How Do They Test For Chlamydia In Men
Chlamydia is one of the most common bacterial infections that are spread through sexual intercourse not only in the United States but in several other areas of the world too. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.7 million cases of this sexually transmitted infection were reported in 2018. This data accounts for the United States alone. The World Health Organization estimates that about 2.7% of men around the world have been infected with Chlamydia between 2009 and 2016.
Due to the fact that chlamydia is a condition that affects male and female patients in unique ways, it is important to consider the differences in testing for these conditions too. In this post, we will consider some unique ways that chlamydia tends to affect men and take a look at what tests are performed to identify the presence of this bacterial infection in a male patient.
Can A Couple Get Chlamydia Without Cheating
Apart from being infected at birth you can not catch chlamydia without performing some form of sexual act. However, you dont have to have penetrative sex to get infected, it is enough if your genitals come in contact with an infected persons sexual fluids .
Is There A Cure For Chlamydia
Yes. Chlamydia is easy to treat and cure, but remember that just because youve had it once doesnt mean you cant get infected again. Its important that you get treated early so that more serious health problems dont occur.
Your health care provider will either give you a single dose of medicine to take in the office before you leave or a prescription to fill that you will need to take 2 times a day, for 7 days. Your health care provider will decide which medicine is right for you. Remember to take ALL of the medicine as prescribed, even if the symptoms go away.
Its important for your sexual contact to be treated as well. This can help prevent you from re-infecting one another.
You should be re-tested for chlamydia in 3 months.
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Chlamydia Is Caused By Sexually Transmitted Bacteria
The bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis causes chlamydia infection, which usually occurs in the genital tract, so the cervix in women and the penis in men. In both women and men, the bacteria may also infect the rectum and the throat.
“Infections are spread during any kind of sexual activity: vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse,” says Jonathan Schaffir, MD, an ob-gyn at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
Chlamydia trachomatis can also cause conjunctivitis if the bacteria come into contact with the eyelids or the clear membrane covering the white of the eye.
Because chlamydia infections often cause no symptoms, individuals who have one may not seek medical attention or get treated for it. However, anyone who is infected with chlamydia can pass it to other people, who can, in turn, pass it to others.
In Men Untreated Chlamydia Can Lead To:
- Epididymitis painful inflammation of the inner structures of the testicles, which may cause reduced fertility or sterility. A rare complication of Epididymitisis reactive arthritis, which causes pain in the inflamed joints that can be disabling
- Prostatitis
- Occasionally, Reiters syndrome
- Urethritis inflammation of the urethra with a yellow discharge appearing at the tip of the penis. Untreated urethritis results in narrowing of the urethra which leads to painful urinating and can cause kidney problems
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Treatment Of Chlamydial Urethritis
If youre diagnosed with chlamydial urethritis, you and any of your sexual partners must be treated with antibiotics. Its important for your partners to receive treatment, even if they dont show signs of an infection.
This helps prevent reinfection. Without proper treatment, sexual partners may continue to pass the bacteria back and forth.
Several antibiotics can eliminate chlamydial urethritis, including:
CDC notes that a higher dose of 1 gram of azithromycin taken once may also be an effective treatment.
Most infections will resolve within a week or two. Its important that you abstain from sexual activity for at least seven days after completing a course of antibiotics to prevent reinfection.
Its important to seek treatment for STDs as soon as symptoms occur. Untreated infections can spread and lead to more serious health complications in men, including:
- infection and pain near the testicles
- infertility or sterility
- stricture, which is a narrowing of the urethra due to inflammation or infection
Men often dont show signs of infection right away. Regular screenings for STDs can diagnose STDs even if no symptoms are present. This is especially important when changing partners or if you have multiple partners.
What Are The Complications Of Chlamydia In Men
Chlamydia in men can have several complications if left untreated.
Untreated epididymitis as a result of chlamydia in men can lead to infertility. The two ways it can occur include
- Untreated chlamydia in men can scar the ducts that convey sperm.
- Chlamydia can affect sperm cells by changing their DNA.
A 2017 study showed that chlamydia in men did not affect the sperm DNA nor did it cause infertility.
Proctitis can cause fistula and strictures if not treated. A fistula is an abnormal connection between the skin and the intestine.
Chlamydia in men can cause urethral strictures â narrowing of the lumen. Strictures can lead to painful urination, bloody urine, and straining. The treatment of urethral stricture is through surgery.
Lastly, chlamydia in men can cause reactive arthritis. It occurs in about 1% of men with chlamydia. A patient with reactive arthritis will complain of swelling, pain, stiffness, and redness of the joints.
It can occur in all joints in the body but occurs more in the knees, ankles, and feet. Also, reactive arthritis can cause
- Enthesitis
- Dactylitis
- Low back pain
Chlamydia is responsible for most cases of reactive arthritis. Reactive arthritis is formerly known as Reiterâs syndrome. It is a form of inflammatory arthritis that results from a distant infection. This disease occurs when you come in contact with bacteria.
Some people with arthritis and urethritis later develop conjunctivitis or uveitis. The list of medical triads is Reiterâs syndrome.
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How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed
Health care providers most commonly diagnose chlamydia by testing a urine sample. Less commonly they may place a small swab in the end of the penis. The same sample can be used to test for gonorrhea, another STI. It is important to get tested in order to tell if you have chlamydia or gonorrhea. They have very similar symptoms, but each needs a different treatment. If you or your sexual contact has a positive chlamydia test, you may need to have further testing to check for other possible STIs
Preventing The Spread Of Infection
It is absolutely necessary to inform the partner if you get a positive test for Chlamydia. The sooner the partner is told the more effective and simple the treatment can be. Make sure your partner gets tested and receives the treatment as well and abstain from the intercourse until the treatment of both you and the partner is finished.
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What Measures Can I Take To Prevent These Conditions
The only way that you can completely prevent yourself from catching chlamydia, gonorrhea, or another STI is by abstaining from sexual activity.
But there are also plenty of ways you can reduce your risk of contracting or transmitting these infections:
Chlamydia Can Infect The Penis Vagina Cervix Anus Urethra Eyes And Throat
Do i have chlamydia male. See if you have Chlamydia by taking a self-diagnostic quiztest of its symptoms. Medical doctors say that symptoms of Chlamydia in men can be random and infrequent so most of the time patients are not able to know if they are in contact with the infection. This can happen if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia.
According to the Centers for. White cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis. Burning or itching in the urethra the tube that carries urine out of.
Chlamydia symptoms in men include. 3 days after i had sex with him i felt like i had to pee really badly but i didnt actually have to pee when i was on the toilet. Some of the most common signs of Chlamydia in men include.
Anyone can have chlamydia but it may affect males and females differently. Chlamydia can pass from male-to-female through infected sperm or from female-to-male through vaginal fluid or genital tissue contact. Very small cloudy or clear Chlamydia discharge in men from penis tip.
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection. It can be hard. White cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis.
The symptoms of chlamydia in men can be difficult to spot. If they do get symptoms the most common include. Symptoms of chlamydia can appear in both men and women including.
Say yes if you have sex as an android I dont judge people. Pain or burning while peeing. Do you have infertility unable to have a baby.
How Chlamydia Is Diagnosed
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Chlamydia Is Only Contagious From Person To Person
You can only get chlamydia by having intimate sexual contact with an infected person, not from casual contact, touching another persons clothing, or consuming contaminated food or water.
The chlamydia organism lives only in human cells and cannot be transmitted by external contact, such as towels or toilet seats, Schaffir says.
What Increases Your Risk
Risk factors for getting chlamydia include:
- Having unprotected sex .
- Having more than one sex partner.
- Having a high-risk partner or partners. This includes people who have more than one sex partner or sex partners who have chlamydia.
- Starting sexual activity before age 18.
Any child with chlamydia needs to be seen by a doctor to determine the cause and to assess for possible sexual abuse. For more information, see the topic Child Abuse and Neglect.
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Knowing Other Bodily Symptoms Of Chlamydia
Untreated Chlamydia In Men And Women: How It Can Affect Your Health
If a chlamydial infection isnât detected and treated promptly, it can harm your healthâeven if you didnât experience symptoms when the infection first began.
Untreated chlamydia in men can lead to:
- Nongonococcal urethritis , or an infection of the urethra that can cause symptoms like painful or frequent urination, abnormal genital discharge, and more
- Epididymitis, or an infection of the epididymis , which can result in testicular pain and swelling
- Proctitis, or inflammation of the rectum
Untreated chlamydia in women may lead to:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease , which can cause chronic pelvic pain and infertility
- Ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside of the uterus, often in a fallopian tube
- Preterm birth in pregnant womenâas well as eye infection, blindness, or pneumonia in babies born through vaginal delivery
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Chlamydia Symptoms & Treatment
FAST FACTS
- Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that is normally passed on through sex without a condom or sharing sex toys with someone who has the infection.
- Using male or female condoms and dental dams during sex will help to protect you from getting chlamydia.
- Chlamydia is often symptomless however if left untreated it can lead to long-term health problems.
- Chlamydia is easily treated with antibiotics.
- Chlamydia can be passed on from mother to child during pregnancy, so its important for pregnant women to get tested.
Can Chlamydia Be Cured
Yes, chlamydia can be cured with the right treatment. It is important that you take all of the medication your doctor prescribes to cure your infection. When taken properly it will stop the infection and could decrease your chances of having complications later on. You should not share medication for chlamydia with anyone.
Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. You should be tested again about three months after you are treated, even if your sex partner was treated.
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What Can Be Done To Prevent The Spread Of Chlamydia
- 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.
How Can I Prevent Chlamydia
It’s easier to prevent an STI like chlamydia than it is to treat it:
- Don’t 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. Don’t 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.
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Chlamydia Cdc Fact Sheet
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease that can be easily cured. If left untreated, chlamydia can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant.
Basic Fact Sheet | Detailed Version
Basic fact sheets are presented in plain language for individuals with general questions about sexually transmitted diseases. The content here can be syndicated .
Can You Recognise Chlamydia From Pictures
Can you tell you if have chlamydia by comparing your visible symptoms with pictures?
No. You cannot tell if you have chlamydia just from the appearance. While you might notice some irritation of the genital area, swelling or discharge, these symptoms can also be caused by other infections. The only way to know that an infection is caused by chlamydia is to have a test.
Could a doctor tell you have chlamydia by looking at visible symptoms?
No. The only way to find out if you have chlamydia is to get tested. After a physical examination your GP may suspect you have chlamydia, but they wont be able to confirm a diagnosis without proper testing.
Could the visible symptoms of chlamydia be mistaken for something else?
Yes, but in many cases chlamydia is symptomless. Symptoms may not occur until 1-3 weeks after you have been infected. The symptoms can also be random and infrequent which can lead individuals to overlook that an infection may be causing the symptoms. It could be that your visible symptoms are a result of a different infection.
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How Is Each Condition Transmitted
Both STIs are caused by bacterial infections that are transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, meaning sex without using a condom, dental dam, or another protective barrier between you and your partner during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Its also possible to contract the infection through sexual contact that doesnt involve penetration. For example, if your genitals come into contact with the genitals of someone whos contracted the infection, its possible to develop the condition.
Both STIs can also be contracted through protected sex with a condom or other barrier if you dont use protection properly, or if the barrier breaks.
Either STI can be contracted even if you arent showing visible symptoms. Both STIs can also be transmitted to a child at birth if the mother has either condition.
Youre at increased risk for developing these and other STIs if you:
- have multiple sexual partners at one time
- dont properly use protection, such as condoms, female condoms, or dental dams
- regularly use douches which can irritate your vagina, killing healthy vaginal bacteria
- have contracted an STI before
Sexual assault can also increase your risk of both chlamydia or gonorrhea.
Both STIs can be diagnosed using similar diagnostic methods. Your doctor may use one or more of these tests to ensure that the diagnosis is accurate and that the right treatment is given: