What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia
Antibiotics can easily cure chlamydia. Treatment options are the same, whether a person also has HIV or not.
Patients treated with single-dose antibiotics should not have sex for seven days. Patients treated with a seven-day course of antibiotics should not have sex until they complete treatment, and their symptoms are gone. This helps prevent spreading the infection to sex partners. It is important to take all medicine prescribed to cure chlamydia. Medicine should not be shared with anyone. Although treatment will cure the infection, it will not repair any long-term damage done by the disease. If a persons symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, a healthcare provider should reevaluate them.
Repeat infection with chlamydia is common.49 Women whose sex partners do not receive appropriate treatment are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple chlamydial infections increases a womans risk of serious reproductive health problems .50,51A healthcare provider should retest those with chlamydia about three months after treatment of an initial infection. Retesting is necessary even if their partners receive successful treatment.40
Infants with chlamydia may develop conjunctivitis and/or pneumonia.10 Healthcare providers can treat infection in infants with antibiotics.
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.
Swab Method If You Have A Vagina
To collect a sample for testing, you will be asked to remove your clothes from the waist down and wear a paper gown or cover with a paper blanket. You will be asked to lie on an exam table and place your feet in rests called stirrups.
A medical professional will use a swab or very small brush to gently swab or rub any of the following areas:
- your vagina
- inside your vagina at your cervix
- your anus
- inside your mouth and throat
If more than one sample is taken, a new, clean swab will be used for each sample. The swabs are sent to the lab for testing to determine if chlamydia trachomatis bacteria is present.
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Common Symptoms Of Oral Chlamydia
Oral chlamydia is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse, where one of the parties is already infected with chlamydia. If symptoms manifest themselves , its usually 1-3 weeks after infection date until they become visible. A sore throat, or throat irritation, is usually the first symptom that the bacterium has settled in his throat. If symptoms, such as sore throat, are prolonged after unprotected sexual intercourse, it is not unlikely that you have chlamydia in the throat. It is then strongly recommended to see your doctor, especially if you have a sore throat for more than 1 week. A sore throat does not necessarily mean youve got a throat infection with chlamydia, but it is always better to detect the disease as early as possible. Other symptoms include:
- Pain when swallowing
- Neck pain makes it uncomfortable to swallow
- Fever
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What Are The Treatments For Oral Chlamydia
Chlamydia can be treated using antibiotics. The same antibiotics are prescribed by your physician to treat chlamydia in the groin areas and also to treat chlamydia in the throat. If youre taking a one-time antibiotic dose, avoid oral sex or intercourse for at least 7 days straight. If youre taking a longer course, you should wait until youve taken all your medication and consult your physician before having sex again.
It is a contiguous disease that means you can get chlamydia again even though you are treated fully. Treatments help to reduce the complications of chlamydia.
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Comparing Urine Sti Tests To Other Sti Tests
Some people still question whether urine testing is as effective at detecting bacterial STI like chlamydia and gonorrhea. These questions usually focus on the efficacy of the tests in women. Why?
The most common site of female infection is not on the pathway that urine travels out of the body. In contrast, urine passes through the most common site of infection , in men.
A 2015 review that examined 21 studies on the relative effectiveness of using different types of samples to detect chlamydia and gonorrhea found that:
- For chlamydia testing in women, the sensitivity and specificity were 87% and 99%, respectively, for urine samples compared to cervical samples.
- For chlamydia testing in men, the sensitivity and specificity were 88% and 99%. respectively, for urine samples compared to urethral samples.
- For gonorrhea testing in women, the sensitivity and specificity were 79% and 99%, respectively, for urine samples compared to cervical samples.
- For gonorrhea testing in men, the sensitivity and specificity were 92% and 99%, respectively, for urine samples compared to urethral samples.
By and large, these results are relatively consistent across studies. Interestingly, self-collected vaginal swabs were closer in effectiveness to cervical swabs than urine testing. For some women, those may be a more acceptable alternative to a pelvic exam if urine testing isnât available.
What Are Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
Oral sex is a very common sexual practice where an individual puts his or her oral area on the genital area of his or her partner. According to the American Sexual Health Association, more than 80% of sexually active individuals between the ages of 15 and 44 years engage in oral sex with their partner.
