Chances Of Getting Chlamydia From One Encounter

January 1, 2022

522

Measures That Are Not Helpful

What Are the Chances of Getting an STD from One Unprotected Encounter?

One factor that doesnt make things easier is the number of myths that surround STDs. Maybe youve heard some of these STD myths before or read about them online. For example, one myth says that rinsing your genitals with soda or alcohol after sexual intercourse will prevent STDs or pregnancy. However, that is false.

Washing your genitals or urinating after a sexual encounter will not prevent STDs. It can help prevent a urinary tract infection, but thats about it. Douching or washing is ineffective against STDs.

If you feel worried or panicked about possible exposure, try to stay calm and take the steps outlined here to do what you can to mitigate the risk after your sexual encounter. Schedule a test panel with Rapid STD Testing as soon as possible, especially if youre showingSTD symptoms.

If you had skin-to-skin contact with someone who has an STD, your chances of getting an STD from a one-night stand increase. Please get checked right away. Even if you arent showing symptoms, its still important to get an accurate test as quickly as possible.

Measures You Might Think Are Helpful Immediately After Unprotected Sex

Unfortunately, doing these things does not prevent STDs:

Washing the penis
Douching
Urinating after intercourse

These will help prevent urinary tract infections only. There is no evidence suggesting that cleaning your genitals with alcohol can be useful in preventing STDs. Moreover, overly active rubbing may irritate your skin and increase the risk of STD acquisition.

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.

Also Check: If I Have Chlamydia Will My Partner Definitely Have It

What Increases Your Risk

Your risk of syphilis increases if you:

Have unprotected sex . This risk is especially high among men who have sex with other men .
Have multiple sex partners, particularly if you live in an area of the country where syphilis is more common.
Have a sex partner who has syphilis.
Have sex with a partner who has multiple sex partners.
Exchange sex for drugs or money.
Have human immunodeficiency virus infection and engage in any of the behaviors listed above.

Syphilis is contagious whenever an open sore or skin rash is present. The risk of being infected with syphilis from a single sexual encounter with an infected partner is approximately 3% to 10%.footnote 3

Infection with syphilis also increases a person’s risk of being infected with HIV. Syphilis causes open sores on the genitals that allow the HIV infection to enter the body easily. Syphilis is in general more common in people who are also infected with HIV.

Oral Sex Is Least Likely To Result In Hiv Transmission

What Are the Chances of Getting an STD from One ...

The risk of transmission through oral sex is much lower than through anal or vaginal sex. This is because the oral cavity contains a thick epithelial layer, a low number of CD4 target cells, and antiviral antibodies.

A 2008 meta-analysis by Baggaley and others of 10 studies aimed at calculating the risk of HIV transmission through oral sex found that only 4 of the studies reported a non-zero estimate of risk from unprotected oral intercourse. For this reason, the CDC describes the chance of HIV transmission through oral sex as low.

Read Also: How Do You Get Rid Of Chlamydia

I Have Sex Partners Who Are Living With Hiv And Have An Undetectable Viral Load Because They Are On Hiv Treatment Do I Still Need To Take Prep

Individuals living with HIV who are taking HIV treatment consistently and have an undetectable viral load for at least 6 months cannot transmit the virus to an HIV-negative partner through sexual activity. In sero-discordant or magnetic couples , PrEP may be used by the HIV-negative partner for additional protection.

How Can You Get Rid Of Chlamydia

If your chlamydia test comes back positive, you may be wondering how to get chlamydia treated. Itâs important to discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider. Most likely, you will be treated for chlamydia with oral antibiotics. With treatment, infections often clear up in one to two weeks.

Even if your symptoms resolve sooner, however, itâs very important to complete your healthcare providerâs entire course of prescribed antibiotics. Otherwise, the infection may not be completely eliminated and you could be at risk for reinfection. You could also still pass chlamydia to a partner if you donât complete the recommended course of antibiotics.

Finally, as part of your treatment for chlamydia, connect with any sexual partners you may have unintentionally exposed to this infection. Your healthcare provider may also recommend antibiotics for your partner. This is a key part of chlamydia treatment, since it can help prevent reinfection when you resume sexual intercourse.

