What Can A Blood Test Tell You
As you can see, there are many answers to the question What can a blood test tell you? depending on what test you or your doctors are choosing. If you have a disease or disorder in your family history, a blood test can help you be more informed about your health. Routine blood tests are a great way to be a step ahead of any health issue.
Are you hoping to get a blood test? Contact us today to make an appointment.
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How Can I Protect Myself From Chlamydia
The only way to avoid getting chlamydia is to abstain from having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has a chlamydia infection. And be sure that sex toys that carry the bacteria dont come in contact with your genitals.
Its not always possible to know if a current or potential partner has chlamydia, though, especially since many people with chlamydia never notice symptoms. With prevention in mind, its a good idea to make safer sex practices a regular part of your sex life:
- Use condoms during intercourse, anal sex and oral sex.
- Use dental dams during oral sex or vagina-to-vagina contact.
- Dont share sex toys, but if you do, wash them after each use and cover toys used for penetration with a condom.
- Have sex with only one partner, who only has sex with you.
When Can I Have Sex Again
If you had doxycycline, you shouldnât have sex including vaginal, oral or anal sex, even with a condom until both you and your partner have completed treatment.
If you had azithromycin, you should wait 7 days after treatment before having sex .
This will help ensure you donât pass on the infection or catch it again straight away.
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Will An Std Go Away On Its Own
No, dont expect an STI to go away on its own. Ignoring symptoms, noncompliance or denial can put both you and your partner at considerable health risk and lead to long-term problems. Even if you dont have symptoms, theres still a risk of complications and passing the infection to your sexual partners.
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Female Complications Of Untreated Chlamydia
Some women develop PID, an infection that can damage the uterus, cervix, and ovaries. PID is a painful disease that often requires hospital treatment.
Women can also become infertile if chlamydia is left untreated because the fallopian tubes may become scarred.
Pregnant women with the infection can pass the bacteria to their babies during birth, which can cause eye infections and pneumonia in newborns.
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How Do You Get Chlamydia Without Cheating
Other than cheating, the most likely explanation for a partners positive chlamydia test would be that the infection was pre-existing before the relationship. The bacteria that causes chlamydia has many features which make identifying the infection fairly difficult until it starts causing problems.
Asymptomatic
STIs are notoriously difficult to identify due to their frequent asymptomatic nature, as clarified by the CDC This means that someone can have the infection, but they may not display noticeable symptoms that would otherwise prompt them to get tested.
Due to the absence of symptoms, it is possible that you or your partner could have had a pre-existing chlamydia infection before your current relationship. This can also be the culprit for confusing situations where one partner tests positive, while the other partner claims to not have an STD. It is possible that they are not aware of the infection.
Symptoms Commonality
Another aspect to consider would be the misdiagnosis of symptoms. As outlined by the CDC, when chlamydia does cause signs of infection, it is most common to experience burning urination or abnormal discharge. Both of these can easily cause confusion between UTIs and STDsdelaying awareness and treatment.
Extended Incubation Time
In the case that your partner initially tested negative and then positive later in the relationship, this is a probable cause for such contradicting information.
How Does A Doctor Test For Stds
Category:
What procedure will a clinician follow in testing someone for STIs?
It depends on the infection. When health care providers test for sexually transmitted infections, they usually test for a few different ones. To decide what to test for, providers examine their clients. They talk with them about their visible symptoms, other symptoms they may feel, and what kind of risks they may have taken.
Depending on whats found during the examination and conversation, the health care provider may take samples of
- blood to check for CMV , hepatitis, herpes, HIV, or syphilis
- urine to check for chlamydia and gonorrhea
- cells to check for BV , chlamydia, gonorrhea, HPV , molluscum contagiosum, or scabies
- fluid, secretions, or discharge to check for BV, gonorrhea, herpes, HPV, pelvic inflammatory disease, syphilis, or trichomoniasis
- cells from the cervix for Pap tests to detect changes associated with certain types of HPV that can cause cancer
- saliva can be used to test for HIV
Recently, some health officials have called for similar tests on cells collected from the rectum if people have anal sex.
Most health care providers will not do a screening for sexually transmitted infections unless the client asks. So, dont let embarrassment become a health risk. If youre sexually active, you should ask to be screened for infections.
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The Costs Of Infertility
Treating chlamydia is easy, but for those who do not get treated or get treated too late, living with the damage caused by the infection can be hard.
Rabin has treated many women who never knew they had had chlamydia until they couldnt get pregnant due to blocked fallopian tubes. These women often wind up trying in vitro fertilization , which does not always succeed.
