How Does A Male Get Chlamydia

Im Pregnant How Does Chlamydia Affect My Baby

If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection to your baby during delivery. This could cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your newborn. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby too early.

If you are pregnant, you should get tested for chlamydia at your first prenatal visit. Testing and treatment are the best ways to prevent health problems.

You Can Get Chlamydia More Than Once

With some diseases, having one infection makes you immune to future infections. That’s not the case with chlamydia. If you engage in sexual activity with a person who has a chlamydia infection, you can get it again, even if you’ve just completed treatment for it.

“Both partners should be treated before reinitiating sexual intercourse to prevent relapse,” Schaffir says.

Young Sexually Active Women Are Most Susceptible

Women between ages 15 and 24 are most likely to be newly infected with chlamydia, according to the CDC, but anyone who is sexually active male or female can be infected. Men who have oral or anal sex with men are also at risk, notes the CDC. The CDC recommends regular chlamydia screenings for people at an increased risk of contracting it.

You should be screened annually for chlamydia if you are:

• A sexually active woman under age 25
• A woman age 25 or older who has multiple sexual partners
• A woman whose sexual partner may have multiple sexual partners
• Pregnant and under age 25 or pregnant and age 25 or older with an increased risk
• A man who has sex with men
• At an increased risk for other health reasons

I would emphasize that young women should be screened if they engage in any sexual behavior that puts them at risk because often has no symptoms, and early treatment is important to avoid long-term damage and infertility, Dr. Schaffir says.

Screening for chlamydia is painless: It usually involves testing a urine sample or a specimen swabbed from the vagina or penis. Some lab tests for chlamydia can use specimens from the throat or rectum.

Don’t Miss: Does Chlamydia Have A Fishy Smell

Rules For Successful Treatment

The patient should make sure that the doctor is informed if the patient is pregnant or has any allergies. These conditions influence the choice of the medicine prescribed. No matter which antibiotic the patient takes treating chlamydia the following points should be remembered:

• The treatment of all partners on the infected person is obligatory
• Abstain from sex contacts during the treatment and until the negative result on chlamydia test is received
• It is unadvisable to interrupt the course of antibiotics treatment as it will result in the necessity to start again from the beginning. Although the symptoms may disappear, the infection may still remain in the body
• It is necessary to get tested after 34 months after the end of the treatment to make sure the infection is no longer in the body.

Reducing The Risk Of Chlamydia Infection

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection which is spread in genital fluids . Its important to bear this in mind, and to remember that chlamydia can be transmitted via various forms of sexual activity.

As a man you can be vulnerable to chlamydia if you are engaging in the following sexual acts:

• Vaginal sex
• Non-penetrative sexual contact
• Sharing sex toys

If infected semen or vaginal fluid comes into contact with your genitals, rectum or eyes you are at risk of contracting chlamydia and potentially developing symptoms described above.

To stay protected, talk to your sexual partner about their STI status if you arent certain that they are free from infection refrain from sex or use condoms or dental dams until either of you are tested.

Condoms should be used for anal sex, vaginal sex and male oral sex . Dental dams should be used for female oral sex.

Sex toys should not be shared – they should be washed in between use and protected with a condom if possible.

Also Check: Can I Get Treated For Chlamydia Without Being Tested

In Men Untreated Chlamydia Can Lead To:

• Epididymitis painful inflammation of the inner structures of the testicles, which may cause reduced fertility or sterility. A rare complication of Epididymitisis reactive arthritis, which causes pain in the inflamed joints that can be disabling
• Prostatitis
• Occasionally, Reiters syndrome
• Urethritis inflammation of the urethra with a yellow discharge appearing at the tip of the penis. Untreated urethritis results in narrowing of the urethra which leads to painful urinating and can cause kidney problems

How Long Can You Have Chlamydia Without Knowing

If youve had intercourse with an infected man or woman, chlamydia symptoms may appear between 1 3 weeks after contact.

However, you may still be asymptomatic after a chlamydia infection. This is because chlamydia can be silent or dormant for months and years without showing symptoms.

In men, about 50 70 percent will show symptoms of chlamydia while only 30 50 percent of women will be symptomatic. Absent symptoms of chlamydia do not mean absent infection. You should take chlamydia test to confirm if you have the infection or not.

Recommended Reading: What Medicine Treats Gonorrhea And Chlamydia

What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia

Chlamydia can be easily cured with antibiotics. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV-negative.

Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days after single dose antibiotics or until completion of a 7-day course of antibiotics, to prevent spreading the infection to partners. It is important to take all of the medication prescribed to cure chlamydia. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone. Although medication will cure the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease. If a persons symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, he or she should return to a health care provider to be reevaluated.

