What Are The Other Risks Of Untreated Chlamydia In Men
Untreated chlamydia in men can also cause sexually acquired reactive arthritis . This can lead to inflamed joints, eyes, or urethra causing pain when urinating. SARA is more common in men than women. There is no cure for SARA however, most people get better within a few months. The symptoms of SARA can be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen.
Men with chlamydia have an increased risk of getting other infections including gonorrhea or HIV.
What Will Happen If Chlamydia Infections Is Ignored So Long
Trachoma of the eye. Progression of trachoma. Trachoma, an infection of the eye caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Trachoma is a bacterial infection that affects your eyes
If you are thinking hard to know about how is chlamydia transmitted then the only answer is via sexual contact. Unfortunately, the side effects of Chlamydia over male infertility are generally underestimated. But it is observed that this infection can damage sperm and may also lead to some serious or non curable reproductive disorder like permanent infertility.
Males that are suffering with Chlamydia use to have DNA level 3 times higher than its normal amount in DNA. It clearly means that the genetic material is not perfectly packed inside and it is more susceptible to breakage.
Structure of Mycoplasma cell. the bacterium is the causative agent of sexually transmitted diseases, pneumoniae, atypical pneumonia and other respiratory disorders. unaffected by many antibiotics.
Mycoplasma is also similar kind of disease and it is also transferred with sexual contact both these diseases can have direct effect on sperm production in male body. Once a person gets infected with Chlamydia then his rate of abnormal sperm reproduction gets increased up to 80% and it has about 10% lesser mobility inside body when compared with normal peers.
Other than this, male Chlamydia patients are observed to experience urethritis, conjunctivitis and rheumatological conditions along with reactive arthritis issues.
Reducing The Risk Of Chlamydia Infection
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection which is spread in genital fluids . Its important to bear this in mind, and to remember that chlamydia can be transmitted via various forms of sexual activity.
As a man you can be vulnerable to chlamydia if you are engaging in the following sexual acts:
- Non-penetrative sexual contact
- Sharing sex toys
To stay protected, talk to your sexual partner about their STI status if you arent certain that they are free from infection refrain from sex or use condoms or dental dams until either of you are tested.
Sex toys should not be shared â they should be washed in between use and protected with a condom if possible.
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What Other Problems Can Chlamydia Cause
In women, an untreated infection can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease . PID can cause permanent damage to your reproductive system. This can lead to long-term pelvic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Women who have had chlamydia infections more than once are at higher risk of serious reproductive health complications.
Men often dont have health problems from chlamydia. Sometimes it can infect the epididymis . This can cause pain, fever, and, rarely, infertility.
Both men and women can develop reactive arthritis because of a chlamydia infection. Reactive arthritis is a type of arthritis that happens as a reaction to an infection in the body.
Babies born to infected mothers can get eye infections and pneumonia from chlamydia. It may also make it more likely for your baby to be born too early.
Untreated chlamydia may also increase your chances of getting or giving HIV/AIDS.
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How Will I Know If I Have Chlamydia
You can only be certain you have chlamydia if you have a test.
Anyone can get chlamydia. Youre more likely to have it if youre under 25, have a new sexual partner, or more than one sexual partner in the last year, and if you havent used condoms.
You should have a test if:
- you, or a partner, have or think you might have symptoms
- youve recently had sex without a condom with a new partner
- you, or a partner, have had sex without a condom with other partners
- during a vaginal examination, your doctor or nurse says that the cervix is inflamed and/or theres an unusual discharge
- a sexual partner tells you they have a sexually transmitted infection
- you have another STI.
If you live in England, and youre a woman who is under 25 and sexually active, its recommended that you have a chlamydia test when you change sexual partner and once a year.
If youre a man who is under 25 and sexually active, its recommended that you have a chlamydia test once a year if you are not using condoms with new or casual partners.
You could still have chlamydia even if a partner has tested negative. The only way to make sure you dont have chlamydia is to get tested yourself.
If you have chlamydia, youll be encouraged to be tested for other STIs as you can have more than one STI at the same time.
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Symptoms Of Male Chlamydia:
In around 70 percent of the cases, there will be no signs of this condition seen initially in men. The symptoms will only appear after 1 to 3 weeks of exposure. When it appears, one must watch out for the following symptoms:
- Pain while urinating
- Pain or swelling in the testicles
- Pain in the rectum discharge or bleeding can also be seen
- Inflammation in the eyes
Common Symptoms Of Male Chlamydia
Chlamydia should be treated as early as possible to avoid severe health complications. If left untreated, it can cause a condition in men called nongonococcal urethritis . In this condition, it can cause inflammation in the prostate glands, urethra, epididymis or rectum, infertility and narrowing of the urethra or stricture. So, when one notices certain signs and symptoms of Chlamydia, he should immediately approach a doctor for proper treatment. Let us discuss the Chlamydia symptoms men experience:
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How Is It Diagnosed
Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and your sexual history. You may also have a physical exam to look for signs of infection.