Just like for vaginal and anal sex, oral sex can put the individual at high risk of contracting a sexual disease and infection. One can get an STD in the mouth and pharynx when performing oral sex with a person who has an infection in his/her genitals. Likewise, an infected person can transfer the disease from his/her mouth to the genitals of his/her partner. The transmission mode is the mouth who gets in contact with bodily fluids.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are very common sexually transmitted diseases caused by two distinctive bacteria. They are both contracted sexually when someone engages in unsafe sex with an infected person. While both do not show symptoms upon infection, some experience some signs. Men and women can be both infected with these two bacteria. The best way to prevent the spread is to get tested early, identify the specific cause of infection, and treat it.
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When Should I Get Tested
Donât delay getting tested if you think you might have chlamydia. Being diagnosed and treated as soon as possible will reduce your risk of developing any serious complications of chlamydia.
You can get a chlamydia test at any time although you might be advised to repeat the test later on if you have it less than 2 weeks since you had sex because the infection might not always be found in the early stages.
You should consider getting tested for chlamydia if:
- you think you could have a sexually transmitted infection
- a sexual partner tells you they have an STI
- youâre pregnant or planning a pregnancy
- youâre offered a chlamydia test as part of the NCSP
If you live in England, youâre a woman under 25 and sexually active, itâs recommended that you have a chlamydia test once a year, and when you have sex with new or casual partners.
If you live in England, youâre a man under 25 and sexually active, itâs recommended that you have a chlamydia test once a year if you are not using condoms with new or casual partners.
If you have chlamydia, you may be offered another test 3 to 6 months after being treated. This is because young adults who test positive for chlamydia are at increased risk of catching it again.
What Does An At
Most at-home chlamydia testing detects evidence of the genetic material, known as DNA or RNA, of the bacteria chlamydia trachomatis. These test kits allow you to collect your own samples of body fluid and return them to a laboratory for a type of analysis called nucleic acid amplification testing .
The NAAT detects genetic material of the bacteria and can be conducted on a variety of samples, including urine, a throat swab, or a swab of fluid taken from the urethra, vagina, or rectum. Examples of at-home STD tests, the necessary test samples, and what each test measures are listed in the tables below.
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How Is Oral Chlamydia Related To Other Chlamydias
Chlamydia is the name of a group of bacteria the type of chlamydia that affects genitals and the throat is called chlamydia trachomatis. This is only a subset of chlamydia bacteria and there other types.
Other types of chlamydias there are some alternative forms of chlamydia to the strain responsible for oral infections, including:
- Lymphogranuloma venereum this can also cause genital infections but is very rare in the UK
- Chlamydia psittaci which cause a flu-like illness
- Chlamydia pneumoniae which causes pneumonia in adults
Do tests vary between different types of chlamydia? yes. The tests for chlamydia will be different even for the same strain of chlamydia depending on where the infection is:
- Throat swab for mouth chlamydia
- Vulvovaginal swab for genital chlamydia in women
- A urine test for genital chlamydia in men
Other different strains or types of chlamydia also require different tests as they affect other parts of the body such as the lungs or eyes.
Does treatment vary between types of chlamydia? generally not very much. Because different types of chlamydia are still all bacterial infections, they are usually treated with broad spectrum antibiotics like doxycycline.
Complications Of Oral Chlamydia
Chlamydia may lead to other STIs, such as HIV. According to the CDC, if an individual has chlamydia in the throat, theres an increase in the risk of getting HIV. Chlamydia present in the throat may lead to other vulnerable serious infections. Your body is busy fighting against the chlamydia bacteria, that it doesnt consider other infections as important. This may lead to health problems such as mouth infections, tooth loss, dental pain, and gum disease.
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How To Help Avoid Oral Chlamydia
The most effective way to avoid getting oral chlamydia is to refrain from engaging in any form of sexual activity. However, its understandable that this prevention method may not be ideal or realistic for many people.
The NIH recommends using a barrier method every time you engage in oral sex to reduce your risk for oral chlamydia. Use a condom for oral sex on the penis, and a dental dam for oral sex on the vagina or anus. Another step you can take is to stay in a long-term monogamous relationship with your partner, as having multiple sex partners can often increase your risk for STDs including oral chlamydia.
If youre in need of chlamydia testing, visit Solv today to browse and locate chlamydia testing providers in your area. Solv can help you find a walk-in clinic in your area that offers same-day STD testing, as well as lab testing for other health conditions.
Just Diagnosed Next Steps After Testing Positive For Gonorrhea Or Chlamydia
If youve just found out that you have gonorrhea or chlamydia, you may be trying to figure out what to do next. Here are the three most important steps that you can take:
WHY?Many people with gonorrhea and chlamydia dont have symptoms. Why does this matter? Because an untreated infection can lead to serious and permanent health problems, even if you never have symptoms. Gonorrhea and chlamydia can be cured with the right medicine from your doctor. Just make sure you take all of your medicine exactly as your doctor tells you to.
WHERE?Your regular doctor can prescribe antibiotics to cure the STD. But if you dont have insurance or want to see someone else for treatment, there are other low-cost or free options. You can get tested and treated at your local health departments STD clinic, a family planning clinic, a student health center, or an urgent care clinic. You can also find a clinic using GetTested and ask if they offer treatment for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
- In women, untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to health problems like ectopic pregnancy or infertility .
- In men, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause a painful condition in the tubes attached to the testicles. In rare cases, this may prevent him from being able to have children.
- Untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea may also increase your chances of getting or giving HIV the virus that causes AIDS.
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Symptoms In The Throat
STIs and STDs are transmitted not just through vaginal sex or anal sex but also oral sex. This can either be insertive or receptive oral sex.
Symptoms one may experience after picking up an STI after insertive oral sex , with or without condoms include sore throat, fevers, enlarged neck glands, enlarged tonsils, or a general persistent discomfort at the back of ones throat.
In fact, a medical study in 2019 by the international journal of STD & AIDS reported 90% of pharyngeal chlamydia and gonorrhoea in both men and women were symptomless.
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.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Pharyngeal Chlamydia
In the majority of cases, pharyngeal chlamydia is asymptomatic. If it does cause symptoms, they usually include sore throat or an uncomfortable feeling in the throat. However, the CDC does not consider pharyngeal chlamydia to be an important cause of pharyngitis . More likely causes include viral infections, strep throat, allergies, reflux, and others .
How Long Does It Take To Get The Results Back For A Chlamydia Test
Test results for chlamydia screening usually take about seven days.
If you are being tested as part of routine screening and have no symptoms of chlamydia, thereâs no need to change your behaviours.
If you are being tested and you currently have any symptom of chlamydia, it is recommended that you abstain from sexual contact until you get your results.
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What Are The Complications Of Oral Chlamydia
Untreated pharyngeal chlamydia could potentially infect a sexual partner. This could cause the sexual partner to experience genital symptoms, like vaginal discharge, urethral discharge, and a burning sensation while urinating. It also increases the chances of the chlamydia infection spreading back to you, infecting other parts of your body.
Untreated genital chlamydia that spreads can cause serious complications like infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease , urethritis, and epididymitis. It can also lead to an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy outside of the uterusthis condition is a medical emergency and may even cause death.
How Is Oral Chlamydia Transmitted
Chlamydia is transmitted to the throat if you have oral sex with a partner who has genital chlamydia disease. The primary contact between the mouth of one person and the anus, vagina, or penis of another sexual partner who is infected with chlamydia. Pharyngeal chlamydia is not caused only due to oral sex, but if you have pharyngeal chlamydia, you may transmit the infections to the genitals of your partner.
According to the recent reports from CDC, the transmission of chlamydia from the vagina to the throat, throat to the vagina, rectum to the throat, or throat to the rectum has a lesser chance. Pharyngeal chlamydia cannot be spread from mouth-to-mouth contact, like kissing or sharing a cup. But gonorrhea may potentially be transmitted by kissing or by sharing objects which come in contact with your mouth.
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Is There Anything Else I Need To Know About A Chlamydia Test
Chlamydia testing can help you avoid lasting health problems and stop the spread of this disease. You can also take steps to protect yourself from getting chlamydia.
The most reliable way to prevent chlamydia or any STD is to not have vaginal, oral, or anal sex. If you are sexually active, you can reduce your risk of infection by:
- Having sex with only one partner who has tested negative for STDs and who has sex only with you
- Using condoms correctly every time you have sex