a breastmilk substitute like formula is recommended.
- If you have chlamydia, gonorrhea, or HPV, you can breastfeed your baby.
- If you have trichomoniasis, you can take the antibiotic metronidazole if you are breastfeeding. You may need to wait 12 to 24 hours after taking the medicine to breastfeed.
- If you have syphilis or herpes, you can breastfeed as long as your baby or pumping equipment does not touch a sore. It is possible to spread syphilis or herpes to any part of your breast, including your nipple and areola. If you have sores on your breast, pump or hand-express your milk until the sores heal. Pumping will help keep up your milk supply and prevent your breast from getting overly full and painful. You can store your milk to give to your baby in a bottle for another feeding. But if parts of your breast pump also touch the sore while pumping, you should throw the milk away.
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How Can Stds Affect Me And My Unborn Baby
STDs can complicate your pregnancy and may have serious effects on both you and your developing baby. Some of these problems may be seen at birth others may not be discovered until months or years later. In addition, it is well known that infection with an STD can make it easier for a person to get infected with HIV. Most of these problems can be prevented if you receive regular medical care during pregnancy. This includes tests for STDs starting early in pregnancy and repeated close to delivery, as needed.
How Are Fertility Complications Caused By Stis Treated
If chlamydia or gonorrhoea cause PID or inflammation in the testicles or epididymis, this can be treated with antibiotics. Youll usually need a 14-day course, which might involve having injections as well as taking tablets.
Syphilis and trichomoniasis can also be treated with antibiotics, but genital herpes requires antiviral medicine as its caused by a virus.
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Where To Get Tested
Care Net Albuquerque offers free STD/STI testing for women and their partners at four locations. Contact us to schedule your appointment at the location that is most convenient for you. You will require a follow-up appointment 2 to 7 days after your testing to discuss the results. If your results are positive, our team will refer you and your partner to a treatment center. If you are pregnant and test positive, you must share those results with your obstetrician so they can take preventative measures to reduce transmission to your baby and treat you for the STD/STI if treatment is available.
Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Women
While chlamydia is often asymptomatic, about one-quarter of women will experience some symptoms such as:
- Painful or burning sensation during urination
- Pain in the lower back and abdomen
- Pain during intercourse
- Bleeding between periods
It is also possible for both men and women to develop Reiter syndrome. Reiter syndrome can cause arthritis, painful urination and redness and inflammation in the eyes.
- History of unprotected sex within the past 3 months
- Low socioeconomic status
- African American or Hispanic race/ethnicity
Untreated Chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease . PID can cause scar tissue to form in the fallopian tubes as well as chronic pelvic pain. This scar tissue can make it difficult for a fertilized egg to travel through the fallopian tubes and implant in the uterine lining. This can lead to fertility issues or ectopic pregnancy.
As many as 500 000 PID cases in the United States are due to chlamydia infection. Of these cases, 100,000 women become infertile.
Additionally, women infected with chlamydia have a three- to five-fold increased risk of acquiring the human immunodeficiency virus if exposed.
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Inflammation Of The Testicles
In men, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and epididymis , causing them to become painful and swollen. This is known as epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis. This is very rare.
The inflammation is usually treated with antibiotics. If it’s not treated, there’s a possibility it could affect your fertility.
If You Have Chlamydia Can You Get Pregnant
Yes, you can get pregnant if you have chlamydia. If chlamydia is left untreated during your pregnancy, there is a chance it can be passed on to your unborn baby. This can cause conjunctivitis and pneumonia in your baby. It can also lead to your baby being born early and having a low birth weight.
Chlamydia doesnt always cause symptoms, however it can still cause you harm, even in pregnancy. If left untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease. This can lead to:
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chronic pelvic pain
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infertility or difficulty getting pregnant
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increased risk of ectopic pregnancy
You can still have a test and treatment for chlamydia while you are pregnant. Your chlamydia or gonorrhoea test will be more accurate if you wait at least 2 weeks after having unprotected sex.
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Preterm Labor Preterm Birth And Low Birth Weight
Globally, preterm birth has been identified as the single most important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, accounting for 27% of the nearly four million reported annual neonatal deaths it is a risk factor for chronic lung disease, infections, and neurologic disabilities including intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral white matter damage, and cerebral palsy . Around the world, preterm birth has also recently become the leading contributor to mortality for all children under five, not just neonates .
Worldwide studies have estimated that 14.9 million infants are born premature . Estimates of preterm birth rates range from 5% in Europe to 18% in African nations with an average of 7.5%, 8.8%, and 12.5% in more, less, and least developed regions . Yet, it is in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where over 60% of the preterm infants are born India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Indonesia have the highest numbers of preterm births in the world .
While the vast majority of preterm births occur secondary to spontaneous preterm labor, preterm birth is often the end product of numerous causal factors . Some have suspected that genital tract infections may be a risk factor for preterm delivery. Symptomatic and chronic intrauterine infection with organisms like C. trachomatis may be important contributing factors with some suggesting that genital tract infections may contribute to as many as 40% of preterm birth cases .
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Can Stds Be Treated During Pregnancy
Bacterial STDs can be treated and cured with antibiotics during pregnancy. There is no cure for viral STDs such as genital herpes and HIV, but antiviral medication for herpes and HIV may reduce symptoms in the pregnant woman. In addition, the risk of passing HIV infection from mother to baby is dramatically reduced by treatment. For women who have active genital herpes lesions at the time of delivery, a cesarean section may be performed to protect the newborn against infection.
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Chlamydia Can Lead To Infertility
A lot of us dont realize that some sexually transmitted diseases can cause no symptoms, meaning you could have an STD and not know it. And some STDs can silently lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, or chronic pelvic pain.
Chlamydia is one of those diseases. CDC estimates that more than 2.8 million people are infected each year.
Many women, and some men, are infected with chlamydia but dont know it. Even without symptoms, the disease can cause complications, particularly infertility. The longer the infection is untreated, the more damage that can be done.
In pregnant women, chlamydia can cause premature delivery, the CDC says. A child born to an infected woman can develop an infection in their eyes and respiratory tracts.
Can Chlamydia Affect Pregnancy
There are risks associated with pregnancy and chlamydia. If you have chlamydia while pregnant, you will be given treatment to cure the infection. If youre treated for chlamydia but your partner did not receive treatment, you can be reinfected and will need to be retested and re-treated.
The longer a person has untreated chlamydia during pregnancy, the worse the infection can become. This leads to complications of pregnancy like preterm labor, premature rupture of the membranes, and low birth weight complications that can affect the health of your baby or make it difficult to get pregnant at all. Its imperative to get treatment for chlamydia if pregnant.
So how can chlamydia affect pregnancy? When chlamydia is left untreated, it can turn into a severe infection called pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID. PID can cause many problems for women, including:
- Eye infections in newborns
- Lung infections in newborns
Another issue with women who have chlamydia in pregnancy is that being infected makes you more susceptible to having other STIs, such as gonorrhea or HIV.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Pregnancy
It’s important to note that in the vast majority of chlamydia cases there are no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they’re likely to show up about one to three weeks after you’ve been exposed. These symptoms may include:
- Burning or discomfort when you urinate
- Inflammation of your cervix
- Increased vaginal discharge or possibly spotting
- Pain during sex
- If you have oral sex with an infected partner, your throat can become infected and may feel sore.
Can I Get Treated For An Std While Im Pregnant
It depends. STDs, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis and BV can all be treated and cured with antibiotics that are safe to take during pregnancy. STDs that are caused by viruses, like genital herpes, hepatitis B, or HIV cannot be cured. However, in some cases these infections can be treated with antiviral medications or other preventive measures to reduce the risk of passing the infection to your baby. If you are pregnant or considering pregnancy, you should be tested so you can take steps to protect yourself and your baby.
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Chlamydia Cdc Fact Sheet
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease that can be easily cured. If left untreated, chlamydia can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant.
Basic Fact Sheet | Detailed Version
Basic fact sheets are presented in plain language for individuals with general questions about sexually transmitted diseases. The content here can be syndicated .
Can Chlamydia Cause Other Problems
In addition to infertility in women, chlamydia can have a negative impact on male health, too. It can cause epididymo-orchitis .
In some cases, it can also go on to cause reactive arthritis, which is caused by STIs and can affect multiple parts of your body.
It usually lasts around 3 6 months , after the STI has been caught and treated.
Essentially, all were saying is that you dont want this infection to run away from you. Best to catch it quick, and treat it quick.
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