Chlamydia can cause serious problems but may not cause symptoms. That’s why it’s a good idea to get tested once a year if you are at higher risk for getting chlamydia. Talk to your doctor about what testing is right for you.
How Long Does It Take To Show Up On A Test
There are several tests that you doctor might use to diagnose chlamydia:
- Urine test. Youll pee in a cup thats sent off to a laboratory testing facility to see if any chlamydia bacteria are present in your urine.
- Blood test. Your doctor will use a sterile needle to draw some of your blood and send it to a lab to see if antibodies to the chlamydia bacteria are present in your bloodstream.
- Swab. Your doctor will use a cotton round or stick to take a small sample of tissue or fluid that carries the infection, which is then sent to a lab to be cultured so that lab technicians can see what bacteria grows from the sample.
How long it takes for the results to show up depends on the test and on your specific health insurance plan.
- Urine tests take about 2 to 5 days to show a positive or negative result.
- Blood tests can come back with results in a few minutes if the blood is analyzed on site. But they can take a week or more if sent to an off-site lab.
- Swab results take about 2 to 3 days to show a positive or negative.
1 to 3 weeks to show up in people with vulvas.
Symptoms may take up a few months to show up. This is because bacteria are living creatures and have an incubation period that affects how long it takes them to cluster together and become infectious.
This incubation period is dependent on a variety of factors, including:
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Chlamydia Is Common But Many People Dont Realize They Have It
About 1.7 million chlamydia infections were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017, but the real number is likely higher because chlamydia is considered an underreported infection.
“The number of reported cases is substantially lower than the true estimated incidence,” says Bradley Stoner, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and former president of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association.
The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System relies on state and local public health departments to collect and report data on chlamydia to the CDC. Those public health departments depend on individual physicians, hospitals, and laboratories to report cases of chlamydia to them. Accurate statistics require all parties to routinely comply with disease-reporting mandates.
How Long Can You Have Chlamydia Without Knowing
If youve had intercourse with an infected man or woman, chlamydia symptoms may appear between 1 3 weeks after contact.
However, you may still be asymptomatic after a chlamydia infection. This is because chlamydia can be silent or dormant for months and years without showing symptoms.
In men, about 50 70 percent will show symptoms of chlamydia while only 30 50 percent of women will be symptomatic. Absent symptoms of chlamydia do not mean absent infection. You should take chlamydia test to confirm if you have the infection or not.
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How Is Chlamydia Infection Treated
If you were diagnosed with the infection then you will need treatment. The good news is that chlamydia can be treated and cured. The drugs used are doxycycline, azithromycin, amoxicilin. In pregnant women with the infection, amoxicillin and azithromycin are safe.
Doxycycline is given twice daily for a week. However, it has some side effects which include vomiting, nausea, mild passage of watery stool and skin rash. If you experience any problems while taking your medications, you should inform your doctor.
In addition, you should complete your medications and take them. Also, where possible, your doctor will prescribe drugs for your partner. It is important to talk to him or her on need for treatment.
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Im Pregnant How Does Chlamydia Affect My Baby
If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can give the infection to your baby during delivery. This can cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your baby. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby early.
If you are pregnant, you should receive testing for chlamydia at your first prenatal visit. Talk to your healthcare provider about getting the correct examination, testing, and treatment. Testing and treatment are the best ways to prevent health problems.
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Chlamydia Symptoms In Men Vs Women
Despite the population having more sex, there has been no relevant increase in the quality of sex education. This increases existing concerns over the sexual health of the UK population the threat of STIs becoming even more widespread looms over the country like the grey clouds that often occupy our skies.
Since the 1990s, the rates of Chlamydia infections have risen ten-fold. With an estimated 131 million people affected by this sexually transmitted infection worldwide, it is now more important than ever to make sure you use a condom during sexual intercourse with any partner and to get tested regularly. Especially when 70% of women and at least half of all men do not experience any signs of a Chlamydia infection the risk of transmission and further health problems increases.
