Why Do I Feel A Burning Sensation While Urinating
Pain or burning sensation during urination can be a sign of Sexually Transmitted Infections. STDs that can cause a burning sensation while urinating are:
- Chlamydia
- Trichomoniasis
- Herpes
Although, it can occur due to kidney stones or urinary tract infections. You should also check the color of your urine to detect the presence of blood.
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What Complications Can Result From Chlamydial Infection
The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydial infections can lead to serious health problems with both short- and long-term consequences.
In women, untreated chlamydia can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease . Symptomatic PID occurs in about 10 to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia.30,31 However, chlamydia can also cause subclinical inflammation of the upper genital tract . Both acute and subclinical PID can cause permanent 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 chlamydial PID develop perihepatitis, or Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome, an inflammation of the liver capsule and surrounding peritoneum, which is associated with right upper quadrant pain.
In pregnant women, untreated chlamydia has been associated with pre-term delivery,34 as well as ophthalmia neonatorum and pneumonia in the newborn.
Reactive arthritis can occur in men and women following symptomatic or asymptomatic chlamydial infection, sometimes as part of a triad of symptoms formerly referred to as Reiters Syndrome.35
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How Does Chlamydia Spread In Men
Chlamydia is transmitted from person to person through sexual contact. More specifically, chlamydia is spread by touching an infected partners anus, mouth, penis, or vagina. This includes having anal sex, oral sex, and vaginal sex. Chlamydia cannot be spread through kissing , but an infection of the throat can spread to a partner who is receiving oral sex.
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When To Contact A Doctor
If you have any of the symptoms described, you should go see a doctor. In general, if you are sexually active and have any usual discharge, burning sensations, or pain while having sex you may have an STD and should get tested.
Additionally, if you are a woman, you should contact a doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms as they can be a sign of a serious complication of chlamydia called pelvic inflammatory disease:
- Vomiting
- Fainting or signs of shock
- Serious lower abdominal pain
- Temperature that is higher than 101 F
Should any of these symptoms arise or if you suspect you may have an STD, it is very important to get tested.
Even if you have no symptoms as do the vast majority of those with chlamydia but are sexually active, you should be getting tested regularly, so you do not unknowingly spread the disease.
You can make an appointment with your primary care physician or order STD testing online here.
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 .
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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 Discharge From Your Penis Mean You Have Chlamydia
Not necessarily the presence of a white, cloudy or watery discharge from the end of your penis is a symptom of chlamydia in men. However, discharge can also be a sign of other issues such as:
- a urinary tract infection
- genital herpes
In cases of chlamydia other symptoms which may occur alongside penile discharge include:
- Pain when you pee
- Burning or itching in the tube that carries urine out of your body
- Painful testicles
If you have discharge it may be:
- Watery
- White
- Yellow and pus like
No discharge doesnt mean no chlamydia it’s important to remember that most cases of chlamydia are symptom-free, particularly in men. If you’ve had unprotected sex, i.e. you didnt use a condom, there’s every possibility you could have caught chlamydia. You should get tested even if you have no symptoms, so you can be sure. If chlamydia is left untreated it can cause serious health complications, including some that could affect your fertility.
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Questions To Ask Your Doctor
How can STIs/STDs be prevented?
The only way to avoid a STI or STD is to have no sexual contact with an infected person. Other protections include:
- Using a condom correctly, and always with sex
- Having a sexual relationship with only one, long-term partner who has no infections
- Limiting the number of sexual partners you have
- Using clean needles if you are injecting drugs
Using latex condoms the right way helps to protect you and your partner. Still, condoms donât cover everything. It is possible to get or spread infections even when using a condom.
Talk about STIs before you have sex with a new partner. This way you can make informed choices about risks you want to take with your sex life. The only way to truly prevent STIs/STDs is to avoid having sex.
If you or someone you know has symptoms like unusual discharge, burning during urination, or a sore in the genital area, please talk with a health care provider. You can get treatment and help.
Can STIs/STDs cause other health problems in women?
Some STIs can spread into a womanâs uterus and fallopian tubes. They can cause pelvic inflammatory disease. They can cause infertility and ectopic pregnancy . STIs can be passed from mother to baby. Also, there are some links between STIs and cancer.
What if I am pregnant?
You can get treatment to prevent problems for your baby. If you are pregnant and have STD symptoms, please contact your doctor immediately. STDs during pregnancy should be addressed quickly.
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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Effects Of The Disease
Chlamydia can cause infertility if it is not treated. It damages sperm and scars the reproductive tract. It also damages your sperm in ways that can make birth defects prevalent.
Chlamydia can also affect you in non-sexual ways. You can get recurring pink eye, reactive arthritis and rheumatological conditions.
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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How Is Chlamydia Prevented
You already know chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection. Therefore, the safest and easiest way to prevent chlamydia is sexual abstinence. Other ways chlamydia can be prevented in men and women are
- Use condoms for intercourse
- Get your male or female sexual partners tested for the infection
- Recheck for chlamydia infection after 5 weeks of treatment
- Avoid intercourse while on chlamydia treatment
- Use adult toys with condoms
Now its your turn. Do you have any chlamydia symptoms? Let us know if we can help.
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Common Symptoms Of Syphilis
Syphilis has four different phases:
- primary
- latent
- tertiary
Each phase has its own set of symptoms. The symptoms of primary syphilis in men and people with a penis may include:
- a very small, firm, and painless sore where the bacteria entered the body, usually on the penis, anus, or lips that can be easily missed
- swollen lymph nodes in the area near the sore
Symptoms of secondary syphilis may include:
- a skin rash that doesnt itch, commonly found over the body that includes the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- tiredness
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Occurrence In The United States
CDC estimates that approximately 1.6 million new gonococcal infections occurred in the United States in 2018, with a significant number of cases likely unreported. Per the CDC, gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported communicable disease. The national average in 2009 was 99.1 cases per 100,000 population, a 10.5% decrease from 2008, with considerable state-to-state variation. Rates of reported gonorrhea have increased 92.0% since the historic low in 2009. Men were apparently less likely than women to be tested for gonorrhea, 20.7% vs 50.9%, respectively. However, the infection rates between men and women were similar . Infection rates in men appear to be on the rise.
CDC report estimated the annual cost of gonorrhea and its complications to be $271 million.
In the United States, the number of gonococcal infections peaked in the 1970s, the era of the sexual revolution. With the onset of the HIV epidemic and the practicing of safe sex techniques, the incidence dramatically decreased from 468 cases per 100,000 population in 1975 to 100-150 cases per 100,000 population at the turn of the century. The rate of reported gonorrhea cases was at its lowest in 2009 but has been increasing overall since then. The increased numbers have been attributed to increased cases in males and persistently high rates in adolescents, young adults, and certain racial/ethnic groups in defined geographic areas.
Resistant gonorrhea
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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
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How To Get Tested
A person can meet with a doctor to get a diagnosis for either of these infections.
The doctor will collect bodily fluids to test for the infection. The test can use either a urine sample or a sample from the vagina or penis, which a doctor will collect with a cotton swab.
Most health insurance plans, including Medicare, cover sexually transmitted infection testing completely. If a person does not have health insurance, they can go to a free clinic, their local health departments STI clinic, a student health center, or an urgent care clinic.
Because both chlamydia and gonorrhea can present with no symptoms, it is important that people who are sexually active get tested regularly.
After a doctor has determined which infection a person has contracted, they will prescribe an antibiotic.
People should take the full course of antibiotics and wait an additional 7 days before having sex again. This helps prevent a person from spreading the infection to another person and possibly reinfecting themselves later.
A person can contract both chlamydia and gonorrhea again, even if they have already experienced and treated the STI before.
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Diagnosing Chlamydial Urethritis In Men
Your doctor will perform a series of lab tests to diagnose chlamydial urethritis. Youll be asked to give a urine sample, which will be tested for the presence of the chlamydia organism.
You may also need a urethral discharge culture, or swab test, to rule out gonorrhea. Gonorrhea symptoms often look like the symptoms of chlamydia. Its possible to have both at the same time.
A technician will swab the head of your penis with alcohol or another sterile agent. Next, the technician or your doctor will insert a cotton swab into your urethra at the tip of your penis. The discharge or fluids collected will be analyzed to determine the cause of your infection.
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It Is Easy To Get Tested For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that can affect both men and women. While both genders can be affected, the specific effects and method of diagnosis for the bacterial infection differs between male patients and female patients. We looked at the methods used to assist in the diagnosis of chlamydia among men in this post, as well as some particular factors that are unique to a male patient with this condition.
How Do You Get Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
Engaging with numerous sexual partners in a single year The more accomplices who connect with, the almost certain you will be presented to a contaminated individual and agreement a STD.
- Having unprotected sex Condoms can decrease the probability of you getting a STD nonetheless, condoms are rarely 100% compelling. In the event that you are concerned you may have a STD, you ought to get tried whether or not you utilized a condom in your last sexual experience.
- More youthful than 24 Individuals more youthful than 24 will in general practice unprotected sex more regularly than other age gatherings and are less inclined to be tested.
- Past conclusion of a STD Having just gotten a STD expands your bodys defenselessness to getting another STD. It very well may be regular for the individuals who have contracted chlamydia to be in danger of contracting gonorrhea or HIV. In the event that you contract gonorrhea, you are at a more serious danger of contracting HIV.
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Std Prevention In 3 Steps
As previously mentioned, anyone who is sexually active can get an STD. And as you can see from the information provided above, some of these diseases dont show any signs or symptoms.
It is for these reasons that you should do the following if you want to reduce your risk of contracting any sexually transmitted disease:
Other Complications Of Untreated Chlamydia In All People
- Conjunctivitis, spread by touching the infected area and then touching the hand to the eye
- Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the rectum , if the chlamydia is from anal sex
- Varied symptoms, such as joint and eye inflammation, caused by bacterial infection
- Lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV. This is caused by a type of chlamydia that is usually rare in the United States, but it is becoming more common in men who have sex with men. It causes open sores in the genital area, headache, fever, fatigue, and swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin. It also causes proctitis in people who get chlamydia through anal sex.
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Painin The Stomach Or Pelvic Area
When chlamydia is left untreated, there is a 30% chance, and the infection will spread towards the pelvicorgans and cause pelvic inflammatory disease. This disease is often associatedwith sharp, dull, or cramping pelvic pain. The pain will usually start from thepelvic area and travel to the abdomen.
The image below is a clear representation of pelvic inflammation. In this particular example, chlamydia has infected the entire uterus and fallopian tubes.
The second picture is a typical example of a normal versus an inflamed fallopian tube. The left side of the image shows a healthy fallopian tube, while on the right side, inflammation has affected the area and caused the tube to double in size.