There are all kinds of costs involved for these women, say Rabin. There are emotional costs and physical costs. There are also financial costs with IVF. Its much better to not let the tubes get damaged, she says, and get pregnant the old-fashioned way.
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What Can Happen If Chlamydia Isnt Treated
Untreated chlamydia can put your health at risk. Make an appointment with your provider immediately if you notice any symptoms of chlamydia, and get regular STI screenings to avoid complications later.
Complications of chlamydia for people with vaginas
Untreated chlamydia can cause:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease . PID is a serious condition that requires hospitalization. It can occur when an untreated STI, like chlamydia, damages your reproductive organs. PID can lead to infertility and chronic pelvic pain. It can also cause an ectopic pregnancy,which is life-threatening for the fetus and potentially deadly for the mother or gestational parent, too.
- Pregnancy complications. An untreated infection can lead to pre-term delivery. Also, if youre pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection on to your newborn. Babies born with chlamydia may have pneumonia or conjunctivitis that could lead to blindness if not treated.
Complications of chlamydia for people with penises
Untreated chlamydia can cause:
- Epididymitis. Infection can spread to the testicles and the tube that carries sperm to your testicles , causing symptoms like pain, swelling and tenderness in your testicles.
- Reduced fertility. Chlamydia can harm your sperm, negatively impacting your ability to conceive.
Complications of chlamydia that can affect all genders
Untreated chlamydia can:
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How Can You Prevent Chlamydia
Whether or not youâve had chlamydia before, you can take simple actions to protect your sexual health going forward.
- Unprotected sex is one of the main ways this STD is transmitted, so use protection every time you have sex.
- Routinely screen for STDs like chlamydia .
- If you have a new sex partner, consider talking with them about both of you getting tested so you can enjoy physical intimacy with greater peace of mind.
- Speak with your healthcare providerâand consider getting testedâif youâre experiencing symptoms of this or any other STD.
To easily test for chlamydia from the privacy of home, take the Everlywell at-home Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test. You can also check for 6 common sexually transmitted infections with the Everlywell at-home STD Test for men or women.
How To Fight Chlamydia Naturally
The fight against chlamydia Chlamydia trachomatis may seem complicated, but it is achieved if we follow the advice of experts and follow the suggestions listed here.
Chlamydia is a more common sexually transmitted disease than we can imagine today. This disease can not only affect women as many think, but also men.
Women can get chlamydia in various areas such as the cervix, rectum or throat. For their part, men in the area of the urethra , rectum or also in the throat.
Chlamydia can be contracted during oral, vaginal or anal sex with someone who is infected.
It is important that we always express our feelings to our partner, so if we have chlamydia, we talk about it immediately.
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Taking The Incorrect Medication
Keep in mind that your treatment can fail if you’re taking the wrong medication. One reason this may happen is called syndromatic treatment. This is sometimes done in STD clinics when there is concern over the cost of tests or that a person might not come back for the results.
It means that you’re being treated for general symptoms without getting a diagnosis and treatment for a specific STD. This may create a problem because not all STDs are caused by the same infection.
Treating your STD with a medication you’ve used in the past or one prescribed for your partner or a friend is also problematic: It could be an ineffective drug for your current condition.
Not all STDs are caused by the same pathogens . Different illnesses require different treatments.
It’s important for your healthcare provider to correctly identify what’s causing your infection. This way, you’ll be sure to get the appropriate treatment instead of just taking an antibiotic and hoping it works.
Chlamydia Vs Gonorrhea: Knowing The Difference
by Michelle | Nov 30, 2018 | STD
Here in the 21st century the need to practice safe sex is more important than ever, and especially when youre choosing to have intimacy with a person who you dont know very well. Casual sex has been going on for as long as humans have been existence, but these days the risk of being exposed to STDs sexually transmitting diseases is far too high, and really quite scary.
With those warnings out of the way and a quick mention of the advisability of using a condom if you want to prevent transmission of STDs well now switch to discussing the 2 most common STDs that are contracted by people in America and how the symptoms of each can be used to identify one or the other. Do keep in mind that you should not skip a physicians consultation in favour of self-diagnosis if you feel you have contracted an STD, you must see a physician as soon as possible.
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How Do I Get My Results
You can expect to get your results in up to 10 days. The length of time depends on your location in B.C. and the type of tests. Some clinics will give results by phone and others will require you to come back for results. Many offices and clinics will only call you if the tests show that you have an STI.
How Did I Get Chlamydia If I Didnt Cheat
You can get chlamydia if your partner had vaginal, oral or anal sex with someone who was infected and then had sex with you. People in relationships may have different ideas about what kinds of sexual contact counts as cheating, and this miscommunication can lead to infections. Communicate honestly with your partner about what sex youre having and what sex theyre having. Practice safer sex to reduce your risk of catching chlamydia, and get regularly screened to be sure.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
It can be embarrassing to talk about anything sex-related with your healthcare provider, including STI prevention. But your sex life is an important part of your health that your provider needs to know about to care for you. Not getting the treatment you need for chlamydia can pose serious risks to your health. Speak with your provider about getting regularly screened for chlamydia and other STIs to reduce your risks of complications. Practice safer sex to prevent the spread of chlamydia.
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How To Help Partners Get Treatment
If you are not sure whether your sexual partner will seek treatment, ask your doctor for extra chlamydia medication . You can give it to them so they can be treated as soon as possible.
This is known as patient delivered partner therapy for chlamydia. Talk to your doctor to see if PDPT is right for you and your sexual partner.
What Causes Chlamydia
Chlamydia infections spread through sexual contact, when vaginal fluid or semen containing the bacteria that causes chlamydia travels from one person to another. Sexual contact includes all kinds of sex, including sex that doesnt involve penetration or ejaculation. There are lots of ways that the fluids from one persons genitals can transmit the bacteria that causes chlamydia.
- Intercourse. Bacteria pass from one persons penis to their partners vagina or vice versa.
- Anal sex. Bacteria passes from one persons penis to their partners anus or vice versa.
- Oral sex. Bacteria passes from one persons mouth to their partners penis, vagina, or anus, or vice versa.
- Sex involving toys. Bacteria pass from a toy with the bacteria to a persons mouth, penis, vagina or anus.
- Manual stimulation of the genitals or anus. Less commonly, infected vaginal fluid or semen can come in contact with a persons eye, causing an infection called conjunctivitis. For example, this can happen if you touch the genitals of an infected person and then rub your eyes without washing your hands first.
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How To Get Tested
Chlamydia testing is usually ordered by a doctor. In people without symptoms, a doctor can evaluate their risk and suggest an appropriate screening schedule. If a patient has symptoms of this infection, a doctor will order testing to diagnose or rule out chlamydia.
Testing for chlamydia can be conducted at a hospital, doctors office, health clinic, or community health program.
What Does The Test Measure
Chlamydia testing looks for evidence of infection with the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. There are several types of tests that can be used to detect chlamydia, including molecular testing, also called Nucleic Acid Amplification Test , and cell culture.
NAAT is the preferred method for detecting a chlamydia infection. This type of test detects the genetic material of Chlamydia trachomatis. It can be performed using a urine sample or swab of fluid taken from a site of potential infection such as the urethra, vagina, rectum, or eye.
Traditionally, NAAT takes a day or more to provide results, but there have also been rapid chlamydia tests developed using NAAT methods. Rapid chlamydia tests can often provide a result within 30 to 90 minutes. Rapid chlamydia tests are typically performed on urine samples or swabs of fluid taken from the vagina or cervix.
Although much less commonly used, cell cultures can help diagnose a chlamydia infection. Chlamydia cell cultures may be used in children with a suspected chlamydia infection, when evaluating potential infections in the anus or rectum, and when initial treatment for chlamydia is unsuccessful. In these cases of treatment failure, doctors may use a cell culture to help understand which treatments may be most effective for an individuals infection.
Other types of chlamydia tests are available but are rarely used given the accuracy and availability of NAAT.
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Just How Typical Is Chlamydia
In 2017, more than 1.7 million instances of chlamydia were reported to the Centers for Condition Control as well as Avoidance . Nevertheless, several cases go unreported, so the actual number of chlamydia infections yearly may be closer to 3 million.
Men and women can both get the infection, but much more situations in females are reported.
Infection prices are greatest among more youthful ladies, with the highest prices of infection happening in ladies in between ages 15 and also 24.
The CDC recommends that all sexually energetic women ages 25 years and also younger obtain screened for chlamydia each year, as well as older ladies with threat aspects like several or new partners.
Statistically, an individual is more likely to obtain an STI if theyve made love with greater than one person. Other danger elements include having had an STI in the past, or presently have an infection due to the fact that this might lower resistance.
Prices for chlamydia and other STIs have been climbing over the last few years.
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Gonorrhea Should Always Be Treated
Gonorrhea can be a painful and extremely uncomfortable infection, and it might even be embarrassing. But at the end of the day, it is better to get it checked out and treated early, before it causes damage to your sexual organs. Antibiotics are the only form of treatment proven to cure gonorrhea. But, if you cannot make it to a doctor right away or simply want to help speed up the process of healing, the treatments, dietary changes, and lifestyle tips weve listed in this article may be able to help you out. Hopefully, your adventure with gonorrhea will be a short one.
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