How Can One Get Chlamydia

What Can I Do

Use a condom or oral dam during oral sex.

There is no vaccine to protect against chlamydia.

Get tested

The only way to know for sure whether or not you have chlamydia is to get tested. A doctor or nurse can do the test. The test involves a swab of the genitals, rectum or throat or a urine sample. Tell the doctor or nurse about all the different kinds of sex you are having so they can test all the right parts of your body.

It is a good idea to get tested for other sexually transmitted infections , including HIV, when you get tested for chlamydia. Other STIs can be passed on in the same way as chlamydia. Talk to your healthcare provider about how often you should test for chlamydia and other STIs.

If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, a public health staff person will talk to you about informing your sex partners that they might have been exposed to chlamydia and encouraging them to get tested. Your identity will not be revealed.

Get treated

Chlamydia can be cured with a single dose or a short course of antibiotics. If you are given a single dose to treat the infection, you should wait for seven days after taking it before having sex again. If you are given pills to take for seven days, you should wait until you have taken all the pills before having sex again. If you have a regular partner or partners, they should also be treated before you have sex with them.

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Can Chlamydia Be Prevented

The only way to prevent chlamydia and other STDs is to not have sex . If someone decides to have sex, they can lower their risk of getting an STD by:

• using a latex condom every time they have sex
• getting tested with any new partners before having sex
• only having sex with one partner

Anyone who is sexually active should get tested for STDs every year .

Do I Need To Use Condoms During My Period

Yes, if you want to avoid pregnancy and STIs. Itâs possible to get pregnant during your period, although the day-specific risk is variable and depends on your cycle, age, and health.

Clueâs 2018 study with the Kinsey Instituteâs Condom Use Research Team found that condoms are used less often during menstruation. It is important to use condoms or a barrier during period sex because many STIs can be transmitted through blood. Using a condom for period sex can prevent pregnancy and protect against STI transmission.

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Getting A Chlamydia Test

Because you can have and transmit the infection without symptoms, a test is necessary to detect the presence of the bacteria and begin treatment. Even if you had sex once, you could still contract chlamydia.

Men should have a chlamydia screening if they experience any symptoms that could be an infection. They should also see a doctor if their partner tests positive for chlamydia regardless of their sexual orientation.

For women, testing should occur at least once a year if youre under 25 and sexually active. Younger people are more likely to contract an STD because they tend to have more unprotected sex or multiple partners. Women should also undergo an annual screening if theyre over 25 and have a new partner.

Another reason for women to have a chlamydia test is pregnancy. A mother can pass chlamydia to their baby during birth, resulting in medical issues for the newborn.

How Long Does It Take To Show Up On A Test

There are several tests that you doctor might use to diagnose chlamydia:

• Urine test. Youll pee in a cup thats sent off to a laboratory testing facility to see if any chlamydia bacteria are present in your urine.
• Blood test. Your doctor will use a sterile needle to draw some of your blood and send it to a lab to see if antibodies to the chlamydia bacteria are present in your bloodstream.
• Swab. Your doctor will use a cotton round or stick to take a small sample of tissue or fluid that carries the infection, which is then sent to a lab to be cultured so that lab technicians can see what bacteria grows from the sample.

How long it takes for the results to show up depends on the test and on your specific health insurance plan.

• Urine tests take about 2 to 5 days to show a positive or negative result.
• Blood tests can come back with results in a few minutes if the blood is analyzed on site. But they can take a week or more if sent to an off-site lab.
• Swab results take about 2 to 3 days to show a positive or negative.

1 to 3 weeks to show up in people with vulvas.

Symptoms may take up a few months to show up. This is because bacteria are living creatures and have an incubation period that affects how long it takes them to cluster together and become infectious.

This incubation period is dependent on a variety of factors, including:

• how much of the bacteria you were exposed to
• how quickly the bacteria reproduce
• how strong your immune system is against the bacteria

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What Are The Medications Used To Treat Chlamydia

The following antibiotics are commonly used to treat chlamydia infections:

• Azithromycin. Usually administered in a single dose.
• Doxycycline. Usually taken over a period of seven days.

Make sure you only take antibiotics that your doctor has prescribed, and that you finish all pills even if your symptoms improve.

