How Easy Is It To Get Chlamydia In The Throat

How Common Is It

Oral chlamydia is not as common as genital chlamydia. Research shows that approximately 10% of people who visited a sexually transmitted disease clinic had genital chlamydia, but only 1.5% also had an infection in the throat.

Genital gonorrhea is not as common as genital chlamydia, but oral gonorrhea is more common than oral chlamydia.

How Can I Avoid A Chlamydia Throat Infection

Now that you know a bit more about oral chlamydia, heres how to lower your risk of infection:

Use Condoms

When we say wear condoms during sex, dont forget that this includes oral sex, the leading cause of oral chlamydia. If a partner has chlamydia on their genital area and you go down on them, the infection can be passed to your mouth. On the other hand, if your partner has chlamydia on their mouth and they go down on you, it can be passed to your genitals. While condoms dont always prevent STIs, they definitely lower your risk.

Have The Talk With Your Partner

Communication is important in any relationship, whether its a one-night stand or youre with a monogamous partner. Being open with one another, and making sure that you dont fool around with someone who has not been tested, will help you to avoid unwanted infections. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to most things, and that includes sexually transmitted infections. We get it: having the talk can be awkward. But getting an STI is way more inconvenient. Own your confidence and be unabashed about your own wellness.

How Common Is Chlamydia

CDC estimates that there were four million chlamydial infections in 2018.3 Chlamydia is also the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States.4 However, a large number of cases are not reported because most people with chlamydia are asymptomatic and do not seek testing. Chlamydia is most common among young people. Two-thirds of new chlamydial infections occur among youth aged 15-24 years.3 It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia.5

Disparities persist among racial and ethnic minority groups. In 2019, reported chlamydia rates for African Americans/Blacks were nearly six times that of Whites.4 Chlamydia is also common among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men . Among MSM screened for rectal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 3.0% to 10.5%.6,7 Among MSM screened for pharyngeal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 0.5% to 2.3%.7.8

Read Also: Can I Get Rid Of Chlamydia At Home

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

Chlamydia Can Harm Your Pregnancy Or Reproductive Health

Can chlamydia harm your unborn baby or your future reproductive health? Many people will say no, but thats not true. The infection can cause complications for both pregnancy and fertility.

Chlamydia can cause many complications for pregnant women and their babies. When the infection is left untreated, it can cause preterm delivery. Babies who are born prematurely can have problems with their lungs, hearts, or brains. The infection can spread to the baby, resulting in pneumonia, eye infections, and other complications. Due to these risks, pregnant women are routinely screened for chlamydia.

Chlamydia can cause many complications for pregnant women and their babies. When the infection is left untreated, it can cause preterm delivery.

Chlamydia can also cause complications for women who want to get pregnant. If untreated chlamydia spreads to other parts of the reproductive system, like the uterus, those tissues can be damaged. This can cause infertility. Damage to the uterine tubes could also result in an ectopic pregnancy. This means a fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus, usually inside the uterine tube. These pregnancies arent sustainable and may put the mothers life at risk.

There are many myths that are circulating about this common sexually transmitted infection. If youre concerned about chlamydia, see your doctor to get tested.

Read Also: What Test Is Done For Chlamydia

Signs And Symptoms Of Oral And Nose Chlamydia

Most medical health reports reveal that Chlamydia lives like a silent infection in most people. In fact, around 50% of men and 75% of women do not show any specific symptom of this disease. However, in other cases, the person may show signs even within one to three weeks after getting infected. Males and females generally have similar kind of symptoms for oral and nose chlamydia, but few gender-specific symptoms can be observed as well.

The major impact of oral chlamydia is seen on cell lining and throat area. Most patients report a sore throat or pharyngitis, and it may last for several days. The level of discomfort may vary person to person when it has a major impact on the throat, a person usually face difficulty in swallowing. A sore throat is generally accompanied by low-grade fever, and people may also have swollen lymph nodes on the neck area. But in general, most people infected with oral chlamydia do not show any recognizable symptom however, nose chlamydia may have few.

Some of the most common symptoms associated with oral and nose chlamydia are listed below:

How Can You Catch Chlamydia In The Mouth

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected partner. As we mentioned earlier, some STIs can affect other regions such as the mouth and throat as well. Chlamydia is one of these.

Usually you get chlamydia in the throat by engaging in oral sex with a partner that has chlamydia. Chances are, like 80 percent of Americans, youve engaged in oral sex. Believe it or not, this is exactly why you should get an oral chlamydia test. Although chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, you probably wont know if you have oral chlamydia without specifically testing for it.

The area where you become infected is often linked to your sexual activity. For example, it is possible to catch oral chlamydia through performing oral sex on a partner who is carrying a genital infection. In the reverse example, if you are infected with throat chlamydia, you can spread the infection to your partners genitals.

Also Check: What Are All The Ways You Can Get Chlamydia

How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed

There are a number of diagnostic tests for chlamydia, including nucleic acid amplification tests , cell culture, and others. NAATs are the most sensitive tests, and can be performed on easily obtainable specimens such as vaginal swabs or urine.43

Vaginal swabs, either patient- or clinician-collected, are the optimal specimen to screen for genital chlamydia using NAATs in women urine is the specimen of choice for men, and is an effective alternative specimen type for women.43 Self-collected vaginal swab specimens perform at least as well as other approved specimens using NAATs.44 In addition, patients may prefer self-collected vaginal swabs or urine-based screening to the more invasive endocervical or urethral swab specimens.45 Adolescent girls may be particularly good candidates for self-collected vaginal swab- or urine-based screening because pelvic exams are not indicated if they are asymptomatic.

NAATs have demonstrated improved sensitivity and specificity compared with culture for the detection of C. trachomatis at rectal and oropharyngeal sites.40 Certain NAAT test platforms have been cleared by FDA for these non-genital sites and data indicate NAAT performance on self-collected rectal swabs is comparable to clinician-collected rectal swabs. 40

Can Pharyngeal Chlamydia Be Prevented

The best protection against oral chlamydia is by avoiding unprotected sex. Using a complete barrier method reduces your risk of acquiring pharyngeal chlamydia during oral sexthis includes using a polyurethane or latex condom or a dental dam. Partial barriers or contraceptive methods such as birth control pills and spermicidal lube do not decrease your risk of getting pharyngeal chlamydia, or other STIs, from your sex partner.

You are not likely to get oral chlamydia from mouth-to-mouth contact, including kissing or sharing a cup. However, a recent study suggested that gonorrhea, another STI, may potentially be transmitted by kissing. While the study did not find this to be the case with chlamydia, more research will help scientists learn more about the role of saliva in the transmission of STIs .

Also Check: What Medication Is Used To Treat Chlamydia And Gonorrhea

Why Wait Seven Days After Chlamydia Treatment

If youre getting treatment for chlamydia, avoid oral, anal, or vaginal sex until seven days after the treatment is over. As chlamydia is a bacteria, your health care provider will most likely prescribe you antibiotics that need time to be effective.

If your partner is getting treatment, you should wait seven days after they take all of their medicine. If you dont wait for the treatment to be effective and have sex earlier, you can get the infection again.

Can Oral Sex Give You Chlamydia

Yes, its possible to pass on chlamydia through oral sex many STIs are most commonly spread via oral sex. Oral sex is the stimulation of the genitals using the mouth, lips and/or tongue in other words, when a person puts their lips/mouth/tongue to another persons penis/vulva/anus.

Chlamydia is one of the most common STIs in the UK although people who have it dont always display recognisable symptoms. If can be treated fairly easily with antibiotics if it is caught early, but if left untreated, chlamydia can cause serious long-term health problems.

How can oral sex spread chlamydia? in terms of giving and receiving oral sex with your partner, it is both possible to:

• Get chlamydia when receiving oral sex by a partner who has chlamydia

• Pass on chlamydia when giving oral sex if you currently have chlamydia

What kind of oral sex is most likely to spread chlamydia? the most common way to pass chlamydia during oral sex is in oral sex on the penis without using a condom. However, it is also entirely possible to give or get chlamydia via oral sex on the vagina or anus.

Reducing the risk of chlamydia from oral sex the only way to reduce your risk of getting or giving an STI like chlamydia during oral sex is by using a condom, a dental dam, or another barrier method during the act. Theoretically, the chances of passing on infection when using a condom are close to none, but this is of course not accounting for the a broken condom, slipping off, or being used incorrectly.

Don’t Miss: Is Itching A Symptom Of Chlamydia

Who Is Most At Risk Of Getting Chlamydia From Oral Sex

Chlamydia is most commonly reported in young people the reasons for this could be:

• Behavioural

• Biological

• Cultural

Situations that can pass on chlamydia according to some sources, the greatest chance of passing on infection is through oral sex involving a penis without a condom. Chlamydia is passed on during sex and also during childbirth. For chlamydia in pregnancy if the person giving birth is infected and remains untreated at the time of birth.

To lower your risk of getting chlamydia you should use a barrier method with all new sexual partners, and have regular STI screening tests to make sure you have not caught an infection. STIs like chlamydia are very easy to treat with antibiotics, which are available free on the NHS.

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How Does Chlamydia Affect A Pregnant Woman And Her Baby

In pregnant women, untreated chlamydia has been associated with pre-term delivery,34 as well as ophthalmia neonatorum and pneumonia in the newborn. In published prospective studies, chlamydial conjunctivitis has been identified in 18-44% and chlamydial pneumonia in 3-16% of infants born to women with untreated chlamydial cervical infection at the time of delivery.9-12 Neonatal prophylaxis against gonococcal conjunctivitis routinely performed at birth does not effectively prevent chlamydial conjunctivitis.37-39

Screening and treatment of chlamydia in pregnant women is the best method for preventing neonatal chlamydial disease. All pregnant women should be screened for chlamydia at their first prenatal visit. Pregnant women under 25 and those at increased risk for chlamydia should be screened again in their third trimester. Pregnant women with chlamydial infection should be retested 3 weeks and 3 months after completion of recommended therapy.40

Read Also: Are Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Curable

Know Your Sexual Health Status

If you have recently changed sexual partners, or have multiple sex partners, getting regularly tested for STIs will tell you if you have an infection. Some people can have an STI and not have any symptoms. Finding and treating an STI reduces the chances of passing infections on to your partner.

The more partners you have, the higher your chances of getting exposed to STIs.

Chlamydia In The Throat: Causes Symptoms And More

Medically reviewed by Rosanna Sutherby, PharmD on January 31, 2020. Written by Karen Eisenbraun. To give you technically accurate, evidence-based information, content published on the Everlywell blog is reviewed by credentialed professionals with expertise in medical and bioscience fields.

Can you get chlamydia in the throat? The answer to that question is âyesâ: although chlamydiaâone of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United Statesâoften affects parts of the body like the genitals or rectum, it can also infect oneâs throat .

Read on for key information about the chlamydia bacterium in the throatâincluding causes, possible symptoms, and more.

If you think you may have contracted chlamydia from unprotected sex with an infected partner, consider taking our at-home Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Test. Our testing kit is discreet and easy to use, making it a convenient way to check for these STDs from the privacy of home.

Also Check: What Medication To Take For Chlamydia

Nhs Doctor Reveals When Your Sore Throat Could Mean You Have Chlamydia

• Terri-Ann Williams, Digital Health Reporter

• 12:11 ET, Oct 8 2021

• Terri-Ann Williams, Digital Health Reporter

• Invalid Date,

SOCIAL media can be full of interesting facts but sometimes experts have to step in to debunk some users’ ideas of health advice.

NHS doctor and TikTok star Dr Karan Raj has now cleared up confusion about what strange side effects chlamydia actually causes.

Dr Raj was responding to one TikTok user who told her followers that your sore throat could actually be chlamydia.

As many people are currently battling with the ‘worst cold ever’, it’s no surprise Dr Raj wanted dispel the health advice.

He explained the only time a sore throat could be down to the STI by using a diagram.

“Check it out causes of sore throat, let’s go through the basics: common cold, flu, mononucleosis, mumps, strep throat, allergies, smoke, chemicals or acid reflux.

“Causes of chlamydia it’s obviously getting cheeky with someone who has chlamydia.

“And the only time these two worlds collide is when you nibble on their noodles oral sex.”

Can You Get Chlamydia From Oral Sex

Chlamydia trachomatisthe bacteria that causes a chlamydia infectionspreads through contact with another persons mucus membranes .

Unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex can transmit chlamydia.

Chlamydia from oral sex is called a pharyngeal chlamydia infection. In this instance, most commonly, chlamydia bacteria are transmitted from the penis to the mouth and throat.

But chlamydia can also spread through oral contact with another persons anus or vagina.

Someone with chlamydia in the throat could also transmit the infection to another persons genitals by giving oral sex, but chlamydia doesnt spread through kissing.

People also dont get chlamydia from contact with toilet seats, sharing clothes or towels, or hugging.

Recommended Reading: How Long Can Chlamydia Last Without Treatment

Possible Home Remedies For Oral And Nose Chlamydia

• Garlic:

It is the most commonly used natural spice due to its awesome anti-viral and antibiotic properties. The best way to fight against symptoms of chlamydia is to eat 3-4 cloves of garlic every day prefer to consume them before your meal. The natural chemicals of garlic are capable enough to clear the infection and can also kill the bacteria present in your body. However, in case if you are not in a condition to eat raw garlic, prefer to add few cloves to your meals. Some of you may also prefer to consume the garlic capsules that are also powerful enough to reverse the oral and nose chlamydia symptoms.

• Sage:

It is a perennial herbal plant that is popular as a top-rated remedy for treating chlamydia symptoms. It helps to clean the immune system so that it can initiate fight against disease bacteria. Prefer to include sage tea to your routines, and it will naturally add care to your overall health. Simply take around 50 mg leaves of sage, crush them and then put into 250 ml boiling water. Let it stay on the stove for at least 3 to 4 minutes and enjoy the delicious taste of this tea. Make sure you consume these doses without adding milk or sugar to your tea. Sage tea is medically trusted solution to treat chlamydia symptoms, and it is extremely safe as well.

• Echinacea:

• Goldenseal:

• Improved diet:

• Neem:

• Saw Palmetto:

• Olive Tea Extract:

• Turmeric: