Do You Have Chlamydia For Life

Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Azithromycin For Chlamydia

Yes, you may drink a small amount of alcohol while you are taking azithromycin but there is a chance large amounts of alcohol may increase the gastrointestinal side effects of azithromycin, such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, or flatulence. Too much alcohol with azithromycin may also give you a headache.

Because azithromycin is usually taken as a one-off dose, drinking alcohol is unlikely to stop azithromycin from curing chlamydia.

How Can I Protect Myself From Chlamydia

Its not always possible to know if a current or potential partner has chlamydia, though, especially since many people with chlamydia never notice symptoms. With prevention in mind, its a good idea to make safer sex practices a regular part of your sex life:

• Dont share sex toys, but if you do, wash them after each use and cover toys used for penetration with a condom.
• Have sex with only one partner, who only has sex with you.

What Health Problems Can Result From Chlamydia

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

If a woman does not receive treatment, chlamydia can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes, causing PID. Symptomatic PID occurs in about 10-15% of women who do not receive treatment.30,31 However, chlamydia can also cause subclinical inflammation of the upper genital tract . Both acute and subclinical PID can cause long-term 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 PID develop perihepatitis, or Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome. This syndrome includes inflammation of the liver capsule and surrounding peritoneum, which can cause right upper quadrant pain.

In pregnant people, untreated chlamydia can lead to pre-term delivery,34 ophthalmia neonatorum , and pneumonia in the newborn.

Reactive arthritis can occur in men and women, following infection with or without symptoms. This is sometimes part of a triad of symptoms formerly referred to as Reiters Syndrome.35

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Where Can I Get More Information

Health care providers with STD consultation requests can contact the STD Clinical Consultation Network . This service is provided by the National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers and operates five days a week. STDCCN is convenient, simple, and free to health care providers and clinicians. More information is available at www.stdccn.orgexternal icon.

Division of STD Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-38271-800-783-987

References

1. OFarrell N, Morison L, Moodley P, et al. Genital ulcers and concomitant complaints in men attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic: implications for sexually transmitted infections management. Sexually transmitted diseases 2008 35:545-9.

2. White JA. Manifestations and management of lymphogranuloma venereum. Current opinion in infectious diseases 2009 22:57-66.

3. Kreisel KM, Spicknall IH, Gargano JW, Lewis FM, Lewis RM, Markowitz LE, Roberts H, Satcher Johnson A, Song R, St. Cyr SB, Weston EJ, Torrone EA, Weinstock HS. Sexually transmitted infections among US women and men: Prevalence and incidence estimates, 2018. Sex Transm Dis 2021 in press.

4. CDC. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2019. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services April 2021.

5. Torrone E, Papp J, Weinstock H. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infection Among Persons Aged 1439 Years United States, 20072012. MMWR 2014 63:834-8.

The Costs Of Infertility

Treating chlamydia is easy, but for those who do not get treated or get treated too late, living with the damage caused by the infection can be hard.

Rabin has treated many women who never knew they had had chlamydia until they couldnt get pregnant due to blocked fallopian tubes. These women often wind up trying in vitro fertilization , which does not always succeed.

There are all kinds of costs involved for these women, say Rabin. There are emotional costs and physical costs. There are also financial costs with IVF. Its much better to not let the tubes get damaged, she says, and get pregnant the old-fashioned way.

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How Do You Get Tested

There are several different reliable tests for chlamydia. Newer tests, called NAATs , are very accurate and easy to take. Your healthcare provider can explain what testing options are available . If you dont have a regular healthcare provider, you can search here for a clinic near you.

People infected with chlamydia are often also infected with gonorrhea, so patients with chlamydia are often treated for gonorrhea at the same time, since the cost of treatment is generally less than the cost of testing.

If you live in Alaska, Maryland, or Washington, D.C., you can have a free at-home chlamydia test. Visit iwantthekit.org for more information.

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.

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What Are Common Side Effects Of Chlamydia Medication

Since antibiotics are the exclusive treatment for chlamydia, side effects tend to be pretty similar for those that experience them. However, this is not a full list and you should discuss any possible side effects with your healthcare professional.

Some of the most common side effects of chlamydia medication include:

How Many Pills Do You Take For Chlamydia

With antibiotics, usually doxycycline or azithromycin. It is important that you take the pills as directed. The disease may not be cured until all the pills are taken. Azithromycin treatment consists of 4 pills taken all at one time.

How do I know if chlamydia is gone? When will the signs and symptoms go away?

What happens if you have chlamydia for too long?

What happens if chlamydia goes untreated? If a person is not treated for chlamydia, complications may occur. Women frequently develop pelvic inflammatory disease . PID can cause infertility , chronic pelvic pain, tubal pregnancies, and the continued spread of the disease.

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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.

How Long Can I Go With Chlamydia Untreated

Being tested means that you can be treated, and the proper treatment will help clear up a chlamydial infection in a matter of weeks. On the other hand, if you don’t get tested or don’t see a healthcare provider for treatment, chlamydia can live in the body for weeks, months, or even years without being detected.

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How To Help Partners Get Treatment

If you are not sure whether your sexual partner will seek treatment, ask your doctor for extra chlamydia medication . You can give it to them so they can be treated as soon as possible.

This is known as patient delivered partner therapy for chlamydia. Talk to your doctor to see if PDPT is right for you and your sexual partner.

Is Chlamydia For Life

Chlamydia is a common STD that can contaminate both men and women. It can trigger major, long-term damages to a ladys reproductive system. Is Chlamydia For Life

This can make it tough or impossible for her to obtain expecting later on. Chlamydia can likewise cause a possibly deadly ectopic pregnancy a maternity that happens outside the womb.

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Treatment Of Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection And Its Complications

Doxycycline for seven days and a stat dose of azithromycin are the preferred drugs for use in the treatment of chlamydia trachomatis infection. However, the drugs are not safe in pregnancy hence the use of amoxicillin or erythromycin for seven days to treat the same disease in pregnancy. It is important to institute treatment in the early stages of the disease and also carry out retesting three weeks after completing of therapy to confirm cure from the disease more so in pregnancy to avoid occurrence of complications of the disease.

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How Long Does It Take To Show Up In The Throat

Symptoms of chlamydia in your throat are typically caused by having oral sex with someone whos contracted the infection.

Its much less common to notice throat symptoms, but they may still appear after a week or so, up to a few months or longer.

STI tests that look for chlamydia arent always done on the throat since its an area that does not carry the infection often. Ask your doctor for a throat swab or other chlamydia test if you think youve been exposed through oral sex.

Here are the most common symptoms of chlamydia in both people with penises and people with vulvas.

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Are There Complications Of Chlamydia

Chlamydia can cause serious complications if it isnt treated promptly and properly.

Untreated chlamydia can trigger arthritis, skin rashes, and inflammation in the eye or rectum.

For women, chlamydia can spread into the uterus and the fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease . This can cause problems with pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancy. Women with untreated chlamydia have up to a 1 in 12 chance of becoming infertile. In men, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and the tubes that carry sperm, causing pain and fertility problems.

Pregnant women who are infected with chlamydia have a higher chance of miscarriage or premature birth. Their babies may also get an eye or lung infection. You can read more about chlamydia and pregnancy here.

How Is Chlamydia Spread Is Chlamydia For Life

You can obtain chlamydia by having genital, rectal, or oral sex with somebody who has chlamydia.

If youve had chlamydia and also were treated in the past, you can still obtain contaminated once more. This can take place if you have unguarded sex with somebody that has chlamydia.

If you are pregnant, you can offer chlamydia to your baby during giving birth.

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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.

Can Chlamydia Be Dormant And Undetected

Many people think that STDs are conspicuous diseases. In other words, they expect STDs to produce a lot of obvious symptoms and for those symptoms to appear quickly. Yet, the reality is that its impossible to tell if you have an STD immediately after contraction. In fact, lots of people who have STDs never experience any symptoms at all. This leads us to our question of the day can chlamydia be dormant and undetected? There are two parts to the answer. First, yes, chlamydia can lie unnoticed for long periods of time. However, even if chlamydia remains asymptomatic, tests can still detect its presence.

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How Will I Know If The Chlamydia Has Affected My Fertility

Chlamydia is just one of many factors that can affect your fertility. Most people whove had chlamydia wont become infertile or have an ectopic pregnancy . If youve had chlamydia you wont normally be offered any routine tests to see if youre fertile unless you or a partner are having difficulty getting pregnant. If youre concerned, talk to your doctor or practice nurse.

By Roxanne Khamsi

Chlamydia the most common sexually transmitted disease in the US and UK causes dramatic genetic damage in sperm leading to male infertility, a new study suggests.

Men with chlamydia have more than three times the normal level of DNA fragmentation in their sperm, report researchers. However, results from the study also indicate that appropriate antibiotic treatment can help restore the genetic integrity of these mens sperm as well as their fertility.

Until recently, doctors believed that chlamydia threatened womens fertility only. The bacteria responsible for the disease, Chlamydia trachomatis can cause a womans fallopian tubes to become blocked or scarred, making it difficult or impossible to conceive a child.

A study published in 2004 involving Swedish couples seeking infertility treatment found that men with chlamydia infection were less likely to father a child. But researchers have lacked good evidence about why men with the disease develop fertility trouble and how to reverse the problem.

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How To Take The Medicine

• you should take these pills with food
• you should have 2 pills of azithromycin. Each pill contains 500g of the medicine. You should take both with water at the same time. You need to take 2 pills to be cured
• do not take antacids for 1 hour before or 2 hours after taking the azithromycin pills
• do not share or give this medicine to anyone else.

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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 .

Signs And Symptoms Of Chlamydia

Chlamydia is known as one of the silent diseases which can produce no symptoms for a long period of time. Approximately 7095 percent of women and 50 percent of men with chlamydia do not observe chlamydia symptoms at all. The symptoms can also be mild and almost unnoticeable.

Another reason why symptoms are not the best way to determine the infection is that it is often confused with gonorrhea as the symptoms are very much alike. Asymptomatic nature of chlamydia makes it difficult to estimate how long a person remains infectious and this period is commonly believed to last until full recovery.

Chlamydia symptoms show up between 1 and 3 weeks after the contraction.

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Does Dormant Chlamydia Test Positive

Chlamydia trachomatis can be present and dormant in the body for several years. However, it takes 1-3 weeks to show up in the vulva.

There are different ways to test for Chlamydia. The waiting period for the results depends on the mode of the Chlamydia test.

Urine test

Your doctor would require you to pee in a cup that will be tested in a laboratory to see if Chlamydia bacteria are in your urine.

This test takes about 2-5 days to show a positive if you are infected with the disease.

Blood test

Your doctor will take out some of your blood to be sent into the lab for testing to see if antibodies to Chlamydia are in your bloodstream.

Blood test results can come back in a few minutes when the blood is analyzed.

Swab test

Your doctor will use a stick or cotton round to acquire a small sample of suspected fluid that has the infection.

This sample is then cultured to see what bacteria grow from it. It can take up to 2-3 days to show results.

Doctors can use a stick or cotton round for a swab

How Is Gonorrhea Treated

Youll need antibiotics to treat gonorrhea. Your provider will tell you if you need the medicine via a shot or by mouth. IM Ceftriaxone and oral azithromycin are prescribed first. Make sure to take your medication as instructed, even if the symptoms improve and you start to feel better.

Never take someone elses medication to treat your illness. Doing so makes the infection harder to treat.

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