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Chlamydia Is Really Common

Chlamydia is a SUPER common bacterial infection that you can get from sexual contact with another person. Close to 3 million Americans get it every year, most commonly among 14-24-year-olds.

Chlamydia can be easily cleared up with antibiotics. But if you dont treat chlamydia, it may lead to major health problems in the future. Thats why STD testing is so important the sooner you know you have chlamydia, the faster you can cure it. You can prevent chlamydia by using condoms every time you have sex.

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How Is Chlamydia Spread

In nearly all cases chlamydia is transmitted through sexual contact.

• Chlamydia can also be spread through other types of sexual contact such as mutual masturbation, fingering or the use of sex toys.
• One simple way to protect yourself is by using a condom when engaging in sexual intercourse.

Another way of transmitting chlamydia is from mother to baby during birth. If this occurs, your baby may develop an eye or lung infection. This needs urgent treatment.

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.

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How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed

The most common test for chlamydia is called a nucleic acid amplification test . Your provider takes a sample of fluid by doing a vaginal/cervical swab or collecting a urine sample. Then, they send the sample off to a lab to check for the bacteria that causes chlamydia. Your provider may do the test in an office, or they may ask you to do an at-home chlamydia test. Follow your providers instructions carefully to ensure you get accurate test results.

Because most chlamydia cases are asymptomatic, its important to get screened for chlamydia even if you dont notice any signs of infection. The CDC recommends that sexually active cisgender women who are high-risk for chlamydia get screened regularly. Women, more so than men, experience the most severe complications from chlamydia. Transgender men and nonbinary individuals with vaginas should be screened regularly, too, as they can experience the same complications of chlamydia.

Youre considered high-risk if you:

• Have had chlamydia infections previously.

Cisgender men, or trans and nonbinary individuals with penises, should be screened for chlamydia if:

• They live in a setting where chlamydia spreads frequently, like correctional facilities, adolescent clinics and sexual health clinics.
• They have sex with other men.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

What is it?

You might have heard the human immunodeficiency virus more commonly referred to as HIV. Its a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, which can make a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. If it goes untreated, HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome .

What are the symptoms?

Most people will have flu-like symptoms within two to four weeks of becoming infected. This can include a fever, sore throat, rash, night sweats, mouth ulcers, and muscle aches.

How is it treated?

No HIV cure exists, but it can be controlled. One treatment called antiretroviral therapy involves taking a combination of HIV medicines every day. It can be so effective that it can leave many people with HIV displaying no clear signs of the disease.

Plus, there are two other options. Pre-exposure prophylaxis medicine is available for people who feel theyre at risk of HIV to take as prevention. Post-exposure prophylaxis , on the other hand, is a medicine that can be taken within 72 hours after a possible exposure to the virus and can stop it from taking hold.

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How Is Chlamydia Transmitted

Sex without a condom or other barrier method and oral sex without a barrier method are the main ways a chlamydia infection can be transmitted.

Newborn babies can acquire chlamydia from their mother during birth. Most prenatal testing includes a chlamydia test, but it doesnt hurt to double-check with an OB-GYN during the first prenatal checkup.

A chlamydia infection in the eye can occur through oral or genital contact with the eyes, but this isnt common.

• bleeding from this area

Having oral sex with someone who has the infection raises the risk of getting chlamydia in the throat. Symptoms can include a sore throat, cough, or fever. Its also possible to carry bacteria in the throat and not know it.

How To Tell Your Partner You Have Chlamydia

The first thing you need to do when your test comes back positive is to tell your partner. Your sexual partner should know about the infection so that they too can be tested and treated. If you dont tell them about your condition, youre risking getting reinfected.

Here are some tips for handling the conversation:

• Educate yourself about the STD youve contracted so you can thoroughly explain to your partner what exactly you have, the treatment, and how you plan on keeping them safe.
• Inform your current or most recent sexual partner about a positive STD test by telling them face-to-face, or by calling them. Sending them a message is not the most respectful way.
• When telling them the news, stay calm and collected. Sit them down and tell them youve been tested. Tell them that the results are positive and discuss the next steps.
• Make sure you keep your partner from getting infected. Use condoms at all times, take antibiotics, and abstain from intercourse during your treatment.

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Chlamydia Can Lead To Infertility

A lot of us donât realize that some sexually transmitted diseases can cause no symptoms, meaning you could have an STD and not know it. And some STDs can silently lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, or chronic pelvic pain.

Chlamydia is one of those diseases. CDC estimates that more than 2.8 million people are infected each year.

Many women, and some men, are infected with chlamydia but donât know it. Even without symptoms, the disease can cause complications, particularly infertility. The longer the infection is untreated, the more damage that can be done.

In pregnant women, chlamydia can cause premature delivery, the CDC says. A child born to an infected woman can develop an infection in their eyes and respiratory tracts.

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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.

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Does Trichomoniasis Mean Your Partner Cheated

The bottom line People can have trichomoniasis for months without showing any symptoms. If you or your partner suddenly have symptoms or test positive for it, it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone’s cheating. Either partner may have gotten it in a previous relationship and unknowingly passed it on.

Can One Partner Have Chlamydia And The Other Not

Once you are infected, you can infect someone else. Both gonorrhea and chlamydia often have no symptoms. Sometimes only one partner will have symptoms, even though both have the disease.

Can a faithful couple get STD?

If 2 people who dont have any STDs have sex, its not possible for either of them to get one. A couple cant create an STD from nothing they have to get spread from one person to another.

Can you get an STD in a faithful relationship?

Although being in a monogamous, long-term relationship can limit your risk of getting an STI, it doesnt guarantee that you wont contract an infection. Many STIs can still be passed on even when youre in a relationship, so its important to get tested regularly.

Is it possible to test negative for Covid while your partner is positive?

One obvious explanation why someone might test negative when everyone else in the household, school class, or workplace is testing positive, is that they arent swabbing their nose and/or throat correctly, and therefore, arent picking up enough viral particles to register a positive result.

Do I need to test my partner if I have chlamydia?

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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.

Symptoms Can Differ For Men And Women

By and large, most cases of chlamydia are asymptomatic they are picked up by screening, which is why it’s so important to have good screening programs in place, notes Dr. Stoner. Men or women who have chlamydia symptoms may experience painful urination.

Women may also have these symptoms:

• Smelly discharge from the cervix
• Pain during sex

And men may have these symptoms:

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Chlamydia: Frequently Asked Questions

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, which results in substantial morbidity and economic cost worldwide. It is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Different strains of C. trachomatis cause genital infections , lymphogranuloma venereum a genital ulcer disease that affects lymphoid tissue-, and trachoma .

How common is chlamydia?

The World Health Organization estimates that in 2012, 131 million new cases of chlamydia infections happened among adults and youth aged 1549 years worldwide, with around 128 million cases already present. The highest number of cases are found in WHO Region of the Americas and the WHO Western Pacific Region.

In the region of the Americas there were around 17.8 million new cases for females and 7 million for men in 2012, adding to the already around 18.8 million existing cases for females and 4.5 million existing cases for males. In many countries, the number of chlamydia is highest among girls aged 1519 years, followed by young women aged 20-24 years.

10-40% of people infected with gonorrhea is also infected with chlamydia.

How is chlamydia spread?

How chlamydia can be prevented?

What are the symptoms of chlamydia?

What are the problems of chlamydia?

In men health problems are less common, but the most common one is inflammation of the tube that stores and carries sperm. Rarely this can lead to inability to have a baby.

How is chlamydia diagnosed?

How Does Chlamydia Spread

Chlamydia is spread when a person has unprotected sex with an infected person.

Because chlamydial infection often has no symptoms, many people do not realise they have the infection.

Even if you know a person well, you may not be able to tell they have an STI, because people can look healthy and still have chlamydia.

Remember, you can get chlamydia and other STIs from a new sexual partner who has in the past had sex with someone who is infected.

It can also be spread from a long-term partner who has had sex with other people.

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How Did I Get Chlamydia If I Didnt Cheat

A note from Cleveland Clinic

It can be embarrassing to talk about anything sex-related with your healthcare provider, including STI prevention. But your sex life is an important part of your health that your provider needs to know about to care for you. Not getting the treatment you need for chlamydia can pose serious risks to your health. Speak with your provider about getting regularly screened for chlamydia and other STIs to reduce your risks of complications. Practice safer sex to prevent the spread of chlamydia.