Chlamydia Can Lead To Infertility
A lot of us don’t 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.
Chlamydia is most common in sexually active young adults. More than half of all infections involve people ages 18 to 24. You can get chlamydia during oral, vaginal, or anal sexual contact with an infected partner. The disease can cause penile discharge in men and infertility in women. It can also cause serious health problems in newborn babies of infected mothers.
Many women, and some men, are infected with chlamydia but don’t 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.
If symptoms do show up, they usually occur within weeks of exposure. Men and women may face painful urination, an abnormal discharge from the urethra, or both. Women also may have abdominal pain, bleeding, and an abnormal discharge from the vagina. Symptoms usually appear within one to three weeks after being infected and may be very mild.
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.
How You Get Chlamydia
Due to the fact that chlamydia does not disappear on its own if left unattended, and because it might at times be asymptomatic, it is essential to comprehend how you get chlamydia so you can be checked for the disease if you are at risk.
Chlamydia is gone through sex. Complete penetration does not need to occur for the chlamydia to be passed from the penis to the vagin or vice versa.
In addition, chlamydia can be passed from the vagina to the rectum or anus when a woman wipes with toilet paper or otherwise spreads the bacteria from the vagina to the anus.
How Long Does It Take For Syphilis To Show Up
This is a sexually transmitted infection that is caused by a bacterium. It starts as a painless sore than usually appears on the genitals, rectum and mouth. This bacteria can remain in the body for years, after the initial infection.
Syphilis Incubation Period: developing a chancre is the primary stage of this infection. While the average incubation time of syphilis is 21 days, symptoms can appear anytime between 10 and 90 days.
Syphilis Window Period: 3-6 weeks in general but, most resources recommend getting tested 90 days after exposure.
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What Symptoms Can Chlamydia Cause
Genital cases of chlamydia can cause:
- Urethritis
- Irregular discharge from the vagina
- Discharge from the penis
- Pain in the lower abdomen
- Vaginal bleeding during or after sex
- Heavier periods than normal
Rectal cases might cause pain and discharge from the anus.
Where it affects the eyes, patients may develop conjunctivitis .
Cases of infection in the throat will typically be asymptomatic.
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.
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Common Symptoms Of Pid
The most common symptoms of PID include:
- Painful sex
- Painful bowel movements or urination
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Its important to note that PID can spread beyond the reproductive tract, causing serious and potentially deadly complications. More than 200,000 women are hospitalized each year because of PID and more than 150 of them die.
Chlamydia Is Common But Many People Dont Realize They Have It
About 1.7 million chlamydia infections were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017, but the real number is likely higher because chlamydia is considered an underreported infection.
“The number of reported cases is substantially lower than the true estimated incidence,” says Bradley Stoner, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and former president of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association.
The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System relies on state and local public health departments to collect and report data on chlamydia to the CDC. Those public health departments depend on individual physicians, hospitals, and laboratories to report cases of chlamydia to them. Accurate statistics require all parties to routinely comply with disease-reporting mandates.
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Other Complications Of Untreated Chlamydia In All People
- Conjunctivitis, spread by touching the infected area and then touching the hand to the eye
- Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the rectum , if the chlamydia is from anal sex
- Varied symptoms, such as joint and eye inflammation, caused by bacterial infection
- Lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV. This is caused by a type of chlamydia that is usually rare in the United States, but it is becoming more common in men who have sex with men. It causes open sores in the genital area, headache, fever, fatigue, and swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin. It also causes proctitis in people who get chlamydia through anal sex.
Chlamydia: From Whom How Long Ago And What About My Fertility
Given that Chlamydia is the most common of the reportable sexually transmitted infection/sexually transmitted disease we get many questions here at WebMD from very worried women. The most concerned questions tend to be focused on how/when the infection was acquired, and what impact will it have on future fertility. The following is a summary of the answers to those questions, and some related issues as well.
Who Gave Me Chlamydia?
If you are a sexually active woman aged twenty five years or lessand especially if you are aged less than twentyyou are a part of the largest Chlamydia infection demographic. If you are a female performing receptive oral, anal, or vaginal sex you can get Chlamydia, if secretion contact is present. Thus you need to be honest with your GYN about your sexual practices so you can be screened for possible Chlamydia infections of the pharynx, rectum, or vagina/cervix. Chlamydia can be passed between both heterosexual, and same sex couples-although its incidence is less than 1% in women who are exclusively lesbian.
How Long Ago Did I Get Chlamydia?
How Will Chlamydia Affect MY Fertility?
In this same study it was determined that the risk of PID caused infertility was tied to:
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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.
Different Ways To Test Chlamydia
If you want to get tested, you can contact your local health department, or your regular physician to make an appointment to get STD screening. Before you prepare to test you can make sure that you dont use the bathroom two hours before an urination sample, and make sure for women that you are not using any douches before the direct culture test which is similar to a pap test.
The best preventive measure on top of getting tested regularly is to practice safe sex with the use of condoms this will lower your chances of getting any STD. Keep yourself safe from harmful STDs like Chlamydia and get tested.
Originally posted 2016-08-14 14:04:55.
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Who Should Be Tested For Chlamydia
Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. Anyone with genital symptoms such as discharge, burning during urination, unusual sores, or rash should refrain from having sex until they are able to see a health care provider about their symptoms.
Also, anyone with an oral, anal, or vaginal sex partner who has been recently diagnosed with an STD should see a health care provider for evaluation.
Because chlamydia is usually asymptomatic, screening is necessary to identify most infections. Screening programs have been demonstrated to reduce rates of adverse sequelae in women.31,41 CDC recommends yearly chlamydia screening of all sexually active women younger than 25, as well as older women with risk factors such as new or multiple partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection.40 Rectal chlamydia testing can be considered for females based on sexual behaviors and exposure. 40 Pregnant women under 25 or older pregnant women at increased risk for chlamydia should be screened during their first prenatal visit and again during their third trimester.40 Women diagnosed with chlamydial infection should be retested approximately 3 months after treatment.40 Any woman who is sexually active should discuss her risk factors with a health care provider who can then determine if more frequent screening is necessary.
How Do I Recognize The Signs
Chlamydia, like most STIs, is often asymptomatic that means most people wont experience any signs of the infection. If the signs do appear, both women and men will be equally affected. Even though these signs can affect different areas in the body, both sexes will experience them in a similar way.
Here are the most typical signs for women:
- Pain during menstruation
- Fever with pain in the abdomen
- Excessive vaginal discharge often with a bad odor
- Pain during intercourse
- Burning and itching around or in the vagina
- Bleeding when not on a period
Even though women are more prone to chlamydia, men can still get infected.
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What Is The Economic Burden Of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease In The United States
A decline in incidence of PID is also reflected in the most recent cost estimates of PID and its sequelae. Direct medical expenditures for PID and its sequelae were estimated at $1.88 billion in 1998,30 compared to approximately $2.7 billion estimated in 1990.31 Based on NHANES 20132014 data, an estimated 2.5 million women aged 1844 years in the United States reported a lifetime history of PID diagnosis,18 with each case of PID having an estimated cost of $3,202 .32
What Is A Window Period
A window period is the phase between being exposed to an infection and the correct time when a test can detect the organism in the system, by measuring the produced antibodies. If you get tested without taking into consideration the infections window period, you might end up with a false-negative result. This means that you may have been infected but, you did not give your body enough time to develop enough antibodies that can be detected. To be 100% sure about your results, it is recommended to be tested after the end of the window period, even if symptoms did not show.
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Symptoms In The Throat
Chlamydia symptoms can sometimes appear in the throat, although this is uncommon. When it does occur, the time frame is likely to be similar to that of chlamydia infections of the genitals.
In people who experience symptoms, the main one is a persistent sore throat. A doctor may refer to a chlamydia infection in the throat as pharyngeal chlamydia.
Testing for chlamydia in the throat is not a common practice in STI testing, as it does not have approval from the Food and Drug Administration . However, if a person suspects that they have pharyngeal chlamydia, a doctor may take a swab from the throat.
A person can undergo testing for chlamydia at their:
- doctors office
- local health department
- local planned parenthood center
A person can also order a chlamydia test online, take it at home, and then send it off for testing.
If people are at high risk of chlamydia, they may need screening for all types of chlamydia every 36 months.
At risk groups include people who have:
- multiple or unknown sexual partners
- sex in combination with illegal drug use
- sexual partners who use illegal drugs or have multiple partners
7 days .
People should avoid having sex until their treatment is complete. If a person is experiencing symptoms even after the treatment, they should see a doctor.
People who menstruate should notice that their periods return to normal or that bleeding between periods stops by their next period.
How Long Does It Take For Chlamydia To Show Up
This is the most reported sexually transmitted infection in the United States. During the early stages of this disease, few infected individuals show signs and symptoms. These include pain and burning while peeing and while having sexual intercourse, bleeding between periods as well as abnormal vaginal discharges for women and pus/watery discharges from the penis.
Chlamydia Incubation Period: The incubation period of Chlamydia ranges between 7 and 21 days for those who will show related symptoms.
Chlamydia Window Period: the window period of chlamydia is between 1 and 5 days.
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Getting Treated For Chlamydia At Broadgate Gp
Whether youre a man or a woman, being regularly tested or screened for chlamydia is important to ensure youre in full health. Should you be sexually active or if youve recently gotten with a new partner then getting a test can help to make sure both of you are clear or are treated should one or both of you test positive.
How Can Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Be Prevented
Latex condoms may reduce the risk of PID by preventing STDs. Since STDs play a major role in PID, screening of women at risk for infection and treatment of infected women and their sex partners can help to minimize the risk of PID. Screening of young sexually active women for chlamydia has been shown to decrease the incidence of PID.28, 29
The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual chlamydia and gonorrhea screening in women younger than 25 years25 and CDC recommends that providers screen the following populations for chlamydia and gonorrhea: all sexually active women younger than 25 years, as well as older women with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection.
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Will Condoms Stop Me From Getting Chlamydia
Condoms prevent someone from coming into contact with their partners sperm or vaginal fluid, which means that where used correctly, they can help to stop the spread of chlamydia.
While condoms do not 100 percent guarantee to prevent the transmission of STIs, they will drastically reduce the likelihood of passing on chlamydia. If you or your partner are not fully sure of your STI status, it is always better to use condoms.
For those who have received a chlamydia diagnosis, or suspect they have come into contact with the infection, you should refrain from having sex, protected or unprotected, until you have been tested and received the appropriate treatment.
Symptoms In The Vulva
Chlamydia symptoms that show up in the vulva 13 weeks after a person comes into contact with the infection. In some cases, though, it can be months later.
Certain people can experience symptoms only when the infection is spreading to other areas of the body.
If symptoms are noticed by people, they may include:
- bleeding between periods
- nausea
- fever
If a person thinks they may have chlamydia, they should get a test at the earliest opportunity, even if they have no symptoms. People can get a chlamydia test at any time after touching the infection potentially.
A chlamydia test may require an exam of the vagina and cervix for people with a vulva. A health care provider may take a swab from inside the vagina.
People may also be able to take a swab themselves from inside the vagina which will be tested for chlamydia by technicians in a laboratory.
It is vital that individuals get a chlamydia test if they believe they have come into contact with the infection.
Neither regular cervical screening tests nor routine blood tests identify chlamydia.
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What Are The First Signs Of An Std
For many centuries, humankind has been plagued by a number of infections primarily transmitted through intimate sexual contact. Known as sexually transmitted diseases or sexually transmitted infections , these diseases run the gamut from common and annoying , to less common, but far more serious .It takes time for noticeable symptoms to develop in most instances, regardless of the disease-causing organism responsible. Symptom onset may occur anywhere from a few days to a few weeks or even months after exposure. In some cases, there may be no noticeable signs at all. In these instances, the infected person is more likely to pass along the infection unknowingly to future partners. For this reason, it is important to be tested for STDs if you have engaged in unprotected sexual activity .