Chlamydia Symptoms In Women
Chlamydia is often known as the silent infection. Thats because people with chlamydia may not experience symptoms at all.
If a woman contracts the STI, it may take several weeks before any symptoms appear.
Some of the most common symptoms of chlamydia in women include:
- painful sexual intercourse
In some women, the infection can spread to the fallopian tubes, which may cause a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease . PID is a medical emergency.
The symptoms of PID are:
- abnormal vaginal bleeding between periods
Chlamydia can also infect the rectum. Women may not experience symptoms if they have a chlamydia infection in the rectum. If symptoms of a rectal infection do occur, however, they may include rectal pain, discharge, and bleeding.
Additionally, women can develop a throat infection if they have oral sex with someone with the infection. Though its possible to contract it without knowing it, symptoms of a chlamydia infection in your throat include cough, fever, and sore throat.
The symptoms of STIs in men and women can be different, so its important to talk with a healthcare professional if you experience any of the above symptoms.
How Do You Prevent Chlamydia
Using a new male or female condom or dental dam every time you have sex is the best way to protect against chlamydia.
Chlamydia can be passed on by sharing sex toys. Always cover sex toys with a new condom and wash them after use to reduce your risk of getting chlamydia and other STIs.
Its important to regularly test for chlamydia, even if you dont have any symptoms, especially if youve had multiple sexual partners.
The contraceptive pill and other types of contraception wont prevent you getting chlamydia, and neither will PrEP.
Wednesday 25 March 2020
The clap, the clam, the pox, the gift that keeps on giving weve created so many slang terms to make sexually transmissible infections seem a little bit funnier and a little less serious. But when the long-term side effects of STIs can include chronic pelvic pain, infertility and in rare cases, cancer, it turns out they are no laughing matter.
You wont be able to tell for sure if you or the person youre having sex with has an STI without being tested, because these nasty infections dont always cause symptoms that you can see or feel.
That makes it kinda tricky, as people can be having sex without knowing theyre infected, which means the infection could be passed on and be causing damage to your body unnoticed. But its also simple, really simple to be sexually healthy. You see, there are a couple of easy things you can do to have a confident and healthy sex life, to look after your body and make sure you dont have an infection that could cause you harm. Weve got you covered here with a rundown of the most common STIs, what they can do to your body and simple ways you can prevent getting them.
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How Quickly Do Symptoms Show
In many cases, chlamydia symptoms do not show up at all, making it possible for the infection to lie dormant in the body and cause long-term side effects when not treated.
If someone with chlamydia does experience symptoms, the time it takes for them to show up may vary.
For most people, though, it takes about 7-21 days after having unprotected sex with an infected partner. However, it can take longer.
Who To Test For Chlamydia
Anyone with the following genital symptoms should not have sex until they see a healthcare provider:
- A burning sensation when peeing
- Unusual sores, or a rash
Because chlamydia usually has no symptoms, screening is necessary to identify most infections. Screening programs can reduce rates of adverse sequelae in women.31,41 CDC recommends yearly chlamydia screening of all sexually active women younger than 25. CDC also recommends screening for older women with risk factors, such as new or multiple partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection.40 Screen and treat those who are pregnant as noted in How does chlamydia affect a pregnant person and their baby? Women who are sexually active should discuss their risk factors with a healthcare provider to determine if more frequent screening is necessary.
Routine screening is not necessary for men. However, consider screening sexually active young men in clinical settings with a high prevalence of chlamydia. This can include adolescent clinics, correctional facilities, and STD clinics. Consider this when resources permit and do not hinder screening efforts in women.40
At the initial HIV care visit, providers should test all sexually active people for chlamydia. Test at least each year during HIV care. A patients healthcare provider might determine more frequent screening is necessary, based on the patients risk factors.42
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What Happens If I Get Chlamydia When I’m Pregnant
- Chlamydia during pregnancy has been associated in very rare cases with problems such as premature birth, and infection of the uterus lining after the birth.
- It can be passed to the baby during the birth and before the baby is born. This can cause inflammation and discharge in the babys eye and/or pneumonia.
- You may be offered a chlamydia test as part of your antenatal care.
- Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics when youre pregnant and when youre breastfeeding. The antibiotics wont harm the baby, but do tell the doctor or nurse that youre pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Youll be advised to have another test after you complete your treatment.
When Will The Signs And Symptoms Go Away
You should notice an improvement quite quickly after having treatment.
- Discharge or pain when you urinate should improve within a week.
- Bleeding between periods or heavier periods should improve by your next period.
- Pelvic pain and pain in the testicles should start to improve quickly but may take up to two weeks to go away.
If you have pelvic pain or painful sex that doesnt improve, see your doctor or nurse as it may be necessary to have some further treatment or investigate other possible causes of the pain.
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Chlamydia Trachomatis And Hiv
Chlamydial infection of the genital tract facilitates the transmission of HIV. This is confirmed by various studies12,15,23. The combined epidemiology of these infections may partly be due to the fact that STDs including C. trachomatis and HIV have common sexual/behavioural risk factors. But, C. trachomatis and HIV have inter-relationship independent of the sexually transmissible risk factors34. The possible inter-relationship between HIV infection and C. trachomatis includes the invasive intracellular pathogenesis of C. trachomatis can cause substantial damage to the genital epithelial layer that may facilitate HIV infection, and the immunological changes due to HIV infection may favour chlamydial infection.
On the other hand, immunosuppression due to HIV may lead to more aggressive chlamydial disease conditions like PID in those who are infected. Thus, early diagnosis and treatment of chlamydial infections are important to prevent HIV risk and devastating clinical consequence.
What If I Still Have Symptoms After Chlamydia Treatment
It is possible to have symptoms of this infection after treatment still. If your symptoms remain after a few days of treatment, you should return to your doctor for reevaluation. This is because repeat chlamydial infections are entirely possible and common.
This is why you should avoid sex until you have completed your treatment. In addition, you can get reinfected if your partner has not been correctly treated.
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When To Seek Medical Advice
If you have any symptoms of chlamydia, visit your GP, community contraceptive service or local genitourinary medicine clinic as soon as possible.
You should also get tested if you don’t have any symptoms but are concerned you could have a sexually transmitted infection .
If you’re a woman, sexually active and under 25 in England, it’s recommended that you have a chlamydia test once a year, and when you have sex with new or casual partners.
If you’re a man, sexually active and under 25 in England, it’s recommended that you have a chlamydia test once a year if you are not using condoms with new or casual partners.
Read more about chlamydia diagnosis.
Page last reviewed: 01 September 2021 Next review due: 01 September 2024
A Word From Same Day Std Testing
Because chlamydia is so common, and its symptoms so mild, its tempting to ignore this infection completely. Thats a mistake, however. Leaving chlamydia untreated will not only put your own wellness and fertility at risk, but also that of your partners. If you suspect you might have chlamydia or if youve recently begun a new relationship contact one of our representatives here at . Were happy to answer any questions you may have and set you up with an appointment time that works for you. Or, if youre ready to get tested today, simply find a location near you. Our facilities are designed to ensure your privacy so skip the lines, the awkward conversations, the insurance forms, and get tested ASAP!
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When Can I Have Sex Again
If you were diagnosed with chlamydia, wait to have sex again until you have finished your treatment.
For some antibiotics, such as doxycycline, this means may need to wait 1 week to have sex, or until you have completed your prescribed course of treatment.
If you were prescribed a single dose of medication, like azithromycin, wait 7 days after taking the medication before having sex.
Male Complications Of Untreated Chlamydia
Men can also experience complications when chlamydia is left untreated. The epididymis the tube that holds the testicles in place may become inflamed, causing pain. This is known as epididymitis.
The infection can also spread to the prostate gland, causing a fever, painful intercourse, and discomfort in the lower back. Another possible complication is male chlamydial urethritis.
These are just some of the most common complications of untreated chlamydia, which is why its important to get medical attention right away. Most people who get treatment quickly have no long-term medical problems.
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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.
So Im Having Sexhow Do I Make Sure I Dont Get An Sti
If youre having sex, the best way to prevent getting an STI whilst having any kind of sexual contact is to use condoms for protection. This includes oral sex, although dental dams are also available. Condoms literally create a barrier between your skin and someone elses, so that most STIs cant get through.
You should also use condoms on sex toys if youre sharing them or using them in more than one part of the body.
It sounds easy right? And in many ways it is, but lets be real it isnt always. Especially when the person youre having sex with throws you a curve ball with a line like, But sex doesnt feel as good with a condom.
