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.
So A Partner Told You That They Have
When a partner tells you that they have tested positive for an STI, it is normal to feel some distress! Check out our guide below to your next best steps when a partner tells you that they have
For more details on each of these STIs, click the links to see our detailed information pages.
Gonorrhea: Make an appointment with your local sexual health clinic, STI clinic, university clinic, walk-in clinic, or family doctor, even if you dont have any symptoms. Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that is treated with an injection of antibiotics. A medical professional will have to administer the drug. If a partner or Public Health did not tell you that they have tested positive, but your encounter was high-risk , gonorrhea can be accurately tested after 7-10 days. Consider getting tested for sexually transmitted blood-borne infections .
Chlamydia: Make an appointment with your local sexual health clinic, STI clinic, university clinic, walk-in clinic, or family doctor, even if you dont have any symptoms. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is treated with antibiotics in pill form. A medical professional will have to prescribe the drug. If a partner or Public Health did not tell you that they have tested positive, but your encounter was high-risk , chlamydia can be accurately tested after 7-10 days. Consider getting tested for sexually transmitted blood-borne infections .
How Common Is Asymptomatic Chlamydia
As we mentioned above, its possible for someone to have an asymptomatic case of chlamydia and pass it to a new partner. Its difficult to determine exactly how many people have chlamydia, but the CDC has estimated that there were approximately four million new cases of chlamydia in the United States in 2018.
According to HealthDirect, 3 out of 4 women and 1 out 2 men wont show symptoms of chlamydia. Women can have asymptomatic chlamydia for many years, and men can have it for several months. So its entirely possible for you to be experiencing symptoms of chlamydia because your partner was asymptomatic and gave you the infection without knowing it.
According to Avert, the symptoms of chlamydia can include:
- Increased vaginal discharge that can be white, yellow, or grayish
- Bleeding or spotting after having sex or urinating
- Lower abdominal pain, particularly after sex
- Pain during intercourse and/or urination
- Painful or swollen testicles
- Watery or mucous-like, white, or cloudy penile discharge
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What Should You Do If Your Partner Has Chlamydia
Like other STIs, untreated chlamydia can result in complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. For this reason, early detection and prompt treatment of chlamydia are paramount to ensuring sexual health. And while infidelity is an understandable concern, a chlamydia infection does not necessarily guarantee that your partner cheated.
If your partner should have a positive chlamydia test, youll want to consider chlamydia testing and treatment as well. Until treatment is completed, the CDC stresses the importance of abstaining from sexual activity. This will ensure that both of you are thoroughly treated for the bacterial infection, eliminating the risk of re-infection.
At the end of the day, the relationship between chlamydia and cheating is largely due to STIs stigma. While chlamydia is only spread through sexual contact, other factors such as lack of symptoms and incubation time, suggest that you can get chlamydia without cheating.
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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Ive Been Given Medication For Chlamydia What Now
If you have been given a medication or a prescription to take to a pharmacy please read the Partner Info Sheet that came with it before taking the medication.
Dont have a Partner Info Sheet? No problem. Click here for a copy.
For more info on PDPT, or advice around telling your partner, call Sexual Health Infolink on 1800 451 624.
Young People Not Getting Tested
Telling your partner that youve got chlamydia is one thing. But you need to know youve contracted it in the first place.
Thats where it gets tricky.
Professor Jane Hocking heads up the sexual health unit at the University of Melbourne. Hockings new research reveals that around 1 in 5 young people aged 16-29 didnt get tested for chlamydia even after their GP suggested they do so.
For men, 23 per cent didnt provide a specimen, compared with 18 per cent in women, Jane Hocking told Hack. The younger you are, the less likely youll take the test. Among the 16-19 year-olds, it was just over 21 per cent were less likely to leave a specimen, compared with about 18 per cent among the 25-29 year-olds.
Theres already low numbers for sexual health screenings in Australians aged 15-29.
Less than 10 per cent of this age group are screened each year in general practice, the studys authors write in the Medical Journal of Australia.
Doctor Melissa Kang, Senior Lecturer at the Sydney Medical School in Westmead, says talking about sexual health doesnt always come easily. And that can be especially true for young people who have only just started to become sexually active.
All sexually transmitted infections carry some kind of stigmait can kind of mess with peoples sense of who they are, how they feel about themselves.
The awkwardness, the feeling self conscious factor is probably never going to go away, Dr Kang told Hack.
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The Ultimate Guide To Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a sexually transmissible infection , that if left untreated, can lead to serious health problems down the track.
Though chlamydia is easily spread, having good knowledge about the prevention and transmission of this STI will help you maintain a confident and healthy sex life. To assist you, weve answered a range of popular chlamydia questions on this page, fully and factually. Its the Ultimate Guide to Chlamydia. An Encyclopedia of Chlamydia. An STI FYI.
What Can Happen If Chlamydia Is Not Treated
In women
Chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease . PID is a serious infection of the reproductive organs. PID can cause:
- Tubal pregnancies, which can lead to death of the mother and unborn child.
- Inflammation surrounding the liver.
A mother also can pass the infection to her child during birth. Infection in newborns can lead to:
- Eye infections .
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Question : What Are The Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Males And Females
- a change in vaginal discharge
- crampy pain in the lower abdomen
- menstrual changes including longer, heavier periods
- pain when peeing
- bleeding/spotting between periods or after sex
- pain during or after sex.
Symptoms and signs in people who have penis/testicles can include:
- pain when peeing
- swollen and sore testes.
For more information on symptoms, watch the videos on the chlamydia page.
What If I Don’t Get It Treated
If chlamydia is left untreated it can become a serious threat to your health.
Chlamydia can spread from your cervix to your uterus and fallopian tubes. It can cause pelvic inflammatory disease , which can damage and block your tubes. You may not be able to get pregnant if both tubes are blocked because sperm are unable to reach the egg. If you have had PID you are more at risk of having an ectopic pregnancy or long-term pelvic pain.
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Testing Before The Incubation Period
Every STD test has an advised date from which a test becomes accurate. This is because the bacteria needs enough time to multiply within your body in order for it to reach a detectable level when taking a chlamydia test. For chlamydia this is often 14 days. If you test before that 14 days is over, you may test negative, but you could still pass the bacteria on following your test.
Am I At Risk For Chlamydia
If you are sexually active, have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider. Ask them if you should get tested for chlamydia or other STDs. Gay or bisexual men and pregnant people should also get tested for chlamydia. If you are a sexually active woman, you should get tested for chlamydia every year if you are:
- Younger than 25 years old.
- 25 years and older with risk factors, such as new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection.
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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.
Question : Can You Get Chlamydia From Sex Toys
Its less likely, but chlamydia can be passed during other types of sex such as sharing sex toys. If you are using and sharing sex toys, play it safe and place condoms and water-based lube on them.
When youre finished, clean them carefully with a bar of mild soap and water. You can also use a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution to clean toys. Do not use anti-bacterial or perfumed soaps as they can leave a residue which can irritate your genitals.
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How Did I Get Chlamydia If I Didnt Cheat
Chlamydia cant be transmitted without sexual contact, so in some cases, a new chlamydial infection could mean that someone has been unfaithful in the relationship. But penetrative sex isnt a requirement for chlamydia to spread, and other types of intimate contact can also lead to this infection.
However, its also possible for your partner to have asymptomatic chlamydia and be completely unaware of it. In fact, most people with chlamydia will never develop any signs of the disease, but they can still pass it on to new partners and develop complications from a chronic infection. So if you develop new STD symptoms that are compatible with chlamydia but havent cheated, its possible that your partner has had an asymptomatic infection for some time and passed it on to you.
So how exactly can you get chlamydia? Lets find out.
How Often Should I Get Checked For Chlamydia
Sexual health check-ups are recommended for anyone who is sexually active. Frequency of testing also depends on your STI risk:
- An annual sexual health check-up is highly recommended if you are sexually active especially if you are under 25.
- Get checked more often during the year if you frequently change sexual partners.
- Remember, you are at greater risk if you have sex without a condom with 1 or multiple sexual partners.
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Can You Test Negative For Chlamydia And Still Be A Carrier
Modern medical testing is incredibly accurate and this includes STD tests. However, no medical testing method is 100% accurate and there can be a very small number of false negative test results. A false negative is where a person has a condition, despite the medical test saying they are all clear. As well as these small amounts of false negatives there are a number of scenarios that can cause a person to have chlamydia and still test negative.
Can You Have Chlamydia And Not Show Symptoms
Its not uncommon for the chlamydia bacteria to lie dormant for years and produce a low-grade infection. During that time, you may not have any symptoms for months, or they can be absent forever.
Around 75% of women and 50% of men with chlamydia report having no symptoms. For that reason, its best not to assume that if you or your partner has chlamydia that it means one of you was unfaithful. You could be in a loving, mutually monogamous relationship and be unaware that you have chlamydia.
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Can You Forgive Him Can You Rebuild That Trust Together
Until the doctors visit, you felt that youd be able to forgive him for the infidelity. Understandably, the stakes of his betrayal feel heightened with the chlamydia diagnosis. There is a more tangible consequence of his actions now.
There are a couple of other points to consider. First, you didnt mention whether or not you had symptoms that led you to get tested.
The typical incubation period for chlamydia is one to three weeks, and, in some cases, it can take up to six weeks. So if you were experiencing symptoms, the infection was transmitted sometime in the past six weeks, which doesnt add up with the end of his affair.
If you were asymptomatic, you might have had it much longer, even before this relationship . Up to 75% of women and 50% of men have no symptoms at all.
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Im Pregnant How Does Chlamydia Affect My Baby
If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can give the infection to your baby during delivery. This can cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your baby. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby early.
If you are pregnant, you should receive testing for chlamydia at your first prenatal visit. Talk to your healthcare provider about getting the correct examination, testing, and treatment. Testing and treatment are the best ways to prevent health problems.
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How Do I Know If I Have Chlamydia
Chlamydia often has no symptoms, but it can cause serious health problems, even without symptoms. If symptoms occur, they may not appear until several weeks after having sex with a partner who has chlamydia.
Even when chlamydia has no symptoms, it can damage a womans reproductive system. Women with symptoms may notice
- An abnormal vaginal discharge and
- A burning sensation when peeing.
Symptoms in men can include
- A burning sensation when peeing and
- Pain and swelling in one or both testicles .
See a healthcare provider if you notice any of these symptoms. You should also see a provider if your partner has an STD or symptoms of one. Symptoms can include
- An unusual sore
How Can You Tell If You Have Chlamydia
You can have chlamydia without experiencing any symptoms. In fact, many womenâapproximately 70% of those who are infectedâare completely asymptomatic, which means that they are also unaware that they are carrying Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria.
The lack of symptoms can cause health problems over time because an untreated chlamydia infection can lead to complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease . Also, if you become pregnant and have chlamydia, you may develop an ectopic pregnancy . Some people with untreated chlamydia may develop reactive arthritis, a form of joint inflammation thatâs caused by the chlamydia bacterium . Untreated chlamydia can also damage your reproductive organs, which could potentially lead to infertility.
Thankfully, effective treatments exist for chlamydial infections. But to get treatment, you first need to determine if you have chlamydia in the first place. As mentioned above, you could have chlamydia without any symptoms. But there are certain telltale symptoms you may experience that can help identify it.
Chlamydia symptoms in women look different. You may develop abnormal vaginal discharge, and you may experience a burning sensation when urinating. You might also experience pelvic pain, which could manifest as lower abdominal pain. Occasionally, you can develop spotting .
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Are You Guaranteed To Get Chlamydia If Your Partner Has It
Myth: If youve only had sex once with a partner who has chlamydia, you cant get the infection. Fact: If you have sex once with a partner who has chlamydia, you have a 30% chance of getting the infection from that one time.Can chlamydia lay dormant and test negative?Many men do not typically exhibit symptoms for STDs like chlamydia despite the fact that they are very capable of transmitting the disease, but they will still test positive for the STD even though they are usually asymptomatic or dormant.