Chlamydia is a potentially harmful infection, but fortunately, itâs easy to test for. Itâs also simple to treat when you have a confirmed diagnosis. The important thing is stay informed and know your statusâsomething you can do from the privacy and comfort of home with our STD Test for women.

References

1. Overview: Chlamydia. National Health Service. URL. Accessed March 27, 2020.

2. Chlamydia – CDC Fact Sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed March 27, 2020.

Chances Of Getting Chlamydia

Chlamydia is an usual STD that can contaminate both males and females. It can trigger significant, permanent damages to a females reproductive system. Chances Of Getting Chlamydia

This can make it hard or difficult for her to obtain expectant later on. Chlamydia can likewise trigger a possibly fatal ectopic maternity a maternity that happens outside the womb.

Chances Of Std From Oral

You Are This Likely To Get An STD

Its not a cookie cutter response of your chances of contracting STD through oral sex. Thats because the answer varies by the type of STD youre talking about and other factors that impact STD oral sex risk.

You reduce your chance of STD from oral if you use a condom or dental dam, or similar barrier method, when you have oral sex. Unprotected oral sex brings a risk of STD transmission every time, even just from one encounter.

Factors Impacting Sti Transmission

Several factors impact the likelihood of contracting an STI, including:

The type of infection
How many STIs your partner has
How much of the infection or virus is in your bodily secretions or blood
How long you spend having sex
Whether you have any broken skin or open sores
Whether you use lubricants and what type you use
Your gender and your partners gender
Your overall health and immune system
What type of sex you engage in
Whether or not you use a condom

How Can You Protect Yourself From Hiv And Stds

Avoid or put off having sex. If you do have sex, use a male latex or female condom every time.
Latex male condoms and female condoms, when used the right way every time, are very effective in preventing HIV and many other STDs. Condoms may prevent the spread of other STDs like HPV or genital herpes, only when the condom covers the infected areas or sores.
Talk with your partner about HIV and STDs.
Don’t share drug “works”
Get STD and HIV counseling and testing.

To find out if you might have an STD, visit your doctor or clinic as soon as you can.

Read Also: How Bad Can Chlamydia Get

Female Difficulties Of Untreated Chlamydia

Some ladies develop PID, an infection that can damage the womb, cervix, as well as ovaries. PID is a painful condition that commonly requires medical facility therapy.

Females can also become sterile if chlamydia is left untreated due to the fact that the fallopian tubes might end up being scarred.

Expecting ladies with the infection can pass the microorganisms to their infants during birth, which can create eye infections and pneumonia in infants. Chances Of Getting Chlamydia

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.

Don’t Miss: I Was Treated For Chlamydia But Still Have It

How Do You Get Chlamydia

Chlamydia is usually passed on through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex.

Chlamydia can be passed on through genital contact. This means you can get chlamydia from someone who has the infection if your genitals touch, even if you dont have sex or ejaculate .

You can also get chlamydia if you come into contact with infected semen or vaginal fluid, or get them in your eye.

Chlamydia cant be passed on through kissing, hugging, sharing towels or using the same toilet as someone with the infection.

Potential Symptoms For Chlamydia

Although many people may be asymptomatic and not experience any signs of infection, those that do have symptoms typically experience pain or burning when urinating and/or discharge from the penis or vagina.

Only approx. 10% of penis infections show symptoms, while about 5-30% of vaginal infections will develop symptoms.

For an in-depth view of all the potential symptoms associated with chlamydia, please look at our article about chlamydia symptoms.

Recommended Reading: What Medication Treats Chlamydia And Gonorrhea

How Urgent Is A Post

Post-exposure treatment for chlamydia should be done as soon as possible after diagnosis or exposure. Be sure to let your healthcare provider know that you may have had exposure to chlamydia or if you want to get tested for STIs.

While there is no specific deadline to get treated, the longer chlamydia remains in your body, the greater you risk complications, including long-term, serious damage. Though these complications may not be common, it’s important to get tested and treated as soon as possible.

Can Chlamydia Be Avoided Can Chlamydia Turn Into Gonorrhea

What is an STD?

The only sure means to prevent chlamydia is to not have genital, rectal, or oral sex.

Appropriate usage of latex prophylactics considerably reduces however does not eliminate, the danger of capturing or spreading out chlamydia. If your or your companion is allergic to latex, you can utilize polyurethane condoms.

Recommended Reading: What Medicine Is Taken For Chlamydia

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.

What Is The Difference Between An Std And Sti

The term STD is often used interchangeably with the term sexually transmitted infection . But despite this common misconception, STDs and STIs arent exactly the same. Each term has a specific meaning:

STI. An STI is a sexually transmitted infection and doesnt cause any symptoms. Instead, an STI refers to the presence of the virus, bacteria, or other pathogens in your body.
STD. An STD is a sexually transmitted disease, which does cause symptoms. It happens when the pathogens in your body have led to the cell damage that produces symptoms.

Put simply, an infection just means the presence of the pathogen is in your body, while a disease means youre having symptoms. A condition is only considered an STD if there are symptoms.

This might seem like a small difference, but the distinction is important. This is especially true for STIs that rarely cause symptoms, like chlamydia or gonorrhea. For many people, these STIs wont ever progress to STDs.

Don’t Miss: Does Urgent Care Test For Chlamydia

What Should I Do If I Have Chlamydia

Chlamydia is easy to treat. But you need to be tested and treated as soon as possible.

If you have chlamydia:

See a doctor or nurse as soon as possible. Antibiotics will treat chlamydia, but they will not fix any permanent damage to your reproductive organs.
Take all of your medicine. Even if symptoms go away, you need to finish all of the antibiotics.
Tell your sex partner so they can be tested and treated. If they are not tested and treated you could get chlamydia again.
Avoid sexual contact until you and your partner have been treated and cured. Even after you finish your antibiotics, you can get chlamydia again if you have sex with someone who has chlamydia.
See your doctor or nurse again if you have symptoms that dont go away within a few days after finishing the antibiotics.

Dont Miss: Long Term Effects Of Chlamydia

What Complications Can Result From Chlamydial Infection

The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydial infections can lead to serious health problems with both short- and long-term consequences.

In women, untreated chlamydia can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease . Symptomatic PID occurs in about 10 to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia.30,31 However, chlamydia can also cause subclinical inflammation of the upper genital tract . Both acute and subclinical PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues. The damage can lead to chronic pelvic pain, tubal factor infertility, and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy.32,33

Some patients with chlamydial PID develop perihepatitis, or Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome, an inflammation of the liver capsule and surrounding peritoneum, which is associated with right upper quadrant pain.

In pregnant women, untreated chlamydia has been associated with pre-term delivery,34 as well as ophthalmia neonatorum and pneumonia in the newborn.

Reactive arthritis can occur in men and women following symptomatic or asymptomatic chlamydial infection, sometimes as part of a triad of symptoms formerly referred to as Reiters Syndrome.35

A Word From Same Day Std Testing

Though you cant control what happened in the past, you can make good decisions to alter the future. Proactive measures like getting tested and seeking treatment are sensible actions to take following an unprotected sexual encounter. Dont let a bad decision compound over time by ignoring it. Instead, contact one of our team members here at . Well walk you through your testing options and answer any questions you may have. Or, you can find a testing facility near you and get tested today. Either way, dont wait to ask for help take initiative instead!

Protecting Your Sexual Partners

If you have HIV, are taking ART, and achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load, you have effectively no risk of passing HIV to your sexual partners. This is true even if you have an STI other than HIV. However, having an undetectable viral load will not prevent you from transmitting other STIs to your sexual partners.

If you have HIV and you do not have an undetectable viral load, untreated STIs may make it more likely that you will spread HIV to a sexual partner. But you can protect your partner from HIV by using condoms and choosing less risky sexual behaviors.

And if you have an HIV-negative partner who has another STI, they may have skin ulcers, sores, or inflammation that may increase their risk of getting HIV during sex.

An HIV-negative partner can take medicine to prevent HIV, called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, but PrEP does not protect against other STIs. PrEP is an HIV prevention option for people who dont have HIV but who are at high risk of becoming infected with HIV. PrEP involves taking a specific HIV medicine every day to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

Previous articleSyphilis And Chlamydia At The Same Time

Next articleChlamydia Does It Go Away