Repeat infection with chlamydia is common.49 Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple chlamydial infections increases a womans risk of serious reproductive health complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy.50,51 Women and men with chlamydia should be retested about three months after treatment of an initial infection, regardless of whether they believe that their sex partners were successfully treated.40

Infants infected with chlamydia may develop ophthalmia neonatorum and/or pneumonia.10 Chlamydial infection in infants can be treated with antibiotics.

How To Treat Chlamydia In Men

When the infection is caught early, chlamydia is easy to treat with a short course of antibiotics. Over 95% of people will be cured if they take the antibiotics correctly. The two types of antibiotics most commonly used to treat chlamydia are:

• Azithromycin: Taken as 24 tablets all at once.
• Doxycycline: Taken as 2 capsules each day for a week.

If your doctor is concerned about complications from chlamydia , they might prescribe a longer course of antibiotics.

Youll be advised not to have sex until you and your current sexual partner have finished treatment for chlamydia, or until a week after the 1-day treatment. Its also important to contact any other sexual partners who could have been exposed to infection. A sexual health clinic can help you contact people anonymously, if thats what youd prefer.

Also Check: Does Chlamydia Go Away For Guys

How Do I Test For Chlamydia

You can get tested for chlamydia even if you dont have any symptoms.

Getting tested for chlamydia is easy and doesnt hurt. A healthcare professional will ask for a urine sample and/or take a swab from the area that might be infected. This is usually the lower part of the womb or the vagina for women, and the tip of the penis for men. If youve had anal or oral sex, you may have a swab taken from your anus or throat.

In some countries you can get a self-testing kit to do at home.

If you test positive for chlamydia, its important to tell any recent sexual partner/s so they can also get tested, and treated if necessary. If you need advice about how to do this, speak to your healthcare professional. You should also test for other STIs.

I Was Treated For Chlamydia When Can I Have Sex Again

You should not have sex again until you and your sex partner have completed treatment. If your doctor prescribes a single dose of medication, you should wait seven days after taking the medicine before having sex. If your doctor prescribes a medicine for you to take for seven days, you should wait until you have taken all of the doses before having sex.

Don’t Miss: Women’s Symptoms Of Gonorrhea And Chlamydia

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.

Can I Mistake The Visible Signs For Another Infection

Yes, with chlamydia, its very easy to find these symptoms misleading. The problem is that the bacteria will take time to affect the system, and until 1 to 3 weeks after youve been exposed, you might start to experience the symptoms. So, there is a high chance that the symptoms you are experiencing are caused by a different infection.

You May Like: How Much Chlamydia Test Cost

How To Prevent Chlamydial Urethritis

Men who are sexually active can prevent STDs with safe sex practices. Male and female condoms can greatly reduce the spread of infection. Make sure you use a new condom for each sexual encounter.

Regular screenings for STDs, including HIV, are important for anyone whos sexually active, and especially for those with multiple partners.

Antibiotics Are A Highly Effective Cure For Chlamydia Infection

Antibiotics prescribed for chlamydia include:

• Doryx

A single oral dose of Zithromax is the most common treatment. Other drugs may be given in varying doses for a period of up to a week. Most cases of chlamydia clear up within a week after you start on antibiotics.

If you think you have been exposed to chlamydia, Stoner says, see your healthcare provider to receive antibiotic medication to prevent the onset of infection.

The partners of individuals diagnosed with chlamydia will need treatment, too, and in some states they can get it without a doctor visit through a practice called expedited partner therapy, in which the first person treated delivers the treatment to their partner or partners.

You May Like: How To Get A Chlamydia Prescription

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.

Chlamydia Symptoms & Treatment

FAST FACTS

• Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that is normally passed on through sex without a condom or sharing sex toys with someone who has the infection.
• Using male or female condoms and dental dams during sex will help to protect you from getting chlamydia.
• Chlamydia is often symptomless however if left untreated it can lead to long-term health problems.
• Chlamydia is easily treated with antibiotics.
• Chlamydia can be passed on from mother to child during pregnancy, so its important for pregnant women to get tested.

Recommended Reading: Can I Take Antibiotics For Chlamydia Without Being Tested

Probability Of Chlamydia Transmission

If someone knows or suspects they have been exposed to chlamydia, they should get tested as soon as possible, so that they can have the infection diagnosed and treated if necessary. They should also abstain from sexual activities until they have been tested and received the all-clear.

That said, if someone has had unprotected sex with an infected person, it does not necessarily mean they definitely have chlamydia.

Estimated transmission rates tend to vary and, as discussed above, the likelihood of infection depends on the sexual act performed but Professor Victoria von Sadovszky, an expert from the Ohio State University College of Nursing, states that the transmission rate from a single unprotected exposure is thought to be around 25 percent.

Other estimates put the male-to-female transmission rate from one sexual instance at 40 percent and the female-to-male transmission rate at 32 percent.

Obviously, the more someone has sex with an infected person, the higher the chances of transmission become.

Using barrier protection can reduce the chances of picking up the infection dramatically. Provided they are used accordingly, condoms are thought to be 99 percent effective at reducing the transmission of STIs.

Find out more about preventing chlamydia transmission on our information page.

How Do Guys Get Tested For Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease that can infect both males and females. It can cause severe, long-term damages to a females reproductive system. How Do Guys Get Tested For Chlamydia

This can make it challenging or impossible for her to get pregnant later. Chlamydia can likewise create a possibly deadly ectopic maternity a maternity that occurs outside the womb.

Don’t Miss: How To Treat Chlamydia Symptoms

Signs And Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Men

The first thing to be aware of is that chlamydia does not always cause symptoms. It is estimated that 50% of all men who become infected with chlamydia suffer no symptoms at least to begin with. If chlamydia is left untreated it can lead to serious complications such as the infection spreading to the testicles and surrounding tissues resulting in pain and possible reduced fertility.

When chlamydia does cause symptoms, they can be very similar to other STIs such as gonorrhoea. Male symptoms of chlamydia include:

• Pain when urinating
• Discharge from the penis that is white, watery or cloudy
• Itching or burning in the urethra
• Pain and swelling in the testicles

Chlamydia can also infect the throat, eyes and rectum. This means that men can also experience:

• Redness, pain and discharge in the eye
• Discharge from and pain in the rectum

If you notice these kinds of symptoms in yourself, you should get tested as soon as possible. If you notice these kinds of symptoms in a male sexual partner its best to refrain from any sexual activity until they have been tested and received treatment.

In female sexual partners, look out for pain when urinating, abdominal pain, pain during sex and bleeding after sex as these can indicate chlamydia infection.

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.

You May Like: Can You Catch Chlamydia Without Cheating

What Are The Prominent Chlamydia Symptoms In Men

Actually, no one can easily ensure that his body has some trouble due to the silent infection because its symptoms are rarely reflected. But once if they start occurring then they can be easily noticed even within few weeks. Medical doctors say that symptoms of Chlamydia in men can be random and infrequent so most of the time patients are not able to know if they are in contact with the infection.

Some of the most common signs of Chlamydia in men include:

• Very small cloudy or clear Chlamydia discharge in men from penis tip.
• It can cause painful urination.
• Leads to itching and burning sensation around penis openings.
• Swelling and pain in the area surrounding testicles.

Major symptoms of Chlamydia are observed for genitals but in few cases it can affect rectum, eyes and throat. Note that, the actual effect varies with type of transmission. Few uncommon symptoms of chlamydia in men can include:

• Throat infections.
• Rectal bleeding, discharge or pain.

What Can Be Done To Prevent The Spread Of Chlamydia

• Limit your number of sex partners
• Use a male or female condom
• If you think you are infected or have been exposed, avoid any sexual contact and visit a local sexually transmitted disease clinic, a hospital or your doctor. Either bring your sex partners with you when you are treated or notify them immediately so they can obtain examination and treatment.

Don’t Miss: Will 250 Mg Of Azithromycin Cure Chlamydia

What Can Happen If Chlamydia Isnt Treated

Untreated chlamydia can put your health at risk. Make an appointment with your provider immediately if you notice any symptoms of chlamydia, and get regular STI screenings to avoid complications later.

Complications of chlamydia for people with vaginas

Untreated chlamydia can cause:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease . PID is a serious condition that requires hospitalization. It can occur when an untreated STI, like chlamydia, damages your reproductive organs. PID can lead to infertility and chronic pelvic pain. It can also cause an ectopic pregnancy,which is life-threatening for the fetus and potentially deadly for the mother or gestational parent, too.
• Pregnancy complications. An untreated infection can lead to pre-term delivery. Also, if youre pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection on to your newborn. Babies born with chlamydia may have pneumonia or conjunctivitis that could lead to blindness if not treated.

Complications of chlamydia for people with penises

Untreated chlamydia can cause:

• Epididymitis. Infection can spread to the testicles and the tube that carries sperm to your testicles , causing symptoms like pain, swelling and tenderness in your testicles.
• Reduced fertility. Chlamydia can harm your sperm, negatively impacting your ability to conceive.

Complications of chlamydia that can affect all genders

Untreated chlamydia can: