Chlamydia Does It Go Away

January 1, 2022

37

Can Chlamydia Kill You

How long does it take for chlamydia to go away?

As already mentioned before, this infection won`t cause any issues if treated right away. However, if it`s left untreated, it may lead to severe problems, especially when talking about women:

It the infection spreads, it may cause PID. This severe medical condition might make it difficult or even impossible for a woman to conceive.
Expecting mothers who experience this infection frequently pass it to their own future babies during delivery. If the condition gets in the eyes of the child, it may lead to blindness. Babies can have other issues, such as pneumonia, which can become deadly in a infant.
Having this particular infection makes anyone a lot more likely in getting HIV from other persons who are infected with HIV. This virus causes AIDS.

If I Have Chlamydia Am I At Risk Of Other Sexually Transmitted Infections

Yes. By definition, having unprotected sex means risk of STI. As well as chlamydia, there are also genital warts, genital herpes, gonorrhoea, HIV, pubic lice, and syphilis. Like with chlamydia, gonorrhoea may well cause no symptoms, so being tested is the only way to really know. This can be done at your local sexual health clinic.

Is It Possible To Get Chlamydia From A Toilet Seat

Chlamydia trachomatis, the bacteria that causes chlamydia infection, cannot survive outside the human body. Thus, you cannot get chlamydia from a toilet seat. Chlamydia can also not be transmitted through other means of casual contact, such as hugging, kissing, or by sharing towels, bed linen, swimming pools, or cutlery.

Some people are concerned about what will happen if they come in contact with a fresh droplet of the body fluid containing chlamydia left on a towel, bed linen, or toilet seat. However, merely coming in contact with the droplet just because it touched your skin or buttocks is not sufficient for you to get the infection. The bacteria need to come in contact with a suitable body tissue such as the cervix, urethra, or cornea of the eye to survive.

What’s The Treatment For Chlamydia

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. If you take the treatment according to instructions, its over 95% effective at treating chlamydia.

Youll be given a course of antibiotics for 3 or 7 days or sometimes up to two weeks.
If theres a high chance you have chlamydia, treatment may be started before the results of the test are back. Youll always be given treatment if a sexual partner is found to have chlamydia.
You may also need other treatment if complications have occurred.
Tell the doctor or nurse if youre pregnant, or think you might be, or youre breastfeeding. This may affect the type of antibiotic youre given.
Complementary therapies cant cure chlamydia.

Effects Of Chlamydia Treatment

After you have begun your course of chlamydia treatment, you should start to notice an improvement in your symptoms within a few days. Generally, most symptoms should resolve completely within 24 weeks. If any symptoms persist, such as pelvic pain or pain during sex, please return to the clinic as further treatment or investigations may be necessary.

If you are diagnosed with chlamydia you may need to inform anyone you have had sex with within the last six months as they may also be infected. They should be advised to attend a sexual health clinic for a chlamydia test and will usually be offered treatment on the day they attend. This advice is regardless of whether they have any symptoms or not, or whether or not you used a condom.

If you feel unable to inform previous sexual partners one of our Health Advisers will be able to notify them on your behalf without revealing your identity.

You should not have oral, anal or vaginal sex during your course of chlamydia treatment or for seven days after a single dose of chlamydia treatment and also until your current partner completes their treatment and until both you and your partners symptoms have abated. This is to avoid being re-infected and requiring further treatment.

Also Check: Can I Test Positive For Chlamydia And My Partner Negative

Do Condoms Protect Against All Stis

It depends. They are most effective against STIs which are transmitted through bodily fluids.

Consistent and correct use of latex condoms or internal condoms is associated with a significant reduction in STI contraction and transmission . If you have penis-in-vagina sex with a condom, you are 80% less likely to contract HIV, compared to sex without a condom .

Some STIs like herpes, human papillomavirus , or genital ulcer diseases like syphilis and chancroid, are spread via skin-to-skin contact. If a condom does not cover the infected area, then a condom cannot offer protection from these STIs. However, if the infections are limited to areas where the condom covers, then the risk of spreading these diseases will be reduced . Find out here about how to correctly put on a condom.

What Happens If You Dont Treat An Std

Easy answer: Nothing good!

Gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia: If left undiagnosed and untreated, eventually, any symptoms of gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia that were present will go awaybut that doesnt mean the infection does, says Dr. Ingber. Instead, the infection can travel to other organs such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries, or uterus, and cause something called, pelvic inflammatory disease . It takes about a year for the initial infection to develop into PID, and PID can lead to scarring and even infertility, he says. So as long as youre getting tested regularly, you should be able to avoid any of these developing into PID.

Syphilis: For syphilis, the risk of leaving it untreated is even greater. The original infection will progress to secondary syphilis approximately 4 to 8 weeks after infection, says Dr. Ingber, which is when the disease progresses from genital sores to full-body rashes. Eventually, the infection will progress to tertiary syphilis which is when the disease travels to distant organs such as the brain, lungs, or liver, and can be deadly, he says. Thats right, deadly.

HIV: The consequence of leaving HIV untreated is equally grave. Without treatment, HIV will slowly degrade the immune system and greatly increase your risk of other infections and infection-related cancers. Eventually, untreated HIV becomes AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

You May Like: Is Itching A Symptom Of Chlamydia

Std Awareness: Will Stds Go Away On Their Own

ByAnna C.|April 25, 2016, noon

Pictured above:

Can gonorrhea go away without treatment? Does chlamydia eventually clear up? Can trichomoniasis go away on its own? These are the kinds of questions people pose to Google before Google sends them here at least thats what I learned by looking at the blogs stats. Theyre tricky questions to tackle, and for so many reasons.

Some viral STDs stay with you for life, such as herpes and HIV. Others, such as hepatitis B and human papillomavirus , can be prevented with vaccines but cannot be cured. Its also possible for the immune system to defeat hepatitis B virus and HPV but in some cases, these viruses are able to settle in for the long haul, causing chronic infections that can endure for life and even lead to cancer.

Left untreated, syphilis can kill, and gonorrhea can cause infertility.

Non-viral STDs, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, can be cured. However, they usually dont have symptoms, or symptoms can come and go, making it seem like an infection went away when it actually didnt. You cant know your STD status without getting tested, and you cant self-diagnose an STD based on symptoms and then assume the infection went away when symptoms subside. Getting tested can uncover a problem and clear the way for treatment.

Gonorrhea and Chlamydia

Syphilis

Trichomoniasis

When To See A Healthcare Professional

Chlamydia | Top 5 Symptoms Experienced by Men and Women

If you suspect you have chlamydia, see a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Abstain from allsexual activity until your appointment.

If you arent comfortable getting tested for STIs with your usual provider, you can find a clinic in your area.

There are many free or low-cost clinics. Heres how to find one near you.

You can also visit GetTested or call CDC Info at 800-232-4636 to find local clinics.

Also Check: What All Antibiotics Cure Chlamydia

Other Causes Of Genital Itching

Itching is a broad symptom that applies to a host of medical issues including, but not limited to STDs. Again, its often important to distinguish the type of itch you feel. Itching in response to bumps or rashes on or around the genitals may stem from conditions like jock itch, genital warts, pubic lice, or scabies. Similarly, vaginal itching could indicate a number of issues like a yeast infection, a urinary tract infection , or even menopause. Dysuria also applies to a myriad of potential maladies.

How Can I Prevent Chlamydia

Its easier to prevent an STI like chlamydia than it is to treat it:

Dont have more than one sex partner at a time. The safest sex is with one partner who has sex only with you. Every time you add a new sex partner, you are being exposed to all of the infections that all of their partners may have.
Use a condom every time you have sex. Latex and polyurethane condoms keep out the viruses and bacteria that cause STIs.
Be responsible. Dont have sex if you have symptoms of an infection or if you are being treated for an STI.
Wait to have sex with a new partner until both of you have been tested for STIs.

You May Like: What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia

How Long Does It Take To Show Up In People With Penises

Theres no significant difference in the amount of time it takes for chlamydia symptoms to show up for people with penises as compared to people with vulvas.

The only major difference in the time it takes for symptoms to show up among people of various sexes may be related to how often symptoms show up.

According to the Childrens National Health System, 90 percent of people with vulvas dont ever experience any physical symptoms, while 70 percent of people with penises never notice any symptoms.

This difference in who actually experiences symptoms between these two groups may have some effect on how long it takes for symptoms show up. But theres never been any definitive link between your sex and when your symptoms appear.

What Does A Chlamydia Test Involve

Chlamydia go away on its own. Chlamydia go away on its own.

If you have a vulva, you may be asked to take a swab around the inside of your vagina yourself.
A doctor or nurse may take a swab during an internal examination of your vagina and cervix .
You may be asked to provide a urine sample. Before having this test, youre advised not to pass urine for 12 hours.
A doctor or nurse may take a swab from the entrance of the urethra .
If youve had anal or oral sex, a doctor or nurse may swab your rectum or throat . These swabs arent done routinely on everyone.
If you have symptoms of conjunctivitis swabs will be used to collect a sample of discharge from your eye.

A swab looks a bit like a cotton bud but is smaller and rounded. It sometimes has a small plastic loop on the end rather than a cotton tip. Its wiped over the parts of the body that could be infected. This only takes a few seconds and isnt painful, though it may be uncomfortable for a moment.

Cervical screening and routine blood tests dont detect chlamydia.

If youre not sure whether youve been tested for chlamydia, just ask.

Don’t Miss: How Does It Take To Get Rid Of Chlamydia

How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Getting Chlamydia

The only way to avoid STDs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting chlamydia:

Be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and has negative STD test results
Use latex condoms the right way every time you have sex.

Exactly How Usual Is Chlamydia

In 2017, greater than 1.7 million instances of chlamydia were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Avoidance . Many instances go unreported, so the genuine number of chlamydia infections every year might be closer to 3 million.

Males and female can both obtain the infection, but extra situations in ladies are reported.

Infection prices are highest possible among more youthful females, with the highest rates of infection taking place in females in between ages 15 and also 24.

The CDC recommends that all sexually active females ages 25 years and younger get evaluated for chlamydia each year, along with older women with threat aspects like numerous or new partners.

Statistically, an individual is more likely to obtain an STI if they have actually had sex with more than one person. Various other danger variables include having had an STI in the past, or currently have an infection due to the fact that this might lower resistance.

Rates for chlamydia as well as other STIs have been climbing up over the last few years.

You May Like: Chlamydia Can It Be Cured

Chlamydia Is A Serious Infection

Chlamydia is Americas most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Every year, an estimated 2.86 million infections occur. Since its so common, you may assume that its no big deal. However, chlamydia can be a very serious infection.

Chlamydia is very common, but that doesnt mean it cant have a serious impact on your health. The infection can cause a number of long-term complications. In up to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia, the infection spreads to the uterus and uterine tubes, leading to symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease. In addition, some women experience subclinical inflammation of the upper genital tract. This can cause permanent damage to the affected tissues.

How Accurate Are The Tests

Is Chlamydia Curable? — With Thoughts on Alternative Treatment!

The accuracy of a chlamydia test depends on the kind of test used and the type of sample thats collected. The recommended tests are over 95% accurate in picking up chlamydia. As no test is 100% accurate theres a small chance that the test will give a negative result when you do have chlamydia. This is known as a false negative result. This can sometimes explain why you might get a different result from another test or why you and a partner might get a different test result.

Its possible for the test to be positive if you havent got chlamydia, but this is rare.

You May Like: Does Chlamydia Make You Tired

How Is It Contracted

Chlamydia is transmitted primarily through sexual activity. The following are the most common ways:

unprotected intercourse with an infected partner
oral sex, although a less common cause of infection as bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis targets the genital area rather than the throat. Although it is possible theoretically, the cases of infestation from mouth-to-penis and penis-to-mouth contact are rare
vagina, cervix, anus, penis or mouth contacting infected secretions or fluids which means that contraction can occur even if the penis or tongue does not enter the vagina or anus
bacteria can travel from the vaginal area to the anus or rectum of women while wiping with toilet paper
sharing sex toys
from mother to the newborn during vaginal childbirth through the infected birth channel
infection can be transferred on fingers from the genitals to other parts of the body

Chlamydia is not contracted through simple kissing, handshaking, any casual contacts, sharing baths, towels and cups as well as from toilet seats.

Chlamydia trachomatis, an obligate intracellular human pathogen, is one of four bacterial species in the genus Chlamydia. 3D illustration

Does Chlamydia Cause Cervical Cancer

No, chlamydia doesn’t cause cervical cancer.

It’s possible to get a sexually transmitted infection by having sex with someone who has an STI, even if they have no symptoms.

The following measures will help protect you from most STIs including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV.

If you have an STI, they’ll also help prevent you from passing it on to someone:

Use condoms every time you have vaginal or anal sex.
If you have oral sex , use a condom to cover the penis, or a dam to cover the vulva or anus.
Avoid sharing sex toys. If you do share them, wash them or cover them with a new condom before anyone else uses them.

Don’t Miss: Can I Donate Blood If I Have Chlamydia

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