How Do You Get Chlamydia
Rarely, you can get chlamydia by touching your eye if you have infected fluids on your hand. Chlamydia can also be spread to a baby during birth if the mother has it.
Chlamydia isnt spread through casual contact, so you CANT get chlamydia from sharing food or drinks, kissing, hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, or sitting on the toilet.
Using condoms and/or dental dams every time you have sex is the best way to help prevent chlamydia.
Just How Typical Is Chlamydia
In 2017, more than 1.7 million cases of chlamydia were reported to the Centers for Condition Control and also Prevention . Nonetheless, lots of instances go unreported, so the actual number of chlamydia infections every year may be closer to 3 million.
Males and female can both get the infection, however extra instances in females are reported.
Infection rates are highest possible among younger ladies, with the highest possible rates of infection taking place in ladies between ages 15 as well as 24.
The CDC suggests that all sexually active ladies ages 25 years and younger get evaluated for chlamydia yearly, in addition to older women with threat aspects like multiple or new partners.
Statistically, a person is more likely to get an STI if theyve made love with more than a single person. Other danger variables include having had an STI in the past, or currently have an infection because this can lower resistance.
Rates for chlamydia and other STIs have actually been climbing in recent years.
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.
Read Also: Can Strep Throat Antibiotics Cure Chlamydia
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When Should I Test Again For Chlamydia
Getting retested about three months after treatment for chlamydia is recommended for both assigned males and assigned females. This should be done even if your partner was also treated.
Reinfection is possible, and most cases that are found after treatment are because of this possibility, rather than the failure of the treatment itself.
Pregnant individuals should be retested three weeks after treatment is completed. Pregnant individuals at high risk should also get tested again in the third trimester.
Also Check: Azithromycin And Doxycycline Together For Chlamydia
The Storm Raged On For Weeks Until Finally My Research Developed Some Calming Answers
Calming the abortion storm in my goat herd was my determination. It would be the key to my failure or my success.
Every day, I would find another doe aborting her kids or having them way too early. Under developed kids with under developed internal organs didnt make it very long in our world.
A does gestation period is 145-155 days. If kids are born earlier than that, their internal organs will be underdeveloped. Theres not too much a producer can do for kids whose lungs are gasping for air.
Many kids were lost while I was searching for answers to my early kidding problem. I was becoming so frustrated that I was about ready to quit and sell all my goats.
But, finally, the answers came rolling in. We had a plan and a possible calming solution at hand.
Enzootic Abortion In Sheep
Enzootic abortion was relatively unknown in the country until 1972 whereby there was a massive outbreak of abortions and stillbirths in ewes. In some flocks . . .
Enzootic abortion was relatively unknown in the country until 1972 whereby there was a massive outbreak of abortions and stillbirths in ewes. In some flocks abortions were as high as 60%.
WHAT CAUSES ENZOOTIC ABORTION?
This disease is caused by an organism called Chlamydia psittaci and is one of the biggest causes of abortions and stillbirths in sheep and goats. This organism is found throughout the world, including South Africa. There are other syndromes associated with this disease, for example, respiratory tract and digestive tract infections. The organism may infect a wide range of hosts including cattle, birds and humans.
HOW IS THE DISEASE TRANSMITTED?
The disease is normally introduced into a flock by the purchase of an infected ewe. The vaginal discharge and after-births of infected sheep are highly infective and will contaminate the pastures. The organism can also be shed via faeces. Ewe to ewe infection usually occurs during lambing time.
CLINICAL SIGNS
There are no apparent clinical signs in ewes in infected ewes. Abortions normally occur during the last month of pregnancy. The farmers biggest concern will be a low lambing and weaning percentage. Apart from abortions, affected ewes give birth to weak and unthrifty lambs, most of which will die within a few days.
CONTROL OF ENZOOTIC ABORTION
Read Also: How Soon Can Chlamydia Be Detected
Why Early Treatment Is Needed
Chlamydia treatment should be started promptly. Studies suggest that delayed treatment can increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease , which can lead to infertility. Early treatment also reduces the risk of passing the infection to others.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the antibiotic doxycycline is the drug of choice for adults and adolescents with chlamydia. If doxycycline cannot be used, the antibiotics azithromycin or levofloxacin may be prescribed.
All of these antibiotics are taken by mouth. The recommended dose and duration of treatment vary by the antibiotic type.
| Recommendation for Adults and Adolescents | |
|---|---|
| Regimen | |
| Levofloxacin | 500 mg taken by mouth once daily for seven days |
Treatment with azithromycin may seem easier since it’s only one dose. However, the treatment failure rate in males is higher when compared to doxycycline. It may also be less effective in treating chlamydia in the rectum, mouth, or throat.
While levofloxacin is an effective treatment, it is a far more costly drug.
There are no specific follow-up recommendations after the completion of treatment. If you continue to have symptoms, however, see your healthcare provider.
Testing And Treating Sexual Partners
If you test positive for chlamydia, it’s important that your current sexual partner and any other recent sexual partners you’ve had are also tested and treated.
A specialist sexual health adviser can help you contact your recent sexual partners, or the clinic can contact them for you if you prefer.
Either you or someone from the clinic can speak to them, or the clinic can send them a note to let them know they may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection .
The note will suggest that they go for a check-up. It will not have your name on it, so your confidentiality will be protected.
Page last reviewed: 01 September 2021 Next review due: 01 September 2024
Recommended Reading: How Can I Treat Chlamydia At Home
Chlamydia Treatment And Prevention
Milly DawsonSanjai Sinha, MDShutterstock
Chlamydia is easy to cure. If you test positive for chlamydia, basically you take an antibiotic, says Jill Rabin, MD, cochief in the division of ambulatory care for women’s health programs and prenatal care assistance program services for Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York.
Your partner must take an antibiotic, too, to keep them from reinfecting you, she says.
You have to have your partner treated, and if you have more than one partner, they should all be treated, says Dr. Rabin, regardless of your partners genders.
Even if you dont have chlamydia now, its wise to learn how to protect yourself so you wont develop this common infection in the first place. In women, chlamydia can create serious health problems, including infertility. Besides, no one ever wants to have a sexually transmitted disease and then have to tell other people about it.
Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes
In the United States and other developed countries, the prevention of sexually transmitted genital infections and complications mainly focuses on screening and treating nonpregnant sexually active women aged 25 years or younger on an annual basis. Screening for pregnant women is recommended, and screening and treatment of women over 25 years of age are recommendations if there are identifiable risk factors, such as new or multiple sexual partners. Screening of young men in high-risk settings should be a consideration if resources allow. Urine or endocervical NAAT are the recommended screening tests. The partner should be screened and treated at the same time.
Healthcare workers and nurse practitioners should educate patients on the importance of using a condom during sex, practicing safe sex or abstaining from sexual activity to prevent chlamydia.
Pharmacists should verify dosing and agent selection for antimicrobial therapy, check for drug interactions, and report any concerns to the prescriber.
The prognosis is excellent with prompt initiation of treatment early, and with the completion of the entire course of antibiotics, antibiotic treatment is 95% effective for first-time therapy.
No vaccine is currently available for either trachoma or chlamydial genital infections.
Read Also: Can You Order Chlamydia Treatment Online
Can You Get Rid Of Chlamydia
Chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics. The best way to cure chlamydia and keep from infecting your partners, is to avoid sex for seven days, until the antibiotics have done their job. If you do end up having sex while the antibiotics are still working it is really important to use a condom or else it is likely the medicine you took wont work. If you got medication to take at home make sure you take all of the pills, even if you start to feel better otherwise the infection might not go away completely.
What About Rectal And Oral Swabs
Rectal swabs and oral swabs may also be considered for those who have or unprotected oral sex. These tests are known as extragenital, or outside of the genital region, testing. These tests are important to do if chlamydia is suspected but your urine test came back negative.
Rectal and oral swabs can be collected at home and dropped off the same day at a lab, or done in a medical office or lab.
