How Can You Tell If You Have Chlamydia
You can have chlamydia without experiencing any symptoms. In fact, many womenâapproximately 70% of those who are infectedâare completely asymptomatic, which means that they are also unaware that they are carrying Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria.
The lack of symptoms can cause health problems over time because an untreated chlamydia infection can lead to complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease . Also, if you become pregnant and have chlamydia, you may develop an ectopic pregnancy . Some people with untreated chlamydia may develop reactive arthritis, a form of joint inflammation thatâs caused by the chlamydia bacterium . Untreated chlamydia can also damage your reproductive organs, which could potentially lead to infertility.
Thankfully, effective treatments exist for chlamydial infections. But to get treatment, you first need to determine if you have chlamydia in the first place. As mentioned above, you could have chlamydia without any symptoms. But there are certain telltale symptoms you may experience that can help identify it.
Chlamydia symptoms look very different in men and women. If your male partner experiences urethritis , or has discharge from his penis, he may have chlamydia. If thatâs the case, you should both test for sexually transmitted infections.
Can You Get Chlamydia Without Having Any Intercourse
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!
HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video.
If I Have An Unusual Rash Pain Or Discharge Does That Mean I Have An Sti
Maybe. Sometimes STIs do cause problems that you might notice. These symptoms donât always mean you have an STI, they could indicate another health problem such as a yeast infection or UTI.
If you have any of these symptoms on or near your genitals, anus, or mouth, see your healthcare provider:
-
Pain
You May Like: How Much Is Chlamydia Medication Without Insurance
What Happens If I Dont Get Treated
The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems.
If you are a woman, untreated chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes . This can cause pelvic inflammatory disease . PID often has no symptoms, however some women may have abdominal and pelvic pain. Even if it doesnt cause symptoms initially, PID can cause permanent damage to your reproductive system. PID can lead to long-term pelvic pain, inability to get pregnant, and potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy .
Men rarely have health problems linked to chlamydia. Infection sometimes spreads to the tube that carries sperm from the testicles, causing pain and fever. Rarely, chlamydia can prevent a man from being able to have children.
What Are At Least 3 Symptoms Of Common Stds
Symptoms Sores or bumps on the genitals or in the oral or rectal area. Painful or burning urination. Discharge from the penis. Unusual or odorous vaginal discharge. Unusual vaginal bleeding. Pain during sex. Sore, swollen lymph nodes, particularly in the groin but sometimes more widespread. Lower abdominal pain.
Don’t Miss: What Are Signs Of Chlamydia In Males
Do I Need To Use Condoms During My Period
Yes, if you want to avoid pregnancy and STIs. Itâs possible to get pregnant during your period, although the day-specific risk is variable and depends on your cycle, age, and health.
Clueâs 2018 study with the Kinsey Instituteâs Condom Use Research Team found that condoms are used less often during menstruation. It is important to use condoms or a barrier during period sex because many STIs can be transmitted through blood. Using a condom for period sex can prevent pregnancy and protect against STI transmission.
How Is Chlamydia Treated
Chlamydia can be easily treated with a short course of antibiotics. You may be able to take all the antibiotics in one day, or over a week, depending on the type of treatment you are prescribed.
Its important to not have sex until you and your current sexual partner/s have finished treatment. If youve had the one-day course of treatment, you should avoid having sex for seven days afterwards. Ask your healthcare professional when its safe to have sex again.
Remember that if youve been treated for chlamydia you are not immune and you can get infected again.
Read Also: If My Partner Has Chlamydia Do I Have It
Yes You Can Get A Sexually Transmitted Infection Without Having Sex
Here are 12 ways you can pick up an STI without any of the fun that usually goes along with sex.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 20 million new cases of reportable sexually transmitted infections occur each year in the U.S., almost half of them among young people between 15 and 24 years old. Reportable STIs include HIV, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and syphilis.
The fact that these diseases are transmitted via sex doesnt mean its the only way you can get them. And just because you cant get HIV through things like mosquito bites and kissing, doesnt mean there arent other STIs you can. Here are 12 ways you can get an STI without having sex.
1. Mosquito bites. Zika the mosquito-borne disease that impacts fetal brain development has been shown to be sexually transmitted . It’scapable of great damage to fetuses, infants, and pregnant women but scientsts discovered it’s also killing brain cells in otherwise healthy adults. So slather on that insect repellant and make sure your partner does too!
Can You Get Chlamydia From Kissing
17 Nov 2021
- Written by Hannah Kingston
- Medically reviewed by Dr. Andrea Pinto on 18 November 2021
By now, you probably know that unprotected sexual contact is the main method of transmission of many sexually transmitted diseases . Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD in the United States, and the CDC estimates that there were approximately four million chlamydia infections in the United States during 2018.
Recommended Reading: What Does Chlamydia Look Like On A Woman
Be Informed About The Harms Of Chlamydia
Although chlamydia is a curable disease, an infected person should not be complacent even if there are no symptoms. Untreated chlamydia can cause several complications like infertility for women. Chlamydia infects the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Untreated chlamydia can also result to pelvic inflammatory disease. Moreover, chlamydia can cause abdominal pain, inflammation of pelvic organs, and pain during sex. Untreated chlamydia can also affect your pregnancy.
Another danger of chlamydia is having ectopic pregnancy. For women who got infected with chlamydia while pregnant, there is the danger of passing the infection to the infant especially during vaginal child birth. If this happens, the infant is at risk of having eye infections, and pneumonia.
Can You Get Hiv From A Tattoo Or Body Piercing
Yes. There can be a risk for HIV or another blood-borne infection if the instruments used for piercing or tattooing either are not sterilized or disinfected between clients. Any instrument used to pierce or cut the skin should be used once and then disposed of safely. If youâre thinking to get tattooed or pierced, ask the staff to show you the precautions that they use. If youâve have any doubts about the cleanliness of their tools, go elsewhere.
Read Also: Cpt Code For Chlamydia Urine Test
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.
How Do You Get Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection. The bacteria are usually spread through sex or contact with infected genital fluids .
You can get chlamydia through:
- unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex
- sharing sex toys that are not washed or covered with a new condom each time they’re used
- your genitals coming into contact with your partner’s genitals this means you can get chlamydia from someone even if there’s no penetration, orgasm or ejaculation
- infected semen or vaginal fluid getting into your eye
It can also be passed by a pregnant woman to her baby.
Chlamydia cannot be passed on through casual contact, such as kissing and hugging, or from sharing baths, towels, swimming pools, toilet seats or cutlery.
Don’t Miss: Chlamydia 4 Me Pills Reviews
Can Chlamydia Be Dormant And Undetected
Many people think that STDs are conspicuous diseases. In other words, they expect STDs to produce a lot of obvious symptoms and for thosesymptoms to appear quickly. Yet, the reality is that its impossible to tell if you have an STD immediately after contraction. In fact, lots of people who have STDs never experience any symptoms at all. This leads us to our question of the day can chlamydia be dormant and undetected? There are two parts to the answer. First, yes, chlamydia can lie unnoticed for long periods of time. However, even if chlamydia remains asymptomatic, tests can still detect its presence.
What Should You Do If Your Partner Has Chlamydia
Like other STIs, untreated chlamydia can result in complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. For this reason, early detection and prompt treatment of chlamydia are paramount to ensuring sexual health. And while infidelity is an understandable concern, a chlamydia infection does not necessarily guarantee that your partner cheated.
If your partner should have a positive chlamydia test, youll want to consider chlamydia testing and treatment as well. Until treatment is completed, the CDC stresses the importance of abstaining from sexual activity. This will ensure that both of you are thoroughly treated for the bacterial infection, eliminating the risk of re-infection.
At the end of the day, the relationship between chlamydia and cheating is largely due to STIs stigma. While chlamydia is only spread through sexual contact, other factors such as lack of symptoms and incubation time, suggest that you can get chlamydia without cheating.
Recommended Reading: Where Can I Buy A Chlamydia Test
Do I Need To Use A Condom For Anal Sex
Yes, if you want to avoid STIs. A US study found that when condoms were used for anal sex with an HIV-positive partner, they were 70% effective in preventing transmission of the virus . Using a silicone or water-based lubricant can also make anal sex safer, by decreasing the chances of condom breakage. Having anal sex without lubricant, or using saliva or oil-based lubricants, increases the chances of condom breakage .
Can You Get Chlamydia Not Sexually
Chlamydia is a common STD or sexually transmitted infection mediated by bacteria named chlamydia trachomatis. Both men and women are affected by this infection. It possesses serious potentials to damage the female reproductive organs and can cause infertility. One can get this infection from an infected person through unprotected sex via vagina, anus or mouth. Unprotected sex is the prime and easy mode of transmission of chlamydia.
Recommended Reading: What Happens If Chlamydia Is Left Untreated
Why Should I Have Treatment If I Have No Symptoms
Can you have Chlamydia for years? Even though you are not experiencing any symptoms and you are infected with chlamydia, it is still highly necessary to get treatment. Without proper treatment, the infection may spread and cause other severe complications even after months or years of getting the infection. Moreover, there is a danger of passing the infection to your sexual partners even if there are no signs and symptoms.
If you are interested to find out âcan you get Chlamydia from kissingâ or how people get Chlamydia, click here.
Categories
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.
Recommended Reading: I Tested Positive For Chlamydia
Chlamydia Symptoms & Treatment
FAST FACTS
- Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that is normally passed on through sex without a condom or sharing sex toys with someone who has the infection.
- Using male or female condoms and dental dams during sex will help to protect you from getting chlamydia.
- Chlamydia is often symptomless however if left untreated it can lead to long-term health problems.
- Chlamydia is easily treated with antibiotics.
- Chlamydia can be passed on from mother to child during pregnancy, so its important for pregnant women to get tested.
Ways You Can Catch An Sti Without Having Sex
All STIs and STDs are passed sexually, right? Wrong. In addition to transmission through sexual intercourse, there are other ways in which infections can be passed which you should be aware of. Whether an STI is passed sexually or non-sexually, it will have the same consequences if left untreated.
Maybe youre aware that sexually transmitted infections can be passed in varying ways, or maybe this is new to you. Either way, its worth reading up on other ways in which STIs can be transmitted. The more clued up you are about how infections can be contracted, the easier it is to know how to take care of your sexual health and keep yourself safe.
Don’t Miss: How Can One Partner Have Chlamydia
Chlamydia Can Be Prevented
The most effective way to avoid getting a sexually transmitted infection is to not have sex. However, if you wish to have sexual contact, you can reduce your risk of infection with these actions:
- Minimizing the number of partners with whom you have intimate contact
- Asking your partners to get screened for STDs before engaging in sexual activity
- Always using latex condoms when having intercourse of any kind
Additional reporting by Ingrid Strauch.
Who Does Chlamydia Affect
Anyone whos sexually active can get chlamydia. The bacteria that causes chlamydia gets transmitted through vaginal fluid and semen, which means that people of all genders who have sex can become infected with chlamydia and infect their partners, too. If youre pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass it on to your newborn.
Don’t Miss: Where To Get Free Chlamydia Treatment
Ways You Can Get An Std Without Having Sex
Considering the fact that the S in STD stands for sexually, it must be impossible to get STDs without doing the horizontal mambo, right? WRONG. STDs can spread without even having sex. Things like kissing a loved one or family member, conducting oral, sharing contaminated food, borrowing unclean towels, and more can transmit STDs like chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis.
20 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections spread in the U.S. every year. Although sexual intercourse is a common way to contract an STD, you may be wondering how you wound up catching one yourself without having sex. Thats why weve put together a list of some of the most common ways people contract STDs without having sex.
Chlamydia Signs And Symptoms
Many people with chlamydia have few or no symptoms. In fact, 75% of women and 50% of men do not experience symptoms. If symptoms do show up, itâs 1-3 weeks after infection.
In men, the following symptoms can indicate a chlamydia infection:* Pain and/or swelling in your testes* Pain or burning whenever you pee* Increased amount of clear or cloudy discharge from the penis* Itching in or around your urethra
In women, the following chlamydia symptoms may appear:* Pain or burning when you pee* A change in color, odor, or consistency of your discharge from your normal* Pain or discomfort during sex or after sex* Bleeding after sex or outside of your normal menstrual cycle* Lower abdominal pain or discomfort
The most common and serious complications occur in women. Chlamydia in women can lead to serious consequences like pelvic inflammatory disease , ectopic pregnancy, tubal factor infertility, and chronic pelvic pain.
Symptoms of chlamydia in the throat are caused by having oral sex with someone with the infection. Chlamydia in the throat is considered a mouth infection and may look a lot like pharyngitis.and swallowing can be painful.
Throat symptoms donât show up very often, but if they do, youâll notice them a week or several months after the initial infection.
If you think you contracted the virus through oral sex, let your provider know so they can do a throat swab and test for the infection that way.
Also Check: What Can I Take To Cure Chlamydia
Chlamydia Is Caused By Sexually Transmitted Bacteria
The bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis causes chlamydia infection, which usually occurs in the genital tract, so the cervix in women and the penis in men. In both women and men, the bacteria may also infect the rectum and the throat.
“Infections are spread during any kind of sexual activity: vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse,” says Jonathan Schaffir, MD, an ob-gyn at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
Chlamydia trachomatis can also cause conjunctivitis if the bacteria come into contact with the eyelids or the clear membrane covering the white of the eye.
Because chlamydia infections often cause no symptoms, individuals who have one may not seek medical attention or get treated for it. However, anyone who is infected with chlamydia can pass it to other people, who can, in turn, pass it to others.