Long Term Complications Of Chlamydia In Females
In women, a chlamydia test may be positive from a swab / urine test even though you have no symptoms. In 70% of women who test positive, chlamydia symptoms are absent. If left untreated, the infection may persist and then affect the pelvic organs the uterus , the Fallopian Tubes and ovaries.
- Over time, if untreated, the pelvic tissues become scarred, and the tubes may become blocked. This is called Pelvic Inflammatory Disease .
- PID is associated with chronic pelvic pain and painful sex. It is also a major cause of infertility and ectopic pregnancy.
- An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy which implants outside of the uterus. Most often the pregnancy develops within the Fallopian Tube. This is dangerous because the developing pregnancy causes the tube to stretch as it grows, meaning the tube is at risk of rupture. If this does occur, this is a life threatening emergency.
- Chlamydia can affect the liver in women causing perihepatitis.
- If you get chlamydia while you are pregnant there is an increased risk of miscarriage, premature delivery and a low birth weight baby. Your baby is also at risk of developing a sticky eye, and/or pneumonia.
What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor About Treatment For Vaginitis
It is important to follow your doctors instructions, as well as the instructions that come with the medication. Do not stop taking the medicine when your symptoms go away. Do not be embarrassed to ask your doctor or healthcare practitioner questions. Vaginitis of all types is very common. Good questions to ask include:
- Should I abstain from sexual intercourse during treatment?
- Should my sexual partner be treated at the same time?
- Will the medication for this vaginitis interact with my other medication?
- Should I continue the vaginal cream or suppositories during my period?
- Do I need to be re-examined and if so, when?
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What Happens If Chlamydia Isnt Treated
Only some people who have chlamydia will have complications. If chlamydia is treated early, its unlikely to cause any long-term problems. But, without proper treatment, the infection can spread to other parts of the body. The more times you have chlamydia the more likely you are to get complications.
- If you have a vulva, chlamydia can spread to other reproductive organs causing pelvic inflammatory disease . This can lead to long-term pelvic pain, blocked fallopian tubes, infertility and ectopic pregnancy .
- In people with a vulva, chlamydia can also cause pain and inflammation around the liver, though this is rare. This usually gets better with the correct antibiotic treatment.
- If you have a penis, chlamydia can lead to infection in the testicles. If this isnt treated, theres a possibility it could affect your fertility but more research is needed to understand how likely this is.
- Rarely, chlamydia can lead to inflammation of the joints. This is known as Sexually Acquired Reactive Arthritis and is sometimes accompanied by inflammation of the urethra and the eye. This is more likely to occur in people with a penis than people with a vulva.
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How Long Can Chlamydia Stay In Your System
Chlamydia can lie dormant in the body for many years causing a low grade infection without symptoms. It could potentially flare up to cause a symptomatic infection, especially if there is an alteration in the persons immune system, such as a severe cold or flu, cancer or some other severe illness.
Chlamydial Conjunctivitis Vs Trachoma
Trachoma is a severe eye infection caused by a bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis the same bacteria that causes chlamydial conjunctivitis. Though it is more prominent in developing countries, trachoma is the leading cause of infectious blindness around the world.
Trachoma infects the inner eyelid, causing it to scar. The infected and scarred eyelid then turns inward, and eyelashes begin to brush against the cornea and destroy corneal tissue. This friction essentially causes irreversible blindness.
Trachoma can be spread through contact with an infected person, through contaminated clothing or towels, or through insects such as flies that can carry the disease.
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Chlamydia Symptoms With Pictures
Chlamydia has been a global problem for most of the population for many years now. Its an extremely prevalent bacterial infection that can be transmitted through sexual contact. Its so common that the number of infected is estimated at 2.86 million people every year. This sexually transmitted infection is present in 2.7% of men and 4.2% women globally. In other words, 1 in every 20 females who are sexually active have chlamydia. Around two-thirds of those infected, both females and males, are 15 to 24 years old with a higher prevalence rate in females. In 2015, this infection caused around 200 deaths. Its a serious infection that is overlooked due to its often asymptomatic nature. But, if the infection is diagnosed and recognized on time, it can help those infected avoid serious health complications. Here we will focus on how to spot the symptoms of chlamydia, what can happen if a person leaves those symptoms untreated, and how do these symptoms actually look like. This is our detailed analysis of chlamydia symptoms that can be useful for those seeking to steer clear from sexually transmitted infections.
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.
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How To Treat Chlamydia In Men And Women
If you have symptoms of a chlamydial infection or a sexual partner has told you that they tested positive for chlamydia, your healthcare provider will likely treat you even before your test results come back. This is called presumptive or empiric therapy. Doing it this way reduces the amount of time you may continue to spread the infection to others. First-line treatment for a chlamydia infection is one of two antibiotics: azithromycin or doxycycline . Both medications are generally well-tolerated and inexpensive.
Whats 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.
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Can Doxycycline Cure Chlamydia
In our study, we determined adherence through the staff recording directly observed treatment, and our results suggest that doxycycline is up to 100% efficacious against chlamydia among patients who are mostly adherent, whereas azithromycin may be slightly less efficacious, with an occasional treatment failure.
How Soon Can I Have Sex Again
Dont have oral, vaginal or anal sex, or use sex toys, until you and your partner have both finished the treatment and any symptoms have gone. This is to help prevent you being re-infected or passing the infection on to someone else.
If youre given antibiotic treatment called azithromycin, youll still need to avoid sex for seven days after starting the treatment as thats how long it takes to work.
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Long Term Complications Of Chlamydia In Males And Females
- Chlamydia can affect the eye, and cause conjunctivitis. This is a major cause of blindness in under developed countries.
- Chlamydia also affect the joints, causing a painful arthritis called Sexually Acquired Reactive Arthritis .
- Reiters syndrome is a medical condition which is often precipitated by an episode of chlamydial infection. Patients develop a triad of symptoms: urethritis, uveitis, and arthritis.
If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, dont ignore it you must seek help without delay.
Can Chlamydia Kill You
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.
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How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed
Chlamydia can be diagnosed with either a first-catch urine test or a swab collected from the endocervix or vagina in women, or a first-catch urine test or a swab collected from the urethra in men.
Self-collected vaginal swab testing is available and many women find this screening strategy highly acceptable.
- Geisler WM, Uniyal A, Lee JY, et al. Azithromycin versus Doxycycline for Urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis Infection. N Engl J Med. 2015 373:2512-2521. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1502599
- Workowski, K, Bolan G. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2015. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
- WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis. Geneva: World Health Organization 2016. 4, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TREATMENT OF CHLAMYDIAL INFECTIONS. Available from:
- Chlamydia Treatment and Care. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/treatment.htm
- Chlamydia Treatment Information Sheet. Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
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.
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What Is Azithromycin 250 Mg Used To Treat
Azithromycin is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. The antibiotic comes in different doses and forms, including tablets, eye drops and injectable solution. The 250 mg oral dose of azithromycin is often used to treat pneumonia, sinusitis, sexually transmitted diseases and skin infections.
Chlamydia Symptoms May Not Be Apparent
Chlamydia is often asymptomatic until it has progressed to later stages, or symptoms are so mild that the infected person doesnt pay much attention to them and therefore doesnt seek treatment.
When they occur, symptoms of chlamydia may include:
- Pain or burning while urinating
- Pain during sexual activity
- Pain, discharge, or bleeding from the anus
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Azithromycin To Be Available Over The Counter For Chlamydia Treatment
Azithromycin is to be made available over the counter to treat asymptomatic chlamydia infection, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency announced today . It is the first oral antibiotic to be switched from prescription-only to pharmacy medicine status.
The drug will be available as Clamelle for people over 16 years of age who have tested positive for chlamydia but have no symptoms, and for their sexual partners.
Making this medicine available from a pharmacy is a real example of how we are progressing, and enabling people to play an active role in taking charge of their own healthcare.
Howard Duff, the Royal Pharmaceutical Societys director for England, said that the decision would mean convenient and effective care for patients. Pharmacists already play an important role in the provision of sexual health services, and have done so for many years. Reclassifying azithromycin will expand on existing services and improve access to chlamydia screening and treatment for patients.
The FPA also welcomed the decision. Natika Halil, director of information at the FPA, said: For people who are already testing themselves at home it is a really positive step forward that the treatment can now also be bought from pharmacies. This will ensure fast and effective access to treatment. This service has the potential to play an important part in reducing rates of chlamydia.
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This article is not medical advice. It is intended for general informational purposes and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your physician or dial 911.
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Who Should Be Tested For Chlamydia
You should go to your health provider for a test if you have symptoms of chlamydia, or if you have a partner who has a sexually transmitted disease. Pregnant women should get a test when they go to their first prenatal visit.
People at higher risk should get checked for chlamydia every year:
- Sexually active women 25 and younger
- Older women who have new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted disease
- Men who have sex with men
Testing And Treating Sexual Partners
If you test positive for chlamydia, it’s important that your current sexual partner and any other recent sexual partners you’ve had are also tested and treated.
A specialist sexual health adviser can help you contact your recent sexual partners, or the clinic can contact them for you if you prefer.
Either you or someone from the clinic can speak to them, or the clinic can send them a note to let them know they may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection .
The note will suggest that they go for a check-up. It will not have your name on it, so your confidentiality will be protected.
Page last reviewed: 01 September 2021 Next review due: 01 September 2024
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What Antibiotics Do You Get For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is one of the most common STDs. It can be treated easily if caught early. Some of the most recommended antibiotics used to treat chlamydia are azithromycin and doxycycline. Azithromycin is typically given as 2 tablets one time while doxycycline is given as 2 capsules a day for 7 days. These antibiotics are most effective if both partners have received treatment and have taken their prescription as directed.
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Who May Buy Azithromycin
Pharmacists will be able to sell azithromycin only to individuals with a positive NAAT result and to their sexual partners. Partner notification contact slips will be used to obtain a supply partners will not need to have a positive test. A database of test results will be held, which pharmacists will need to access to confirm the results for index cases.
Manufacturer Actavis is working with the NPA on training materials for pharmacists and medicines counter assistants as well as a Clamelle-branded chlamydia test kit. The NPA has developed a chlamydia screening service package, which is due to be launched on 11 August 2008. Clamelle is expected to be available in late October 2008.
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The Steadyhealth Team Reacts
Chlamydia often has no symptoms unless left untreated for a long time, and the same also holds true for many other sexually-transmitted diseases. This is why anyone who is sexually active benefits from regular STD testing even if you’re monogamous, there’s a chance your partner may not be. It is, however, especially good to get tested:
- If you have just started a new relationship
- You and your partner would like to ditch the condoms
- You have symptoms that may indicate an STD, such as pelvic pain, abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina, pain during urination, warts, or genital lesions
- You have just found out your partner has had sex with someone else or multiple other people
- You have sex with multiple partners of unknown STD status, even if you use condoms
If, after an STD test, you are positive for Chlamydia, you will be treated with antibiotics.
How Do I Know If I Have Chlamydia
If you suspect you have chlamydia, your doctor may want to test cervical or penile discharge or urine using one of several available methods.
In most cases of chlamydia, the cure rate is 95%. However, because many women don’t know they have the disease until it has caused serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, sexually active women under age 25 and others at higher risk should be tested for chlamydia once a year during their annual pelvic exam even if they dont have symptoms.
Pregnant women should also be tested as part of their routine lab work.
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