Read Also: Can You Test For Chlamydia In Blood
How Will I Get My Results
It can take a few days to get your results from a swab test, similar to a Pap smear test in women. If youre a woman, you may also be able to obtain an at-home kit to do the vaginal testing on your own.
Your doctor will call you with the results of your test. Be sure you give your doctor your preferred phone number where you can have privacy, such as a mobile phone number. If you dont want them to leave you a voicemail, be sure you tell them before you leave your appointment.
A urine test is much faster to analyze. Your doctor should be able to tell you the results during the same day as your appointment. The downside is that urine tests may not be as accurate as traditional swab testing.
However, urine testing may be more suitable for men. Its also used for more advanced signs of chlamydia, as your body will have a greater number of bacteria to detect at this stage.
You can obtain a chlamydia test from:
- your primary doctor
- a home testing kit and service
find affordable testing
There are clinics that can perform chlamydia testing at a low cost. In some cases, you may obtain testing free-of-charge. You can find a clinic through the American Sexual Health Associations free locator here. All results are confidential.
Treating Toddlers And Children
Chlamydia in toddlers and children may occur as a result of sexual abuse and should be investigated. With that said, chlamydia transmitted during childbirth can sometimes take up to three years before symptoms develop in the child’s throat, rectum, or genitals.
If chlamydia is confirmed, either erythromycin, azithromycin, or doxycycline may be used depending on the child’s age and/or weight.
| Treatment Recommendations for Children |
|---|
| 100 mg taken by mouth twice daily for 7 days |
Read Also: How To Tell If I Have Chlamydia Male
How Chlamydia Diagnosis Process Is Carried On In Men
Early treatment of Chlamydia is essential to have a healthy life ahead. In case if you had unprotected sex with your recent partner then you must get tested for STIs as soon as possible. This test can be carried out at any local GUM clinic or GP. With improved facilities of digital world, patients can also order Chlamydia test kits to their home from online sources.
How Long Can You Have Chlamydia Without Knowing
Chlamydia is sometimes called a silent infection because the majority of people who have chlamydia regardless of gender never notice symptoms. People who do notice symptoms often dont recognize the signs that they have chlamydia until a few weeks after theyve been infected. Because chlamydia cases are often asymptomatic, its easy to spread chlamydia to someone else without realizing it. And its easy to miss out on receiving the treatment needed to prevent the serious complications that can result from chlamydia.
Read Also: Can You Tell How Long You Have Had Chlamydia
Whats The Treatment For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is usually easy to get rid of. Your nurse or doctor will get you antibiotics to treat the infection. Sometimes you only have to take one dose of medication. Another chlamydia treatment lasts for 7 days. Your doctor will help you figure out which treatment is best for you.
If youre treated for chlamydia, its really important for your sexual partners to get treated also. Otherwise, you can keep passing the infection back and forth, or to other people. Sometimes your doctor will give you medicine for both you and your partner.
Preventing Chlamydia And Recurrences
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What If My Results Are Positive
The Everlywell Chlamydia & Gonorrhea test includes an easy-to-understand lab report. But if youre not sure how to read your chlamydia test results, your healthcare provider can help.
A positive STI test result can be unsettling, but you arenât alone: with the Everlywell Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test, you have the opportunity to speak with a physician in our network to discuss your results further if you test positiveâand you may be prescribed medication.
If your chlamydia test is positive, STI testing is recommended for your sex partner . If they are infected and dont receive treatment, they can pass the chlamydial infection back to you.
Signs And Symptoms Of Chlamydia
Chlamydia is known as one of the silent diseases which can produce no symptoms for a long period of time. Approximately 7095 percent of women and 50 percent of men with chlamydia do not observe chlamydia symptoms at all. The symptoms can also be mild and almost unnoticeable.
Another reason why symptoms are not the best way to determine the infection is that it is often confused with gonorrhea as the symptoms are very much alike. Asymptomatic nature of chlamydia makes it difficult to estimate how long a person remains infectious and this period is commonly believed to last until full recovery.
Chlamydia symptoms show up between 1 and 3 weeks after the contraction.
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