Can You Really Get Oral Chlamydia
When the term Chlamydia comes to mind, we do not usually think about it having any kind of relationship with our mouth and throat, but it does. The truth is that you can, indeed, develop Chlamydia in your mouth and throat. Unfortunately, oral Chlamydia is not explored extensively as the genital form of the disease, but its safe to expect things to change in the near future. A study from the Clinical Oral Investigations detected the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis in cellular specimens from the lining epithelium of diseased periodontal sites. In other words, the study provided preliminary evidence that Chlamydia can affect the oral cavity, in this case, in adults with periodontal disease.
In orderto understand how a person can develop oral Chlamydia in the first place, it isimportant to remember the very nature of this STD. A person develops Chlamydiawhen their mucous membranes such as penis, vagina, or rectum come in contactwith certain bacteria. Upon contact, the bacteria enter mucous membranes andstart multiplying.
Mostcases of Chlamydia occur due to unprotected vaginal or anal sex, but it isentirely possible to get this STD through oral sex as well. While oralChlamydia is not very common, its still possible to develop this STD, which iswhy safe sex practices are crucial.
How Do You Get Oral Chlamydia
Pharyngeal chlamydia is spread through sexual contact. This primarily involves contact between the mouth of one individual and the anus, penis, or vagina of an infected sexual partner. This includes sexual activity like fellatio , cunnilingus , and analingus .
You increase your risk of getting oral pharyngeal chlamydial infections by not using protection or having multiple sexual partners. One study looked into the rates of oral chlamydia infection in heterosexuals who had known or suspected genital infection and reported recent unprotected oral sex. It found that 7% of women and almost 3% of men had positive throat swabs .
Not only can you get an oral chlamydia infection from oral sex, but if you have pharyngeal chlamydia, you may infect the genitals of a partner. One study found that 3.5% of MSW whose only exposure in the past three months was receiving fellatio from a woman were positive for urethral chlamydia .
Another study found that close to 5% of MSM whose only exposure in the past three months was receiving fellatio from a man were positive for urethral chlamydia .
According to the CDC, there is less data on the transmission of chlamydia from an infected vagina to the throat, an infected throat to the vagina, an infected rectum to the throat, or an infected throat to the rectum .
How Do You Know If You Have Chlamydia In Your Throat
Many people with chlamydia in the throat have no symptoms. The only way to know for certain if you have this sexually transmitted infection in the throat is to get tested by a healthcare provider. Possible signs that you may have oral chlamydia include a sore throat that doesnât go away, along with a low-grade fever swollen lymph nodes oral canker sores or white spots in the back of the throat.
In some cases, one might confuse these chlamydia symptoms with strep throat or some other kind of throat infection. That’s why testing for STDs is so important, so consult with your healthcare provider if you suspect you may have been infected with an oral sexually transmitted disease.
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How Do You Get Chlamydia In The Mouth And Throat
Chlamydia is passed through intimate sexual contact. While the disease is most commonly transmitted through penetrative anal or vaginal sex, it may also be passed through oral sex. Generally speaking, the bacteria chlamydia trachomatis is passed through bodily fluids and can infect the cervix, rectum, eyes, throat, mouth, and male urethra.
It is often misunderstood that you cannot contract chlamydia unless infected bodily fluids make contact with a partner’s genitals. However, it possible to contract chlamydia in sex that results in a “dry orgasm”, or sex that does not involve ejaculation.
There are some myths out there about how you can contract sexually transmitted diseases, so to put your mind at ease we have detailed some instances in which you will not contract chlamydia.
It is not possible to contact chlamydia through:
- Kissing
- Sharing food
- Sharing toiletries
As mentioned before, chlamydia is most commonly passed on through vaginal or anal sex, however, it may occur in other instances.
Chlamydia may be passed on by:
- Receiving oral sex from someone who has an infection in their mouth or throat.
- Giving oral sex to someone who has an infection of the genitals
- The giving or receiving of oral-anal sex
- Sharing sex toys with an infected partner
The most common way to get chlamydia in the mouth or throat is through giving someone oral sex who has genital chlamydia. These instances include:
Facts About The Contagiousness Of Gonorrhea
- Someone whose mouth is exposed often to fluids from the vagina or penis is more likely to contract gonorrhea. This is even more true if the fluids are swallowed.
- Someone who has more than five sexual partners in their lifetime is more likely to get gonorrhea. Clearly, the number of different partners matters.
- Gonorrhea can be transmitted immediatelyâas soon as a person becomes infected with it.
- It doesnât matter if the infected person has symptoms of gonorrheaâtheyâre still contagious.
- An infected person can transmit the infection as long as they have it i.e., until theyâre cured, which is seven days after they finish treatment. Again, it doesnât matter if they have signs or symptoms of the infection.
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Oral Or Throat Gonorrhea Infection Is The Possible Source Of Genital Gonorrhea Infection
One study has shown that if a person only receives oral penile sex without having any other sex types , the chance of being diagnosed with oral gonorrhea during a routine screening is from 3.1 % to 4.1% . This data allows us to suggest that oral gonorrhea infection may serve as a reservoir and source of urethral infection and that oral sex may be contributing to the ongoing transmission of gonorrhea. Moreover. It is more difficult to treat and eradicate oral gonorrhea infection than genital infection.
What Are The Complications Of Oral Chlamydia
Untreated pharyngeal chlamydia could potentially infect a sexual partner. This could cause the sexual partner to experience genital symptoms, like vaginal discharge, urethral discharge, and a burning sensation while urinating. It also increases the chances of the chlamydia infection spreading back to you, infecting other parts of your body.
Untreated genital chlamydia that spreads can cause serious complications like infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease , urethritis, and epididymitis. It can also lead to an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy outside of the uterusthis condition is a medical emergency and may even cause death.
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Chance Of Getting And Passing Chlamydia Via Mouth
The likelihood of getting and passing infection via mouth-to-rectum oral sex with one time contact differ significantly depending on the part infected at the time of the contact: mouth or rectum
- The chance of getting oral chlamydia after contacting with infected anus is from 2.6% to 3.6%
- The chance of passing chlamydia from infected throat to the rectum is from 13.1% to 32.5%
What Is The Chance Of Getting And Passing Chlamydia Via Mouth
The likelihood of getting and passing infection via mouth-to-vagina oral sex with one time contact differ significantly depending on the parts that is infected at the time of the contact: mouth or vagina
- The chance of getting oral chlamydia after contact with infected vagina is from 0% to 5%.
- The chance of passing chlamydia from infected throat to vagina can be as high as 40%
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What Are The Most Common Oral Chlamydia Symptoms
Pop quiz time: whats the difference between throat chlamydia and chlamydia in the genitals? If youre not sure, dont feel bad. Many of us dont even realize that there are multiple types of this sexually transmitted infection.
To further complicate matters, both genital and throat chlamydia can be difficult to detect without proper screening. Both forms, in addition to rectal chlamydia, may never show any visible symptoms. You see, chlamydia is typically an asymptomatic infection.
If chlamydia in the throat does show easily detectable symptoms, they are often as simple as asore throat and possibly a low grade fever and/or swollen lymph nodes. All of these are easily mistaken for something else if a doctor isnt specifically looking for chlamydia.
There are two sides to this coin. Since symptoms are mild, and so many different things can cause a sore throat and fever, the infection is often dismissed and goes untreated. This may make chlamydia seem like no big deal. The truth is, neglecting regular screenings can cause the infection to get worse even if there have never been any symptoms in the first place.
Oral chlamydia symptoms in women:
- Sore throat
Oral chlamydia symptoms in men:
- Low-grade fever
- Sore throat
- Swollen lymph nodes
If you dont get screened for oral chlamydia and you have an infection, it can get worse. If left undetected and untreated, chlamydia can lead to serious consequences, including pelvic inflammatory disease , infertility and chronic pelvic pain.
Oral And Nose Chlamydia
It is high time to understand that chlamydia is a sexual health complication that shows some oral symptoms. There is no doubt to say that a person can observe signs of chlamydia on mouth and nose as well. And it is also possible to transfer disease symptoms to another healthy body via oral sex as well. However, oral chlamydia symptoms are not so common among patients as like genital chlamydia but yes, it can happen if you dont be careful.
Medical health professionals reveal that Chlamydia is a curable Sexually Transmitted Disease that is mainly caused by bacteria named Chlamydia Trachomatis. In a woman, Chlamydia can have a major impact on the cervix of the woman including urethra whereas in men, it affects rectum. Note that, these bacteria mainly attack cells present in the mucous membranes that are usually not covered by skin. The areas may include urethra, vagina, the lining of the eyelid, etc. But when we talk about oral chlamydia, instead of the genital one, it has a major impact on mouth, throat and even nose as well.
Chlamydia that has a major concern with throat is often known as a mouth infection, and some symptoms of it may also make it appear like tonsillitis. This infection cause development of some white spots on the back portion of the throat that cause difficulty in swallowing.
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How Can I Help Protect Myself Against Infections During Oral Sex
Use a male or female condom, or a latex or polyurethane square, also known as a dam, to cover the anus or female genitals .
If you are not sure how to use condoms correctly see our information on external condoms and internal condoms. Try to avoid using spermicides with condoms.
Avoid oral sex if you or a partner:
- have a sexually transmitted infection
- have sores, cuts, ulcers, blisters, warts or rashes around the genitals, anus or mouth
- have any unhealed or inflamed piercings in the mouth or genitals
- have a throat infection.
Avoid giving oral sex to a woman who has her period.
Avoid brushing or flossing your teeth before or after giving someone oral sex as this can sometimes cause your gums to bleed.
Avoid getting semen or vaginal fluid in your eyes.
Brushing your teeth or using mouthwash before and/or after oral sex does not protect you against getting or passing on infections.
Can You Catch Any Std From Kissing
Although you cant catch chlamydia from kissing, there are some STDs that can be passed on in this way. The most common is herpes, including genital herpes or oral herpes. Genital herpes can be passed on through skin on skin contact with anyone who has active blisters or sores, commonly known as cold sores. With this in mind, you should avoid kissing or oral sex with anyone who has blisters or sores around their mouth or face. Unfortunately, depending what stage the herpes virus infection is in, it can still be contagious even if no blisters are present.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Oral Chlamydia
Chlamydia is an asymptomatic infection, so you could have the STI without knowing about it. However the cellular lining in the throat and mouth can become infected and the most common sign is a painful and severe sore throat. People who notice this sign often dismiss it as a common cold or other viral infections and do not make the connection between the unprotected oral sex that they participated in and this symptom. Along with a sore throat you could notice a low fever, coughing and swollen lymph nodes. Its important to get regularly tested for STIs when you have had unprotected sex, especially if this is with a new partner.
How Do You Prevent Chlamydia
Using a new male or female condom or dental dam every time you have sex is the best way to protect against chlamydia.
Chlamydia can be passed on by sharing sex toys. Always cover sex toys with a new condom and wash them after use to reduce your risk of getting chlamydia and other STIs.
Its important to regularly test for chlamydia, even if you dont have any symptoms, especially if youve had multiple sexual partners.
The contraceptive pill and other types of contraception wont prevent you getting chlamydia, and neither will PrEP.
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How Common Is Chlamydia In The Throat
Pharyngeal chlamydia isnât as common as urogenital or rectal infections. One review of existing studies found that pharyngeal chlamydia was equally frequent in women compared to men who have sex with menâoccurring in up to 3.2% of women and 3.6% of men who have sex with men, based on study populations at high-risk settings like sexually transmitted disease clinics (which means these figures donât apply to the general population. Less research has been done around the rate of pharyngeal chlamydia among men who have a female sexual partner.
How Does Chlamydia Infect The Mouth
This bacteria can infect both male and female genitalia, the anus, the throat and mouth, and even oneâs eyes . Contact with an infected genitalia or rectum, such as through oral sex, can lead to an oral version of the condition. It is also possible for an individual with oral chlamydia to spread the bacteria by giving oral sex to an uninfected person. Even contact with a small amount of the infectious organism would be enough to contract the disease. Direct contact between a personâs mouth and a sexual organ isnât the only way to spread this condition to throat, however. Genital secretions, such as sperm or vaginal fluids, can be transferred from the genitals to an oral cavity via oneâs hand or stimulation aids such as âtoys.â
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Possible Home Remedies For Oral And Nose Chlamydia
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Garlic:
It is the most commonly used natural spice due to its awesome anti-viral and antibiotic properties. The best way to fight against symptoms of chlamydia is to eat 3-4 cloves of garlic every day prefer to consume them before your meal. The natural chemicals of garlic are capable enough to clear the infection and can also kill the bacteria present in your body. However, in case if you are not in a condition to eat raw garlic, prefer to add few cloves to your meals. Some of you may also prefer to consume the garlic capsules that are also powerful enough to reverse the oral and nose chlamydia symptoms.
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Sage:
It is a perennial herbal plant that is popular as a top-rated remedy for treating chlamydia symptoms. It helps to clean the immune system so that it can initiate fight against disease bacteria. Prefer to include sage tea to your routines, and it will naturally add care to your overall health. Simply take around 50 mg leaves of sage, crush them and then put into 250 ml boiling water. Let it stay on the stove for at least 3 to 4 minutes and enjoy the delicious taste of this tea. Make sure you consume these doses without adding milk or sugar to your tea. Sage tea is medically trusted solution to treat chlamydia symptoms, and it is extremely safe as well.
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Echinacea:
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Goldenseal:
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Improved diet:
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Neem:
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Saw Palmetto:
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Olive Tea Extract:
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Turmeric:
Chlamydia In Mouth And Throat
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that is usually symptomless, meaning that people can have it without realising. Thats why its important that you get regulated tested for STIs, especially if you have started a new relationship. You can catch chlamydia through having unprotected anal, oral and vaginal sex.
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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.