Coming back from those kinds of lines can be hard and negotiating to have safe sex in those situations or in the heat of the moment can be tricky. Whether its a playful conversation or a more serious one, having a chat with your partner about condoms and getting regular STI testing is key to taking the worry out of sex and getting on with the fun stuff. Some of these conversation starters may help.
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How Long Can Chlamydia Be Dormant
- Oyewale Oyelami
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection induced by bacteria known as Chlamydia Trachomatis.
You can pass chlamydia by transferring bodily fluids from one infected person to another through sexual activities.
It is one of the prevalent sexually transmitted infections in the United States of America.
This is mainly because it has no visible symptoms most time. Thus, people can have Chlamydia and be unaware, infecting others unknowingly through sex. Can Chlamydia be dormant? Chlamydia can remain inactive in the body, causing a low-grade infection without symptoms.
Need help with Chlamydia?
The Center for Disease Control estimates that 50% of men and 75% of women have Chlamydia. In addition, 40% to 96% of people with Chlamydia show no symptoms of this disease. When discovered, however, Chlamydia can be treated.
However, untreated Chlamydia can cause irreparable health complications like damaging a womans reproductive system, causing ectopic pregnancy, and causing infertility in men.
This is why healthcare providers recommend regular screening for sexually active people at higher risk of getting infected.
You can infect your partner through unprotected sexual contact
Why Is Treatment Of Chlamydia Important
When treated early, chlamydia does not cause any long-term complications. Left untreated, serious and permanent damage can occur.
It may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease . This is when female reproductive organs, found in your pelvis, become inflamed. PID may cause ectopic pregnancies , infertility or chronic pelvic pain.
If not treated, chlamydia can spread to testicles, leading to pain and swelling. Chlamydia may occasionally cause infertility in men. Sometimes chlamydia may trigger a condition called Reiters disease which causes inflammation of your eyes, skin and joints.
Chlamydia can be passed from mother to baby during birth. The baby may subsequently develop eye and/or ear infections or pneumonia.
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What Should I Do If I Test Positive For Chlamydia
Youll be given a dose of antibiotics, typically either Azithromycin or Doxycycline, that you either take in one go or over the course of a week. Either way, you should not have sex for the next 7 days, even with protection, to give your treatment time to work and ensure you do not pass on the infection. Youll also need to tell all of your recent sexual partners that you have tested positive for chlamydia. This can be a difficult thing to do but your local clinic can help you to do this anonymously if youd prefer.
Chlamydia can be prevented by using a condom or dental dam during sexual encounters with new partners. Its recommended that young people under 25 should be tested for it once a year, or every time they change partners. Regular check-ups will help to identify it early to prevent any long term effects.
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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Prevention Of Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection
The control of STD is a public health priority and the importance of these infections has increased in salience over the past decade, with the growing evidence of co- transmission of HIV. The CDC guidelines59 for the prevention and control of STDs are based on five major concepts: Education and counselling on safer sexual behaviour in persons at risk. Identification of asymptomatic infected persons and of symptomatic persons unlikely to seek diagnostic and treatment services. Effective diagnosis and treatment of infected persons. Evaluation, treatment and counselling of sex partners of persons infected with a STD. Pre-exposure immunization for vaccine preventable diseases.
When Should I See My Healthcare Provider
When it comes to chlamydia, its a good idea to be proactive. Speak with your healthcare provider about your risks of infection. Make a plan to get screened regularly for STIs based on your providers recommendations for how often you should be tested. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider if your partner tests positive for chlamydia or if you notice any signs or symptoms that you may be infected.
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Proportion Of Pid Cases Caused By C Trachomatis
The observed numbers of PID cases in the intervention and control group are presumed to be a mixture of PID cases caused by C. trachomatis and by other microorganisms. We assume that a certain proportion x of PID cases in the control group is caused by chlamydia and that the amount caused by other microorganisms is the same in both groups. In the simulated trial it is assumed that the intervention only reduces the incidence of chlamydial PID.
The model estimates the cumulative incidence of chlamydial PID for the intervention group and for the control group . We get the overall cumulative incidence of PID cases in the intervention group and in the control group by using the proportion of PID cases caused by chlamydia , as follows:
where is the contribution of PID caused by other microorganisms. Note that to obtain the overall cumulative incidence for PID cases it is required that x> 0.