According to the FPA, Chlamydia is so common that it accounted for just under half of all STIs diagnosed in England. Also, of the 200,000 or so infections in men and women that were diagnosed, around 70% of the women and 50% of the men had no noticeable symptoms. This shows why getting tested is so important as its the only reliable way to know if you are infected. Mike Asher, Co-Founder of Better2Know
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Complications Associated With Male Chlamydia
- Inflammation of the testicles: In men, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and epididymis , causing them to become painful and swollen. This is known as epidymitis or epididymo-orchitis. If it’s not treated, there’s a possibility it could affect your fertility.
- Reactive arthritis: Chlamydia is the most common cause of sexually acquired reactive arthritis . This is where your joints, eyes or urethra become inflamed, usually within the first few weeks after having chlamydia. It can affect women who have had chlamydia but is more common in men. There’s currently no cure for SARA, but most people get better in a few months. In the meantime, treatment with NSAIDS such as ibuprofen can help relieve the symptoms
If any of these symptoms occur and if you get diagnosed with Chlamydia, then it is better to refrain from sex and inform all the sex partners to get a test for the same. With the proper course of treatment getting rid of Chlamydia is possible. To prevent Chlamydia, one should practice safe sex, avoid multiple sex partners and take periodic screening for STDs.
It is important to remember that if any symptoms are noticed, you need to meet a service provider for treatment in order to prevent complication. Since chlamydia infection is most commonly asymptomatic, it is necessary that you are screened if you’re sexually active and under 25 years old, you should get tested for chlamydia every year or every time you have a new partner.
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What Are The Complications Of Chlamydia Infection
Because chlamydia does not show symptoms in everyone that is infected, it can easily cause long term problems in both men and women. If treatment does not occur early some of this complications are possible.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease . This is an ascending infection that affects the fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus and abdomen. It can cause severe pain and infertility in women.
- Peri-hepatitis. This is due to inflammation of the covering of the liver.
- In children, chlamydia can cause red eyes and pneumonia.
- If the fallopian tubes are affected, the baby may grow outside the uterus. This will cause severe pain or fainting attack if it ruptures
- Infertility or inability to conceive
- Increased chance of contacting other sexually transmitted infections like HIV, Gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis.
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How Does Chlamydia Spread
Chlamydia is spread when a person has unprotected sex with an infected person.
Because chlamydial infection often has no symptoms, many people do not realise they have the infection.
Even if you know a person well, you may not be able to tell they have an STI, because people can look healthy and still have chlamydia.
Remember, you can get chlamydia and other STIs from a new sexual partner who has in the past had sex with someone who is infected.
It can also be spread from a long-term partner who has had sex with other people.
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How Chlamydia Diagnosis Process Is Carried On In Men
Early treatment of Chlamydia is essential to have a healthy life ahead. In case if you had unprotected sex with your recent partner then you must get tested for STIs as soon as possible. This test can be carried out at any local GUM clinic or GP. With improved facilities of digital world, patients can also order Chlamydia test kits to their home from online sources.
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Does Chlamydia Go Away In Men
As a bacterial infection, chlamydia can be treated and cured with the right course of antibiotics. Left untreated, chlamydia symptoms may ease up for a short time but the infection can spread throughout the body and cause future complications.
Remember, if you test positive for chlamydia, your partners will also need to test for chlamydia and receive treatment – even if theyre experiencing no symptoms.
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One of the most reliable ways to keep an eye on your sexual health is through regular sexual health screening. This can be done with your doctor or from home with an at-home lab test.
If youd prefer to get tested for chlamydia from home, LetsGetCheckeds range of at-home STI Tests allows you to do just that. Your online results will be available in just 5 days and our team of dedicated nurses will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. Plus, if you test positive, you will receive a prescription free of charge.
You should also consider taking a test if:
- You become sexually active
- You have had unprotected sex
- Youre experiencing symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection
- Youre entering into a new sexual relationship
- You have received a notification from a previous partner that they are infected
References
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How Do You Test For Male Chlamydia
Early testing and treatment of chlamydia is key. If you’ve recently had unprotected sex with a new partner, with someone you suspect may be infected or if you just haven’t been tested for STIs in a while, you should get tested. You can do this at your local GP or GUM clinic, .
Alternatively, you can order a chlamydia test kit from us and take your test at home and further chlamydia treatment if required. Because chlamydia is highly prevalent among 16 to 25 year-olds, chlamydia tests are now offered at most youth clubs and universities too.
If you don’t have much time or would prefer a home test, you can order a chlamydia test kit from us and have it delivered to your UK address within 48 hours. Your sample will be sent to a lab for analysis and youll be contacted with the result within a few days.