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Can You Go To The Hospital For Chlamydia

What Can Be Done To Prevent The Spread Of Chlamydia

Complications: TORCH Infections, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV/AIDS – Maternity Nursing – Level Up RN
  • Limit your number of sex partners
  • Use a male or female condom
  • If you think you are infected or have been exposed, avoid any sexual contact and visit a local sexually transmitted disease clinic, a hospital or your doctor. Either bring your sex partners with you when you are treated or notify them immediately so they can obtain examination and treatment.

What Do I Need To Know If I Get Treated For Chlamydia

If youre getting treated for chlamydia:

  • Take all of your medicine the way your nurse or doctor tells you to, even if any symptoms you may be having go away sooner. The infection stays in your body until you finish the antibiotics.
  • Your partner should also get treated for chlamydia so you dont re-infect each other or anyone else.
  • Dont have sex for 7 days. If you only have 1 dose of medication, wait for 7 days after you take it before having sex. If youre taking medicine for 7 days, dont have sex until youve finished all of your pills.
  • Get tested again in 3-4 months to make sure your infection is gone.
  • Dont share your medicine with anyone. Your nurse or doctor may give you a separate dose of antibiotics for your partner. Make sure you both take all of the medicine you get.
  • Even if you finish your treatment and the chlamydia is totally gone, its possible to get a new chlamydia infection again if youre exposed in the future. Chlamydia isnt a one-time-only deal. So use condoms and get tested regularly.

What Antibiotics Do You Get For Chlamydia

Chlamydia is one of the most common STDs. It can be treated easily if caught early. Some of the most recommended antibiotics used to treat chlamydia are azithromycin and doxycycline. Azithromycin is typically given as 2 tablets one time while doxycycline is given as 2 capsules a day for 7 days. These antibiotics are most effective if both partners have received treatment and have taken their prescription as directed.

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How Is It Treated

Antibiotics are used to treat chlamydia. It’s important to take all of the medicine as directed. Otherwise the medicine may not work. Both sex partners need treatment to keep from passing the infection back and forth.

As soon as you find out you have chlamydia, be sure to let your sex partners know. Experts recommend that you notify everyone you’ve had sex with in the past 2 months. If you have not had sex in the past 2 months, contact the last person you had sex with.

Having a chlamydia infection that was cured does not protect you from getting it again. If you are treated and your sex partner is not, you probably will get it again.

Some people who have chlamydia also have other STIs, such as gonorrhea.

Finding out that you have an STI may make you feel bad about yourself or about sex. Counselling or a support group may help you feel better.

Chlamydia Infection May Have Long

Chlamydia Infection Prevention and Risk Reduction

For women, the long-term effects of an untreated chlamydia infection may include:

  • Severe infection with pain and fever requiring a hospital stay
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the upper reproductive tract
  • Scarring in the reproductive tract that causes infertility
  • Higher risk of ectopic pregnancy

Men are less likely than women to have major health problems linked to chlamydia, although they can develop epididymitis, an inflammation of a structure within the testicles called the epididymis that can result in infertility.

A chlamydia infection can sometimes result in reactive arthritis in both men and women.

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Is There A Rapid Test For Chlamydia

There has been a rapid test developed by researchers for Chlamydia. Chlamydia trachoma is the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the world. The number of diagnoses in has risen steadily since the mid-1990s, spiking in the millions in 2005. If left untreated, the disease can result in complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. However, the disease often goes undiagnosed as up to 70% of infected women do not show symptoms.

What Are The Risks Of Chlamydia Infection

Untreated chlamydia can lead to many serious health conditions.

Women can develop pelvic inflammatory disease. This can lead to pelvic pain, complications with pregnancy, and fertility difficulties. Sometimes women become infertile from the effects of untreated chlamydia.

Men may develop inflammation of their testicles from untreated chlamydia and may also experience fertility issues.

Babies who acquire chlamydia during childbirth can develop pink eye and pneumonia. Its important for women to be treated for chlamydia during pregnancy to avoid spreading it to an infant.

Sexual behavior of any kind puts you at risk of contracting chlamydia. Some ways to reduce your chances of getting chlamydia include:

  • refraining from sexual activity

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Sex Partners Need Treatment Too

If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, you will need to tell all of your sexual partners, because they will need the same treatment you are receiving.

In most states, a doctor or other healthcare provider can give you the medicine that your partner or partners will need to take. Then you can deliver it to those partners. This practice is called expedited partner therapy or patient delivered partner therapy.

These options can help a lot if your partner doesnt have a healthcare provider or feels embarrassed about seeking care, says Dr. Dombrowski.

Its natural to feel nervous or upset about having to tell your partner or partners about having an STD. Your healthcare provider can help with this problem. They may even rehearse the conversation with you, says Dombrowksi.

Learning about chlamydia and seeking advice from a healthcare provider about how to discuss it with your partner can help you handle the conversation with less anxiety and more confidence.

Remember, chlamydia is not just common: It is the most common infection reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . You are being helpful, mature, and responsible by telling your partners.

Should You Go To An Urgent Care For Vaginitis

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Should You Go to an Urgent Care for Vaginitis

There are two basic types of vaginitis. The first is superficial and usually caused by Candida Albicans . This type of infection should be treated with an antifungal cream or suppository. The second, more severe form requires a prescription pill called metronidazole to help clear it up. Metronidazole is typically administered orally and takes anywhere from one to four days to start taking effect. Many women find that theyre still in pain during those few days, which leaves them wondering whether they should go to an urgent care center for treatment instead. Though most symptoms of vaginitis will subside within a few days with home treatments, its good to keep your options open.

Symptoms of Bacterial Vaginosis And Yeast Infection. The most common symptom of bacterial vaginosis is an unusual vaginal discharge that has a strong fishy odor, according to the Mayo Clinic. Women who have BV may also experience some vaginal itching or burning, especially when they urinate or have sexual intercourse. Some women may also experience bleeding after sex. If symptoms continue for more than three weeks despite home treatment efforts, seek medical care from your primary care physician or your OB/GYN. Another type of infectionyeast infectioncan cause vaginal itching and discomfort as well as a watery yellow-colored discharge with a mild foul odor.

Read Also: How Do I Get Tested For Chlamydia

Letting Partners Know You Have Chlamydia

Sexual partners may be infected too. If you have chlamydia, anyone you have had sex with from the last 6 months needs to be informed, tested and treated.

If they dont know, they could reinfect you or infect someone else if they are not treated. dont receive treatment.

Most people will appreciate being told they may have an infection and it is an important step in preventing further infection in the community.

Your local GP and sexual health centre can help you inform your partners and let them know that they need a test. This process is called partner notification. It can be done anonymously, and your confidentiality is always respected.

You can also anonymously notify your sexual partners of the need to get tested and treated for chlamydia via the Let Them Know website if you feel unable to speak to them personally.

There are also nurses who can help you anonymously notify your partners. They can be contacted on .

What To Expect From Your Urgent Care Std Testing And Treatment

Sexually transmitted disease, or STD, testing is recommended for anyone who has ever been sexually active. You do not need to display symptoms of an STD to get treatment. It is possible to have an STD without experiencing any symptoms, and delaying treatment can cause long-term health problems, including infertility. Fortunately, you can get tested and treated at an urgent care office. Find out how this works.

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Does Chlamydia Treatment Have Side Effects

An antibiotic called Doxycycline is the most common medicine used to treat chlamydia. Like most medicines, it can cause mild side effects. The most common side effects of Doxycycline are nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, loss of appetite, mild diarrhea, skin rash or itching, change in skin color, vaginal itching, or discharge. These side effects should go away after you finish taking the medicine. Talk to your nurse or doctor about any medicines youre already taking and any medical issues you already have before taking Doxycycline.

Where Should I Go After Hours

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If a primary care physician is not available because this came up at an odd time or the weekends, first decide if this is an issue that can wait until normal business hours. Chances are that if you are not experiencing severe or life-threatening symptoms, it can.

Urgent Care Facilities: They tend to keep expanded hours of operation, and can refer you to the emergency room in a true crisis.

Private Lab Tests: Services like our affiliate STDcheck let you order lab tests online and then stop by a lab near you to get tested, no questions asked. to have our coupon automatically applied while you look at their tests.

You can also order test kits by mail that you can do yourself with our affiliate myLAB box.

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The Process At The Emergency Room

An ER can complete a forensic medical exam within seven days of the assault. If you decide to seek care at an ER, it could be beneficial to go as soon as possible and try not to eat, drink, brush your teeth, bathe, or wash the clothing you were wearing to maximize the chances that they can recover evidence on your body or clothing. Because the clothing could be helpful as evidence, you may also want to bring a spare set with you, or the hospital can provide you with a new set.

How Chlamydia Is Treated

Chlamydia can usually be treated easily with antibiotics.

You may be given a course of doxycycline to take for a week or azithromycin to take once a day for 3 days.

If you have doxycycline, you should not have sex until you and your current sexual partner have finished treatment.

If you have azithromycin, you should wait 7 days after treatment before having sex .

It’s important that your current sexual partner and any other recent sexual partners you have had are also tested and treated to help stop the spread of the infection.

Under-25s who have chlamydia should be offered another test 3 to 6 months after being treated.

This is because young adults who test positive for chlamydia are at increased risk of catching it again.

Sexual health or genitourinary medicine clinics can help you contact your sexual partners.

Either you or the clinic can speak to them, or they can be sent a note advising them to get tested.

The note will not have your name on it, so your confidentiality will be protected.

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Why Are You Contagious Up To After 7 Days Of Chlamydia Exposure

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that can be transferred through vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse or sex. Women can have Chlamydia infect their cervix, throat, or rectum whereas men can get infected in their urethra, throat and, rectum.

The biggest exposure to getting Chlamydia is to have unprotected sex, however, that might be. It is more common than young women and a part of the reason is that the symptoms of the infections do not show up until after you have been infected for 3 weeks which is a risk of going around and transmitting it to other people.

However, there are lab tests to diagnose Chlamydia, and sexually active people should have the test done frequently, pregnant women get that test at their first visit to the doctor.

Even though the symptoms of Chlamydia do not seem that harmful, it is only because the infection should not spread in the body. If spread in the body, Chlamydia can harm the uterus and the fallopian tubes in women, which can lead to serious consequences in the future like damage to the reproductive system, infertility, etc. In men, it does not usually cause bigger health problems but it can spread to the tube which carries the sperm, which can sometimes result in infertility.

Read Also: Can You Go To The Er For Chlamydia

How Long Does It Take

The risks of unprotected sex

It takes about one week for azithromycin to completely cure a chlamydial infection, and in some cases it can take up to two weeks for the infection to clear.

If you are sexually active during this time, you can pass the infection to your partner, even if you have no symptoms. For these reasons, you should avoid having sex of any kind during treatment.

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Symptoms Can Differ For Men And Women

By and large, most cases of chlamydia are asymptomatic they are picked up by screening, which is why it’s so important to have good screening programs in place, notes Dr. Stoner. Men or women who have chlamydia symptoms may experience painful urination.

Women may also have these symptoms:

  • Smelly discharge from the cervix
  • Pain during sex

And men may have these symptoms:

  • Discharge from the penis

What Does The Test Result Mean

A positive test indicates you have an active chlamydia infection that requires treatment with antibiotics.

A negative test means only that there is no evidence of infection at the time of the test. If you are at an increased risk, it is important that you have screening tests performed yearly to check for possible infection, especially since re-infection is common, particularly among teenagers.

If you are infected, your sexual partner should be tested and treated as well.

Read Also: How To Do A Chlamydia Test

Can Someone Be Born With Chlamydia

Like some other sexually transmitted diseases, it is possible to pass chlamydia to a newborn during birth, even if the mother is unaware of her condition. In most cases, the disease will present itself as conjunctivitis or pneumonia.

To treat the infection, doctors may prescribe antibiotics and eye drops for conjunctivitis to ease discomfort. Symptoms usually diminish a few days after treatment begins.

Whats Chlamydia And What Are The Symptoms

Does Chlamydia test at home have any smell?

The bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, is the organism which causes chlamydia infection. It can affect the eyes , the joints, the mouth and the genitals of males and females. Chlamydia discharge with severe discomfort while urinating may be an early sign of illness.

It can also be contacted through the sharing of infected towels. Pregnant women with poorly treated infection may transmit chlamydia to their babies during delivery.

Chlamydia can be a silent disease because you can get infected without showing any signs. About 30 70 percent of infected men and women will not have common symptoms at all.

However, this does not rule out complication of chlamydia infection in the long-term. If left for a long time without treatment, chlamydia may cause pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal pregnancy, and difficulty conceiving.

Pelvic inflammatory disease is the upward spread of chlamydia affecting the womb, abdominal area, and Fallopian tubes. PID could potentially cause permanent damage to the Fallopian tubes ultimately causing infertility and ectopic pregnancy.

Short-term adverse effects of chlamydia in men include inflammation of the epididymis, with testes that are hurtful and swollen. This occurs very early after an infection and can contribute to infertility in men.

If youve had unprotected anal, oral, vaginal intercourse or got in real contact with someone genital fluid, you can have chlamydia.

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Chlamydia Can Live In Your Gut And Reinfect You After Youre Cured

Doctors have known that chlamydia can reappear, but until now theyve been stumped as to how exactly it happens

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. Thankfully, its also curable. But new research suggests that for some people, curing chlamydia doesnt prevent reinfection, even if theyre not exposed to it again. Apparently the disease can live inside your gut, and reinfect you out of the blue.

Apparently doctors have known that chlamydia can reappear in cured patients for about 80 years, but theyve been stumped as to how exactly it happens. This study points out that, in many animals, chlamydia has been found to live in the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, if gastrointestinal infection occurs in most hosts, the authors write, then it is very likely that gastrointestinal infection occurs in humans as well.

The study in question doesnt actually test this theory on any human beings. Instead it looks at data in animal models about reinfection, and the failure of certain drugs to treat chlamydia when it lives in the gut. From there, they propose that women who are infected with chlamydia could see the same kind of issues: the drugs theyre given might cure the disease genitally, but not gastrointestinally, leaving the bug to live inside waiting for the right time to strike.

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