Give Your Boyfriend Space To Process
When To See A Healthcare Professional
If you suspect you have chlamydia, see a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Abstain from allsexual activity until your appointment.
If you arent comfortable getting tested for STIs with your usual provider, you can find a clinic in your area.
There are many free or low-cost clinics. Heres how to find one near you.
You can also visit GetTested or call CDC Info at 800-232-4636 to find local clinics.
Can You Recognise Chlamydia From Pictures
Can you tell you if have chlamydia by comparing your visible symptoms with pictures?
No. You cannot tell if you have chlamydia just from the appearance. While you might notice some irritation of the genital area, swelling or discharge, these symptoms can also be caused by other infections. The only way to know that an infection is caused by chlamydia is to have a test.
Could a doctor tell you have chlamydia by looking at visible symptoms?
No. The only way to find out if you have chlamydia is to get tested. After a physical examination your GP may suspect you have chlamydia, but they wont be able to confirm a diagnosis without proper testing.
Could the visible symptoms of chlamydia be mistaken for something else?
Yes, but in many cases chlamydia is symptomless. Symptoms may not occur until 1-3 weeks after you have been infected. The symptoms can also be random and infrequent which can lead individuals to overlook that an infection may be causing the symptoms. It could be that your visible symptoms are a result of a different infection.
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Can Chlamydia Turn Into Gonorrhea
No, chlamydia on its own cannot turn into gonorrhea as they are caused by two different bacteria.
It does happen that people contract and carry both chlamydia and gonorrhea bacteria, so you can have them at the same time. Also, having one increases your likelihood of contracting another thus, it is always important to be treated for both.
Does Chlamydia Have A Smell
In some cases, chlamydia can cause unusual vaginal discharge, which could have a strong or pungent smell.
However, this could also be a sign of several other STIs, including bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis. It could also be caused by many other factors, including sweat, changes in pH, or shifts in hormone levels.
Consider talking with a healthcare professional to address any concerns regarding abnormal discharge or odor, especially if its accompanied by other symptoms like pain, bleeding, itching, or burning.
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Who Is At Risk For Chlamydia
This STD is particularly common in young people. According to a CDC report, chlamydia prevalence among sexually active persons aged 14-24 years is nearly three times the prevalence among those aged 25-39 years. It is more prevalent among young women because at that age the cervix is still developing and is much more susceptible to the bacteria. Additionally, the vagina and cervix provide more surface area than the penis, which makes it easier for women to contract the bacteria.
Whether chlamydia symptoms are present or not, untreated chlamydia can travel to the upper genital tract and cause serious health problems. In women, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and cause permanent damage leading to infertility or potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy. In men, untreated cases can lead to epididymitis, which can, but very rarely does, cause sterility.
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How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Getting Chlamydia
The only way to completely avoid STDs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
If you are sexually active, the following things can lower your chances of getting chlamydia:
- Being in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and does not have chlamydia and
- Using condoms the right way every time you have sex.
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Racial Disparity And Chlamydia
The prevalence of chlamydia is drastically different across racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Overall, Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander women have the highest rates of chlamydia, according to the CDC.
In 2017, the reported rate of chlamydia in Black Americans was 5.6 times the rate of white Americans. Among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, this number was 3.7, and for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, it was 3.4. Hispanic Americans were 1.9 times as likely to have chlamydia as white Americans, while Asian Americans were only 0.6 times as likely.
Among young women ages 14 to 24, the CDC estimates that the prevalence of chlamydia is about 10 percent for Mexican Americans, and about 8 percent for Black girls and women. This number is only about 2 percent for non-Hispanic white girls and women.
Gonorrhea Symptoms Are Often Confused For Chlamydia
The most commonly observed symptoms of gonorrhea in both men and women are the same as those experienced with chlamydia: burning during urination, unusual discharge from the penis, vagina or rectum, and pain or bleeding from the rectum. This can sometimes result in a mistaken self-diagnosis of chlamydia. Additional gonorrhea symptoms can include swollen neck lymph nodes, eye pain, light sensitivity, eye discharge and/or swollen, painful joints. In men, symptoms sometimes include pain in the testicles and foreskin inflammation. In women, symptoms may also include pain during intercourse, fever, vulva swelling, heavier periods, bleeding between periods and abdominal or pelvic pain.
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What Exactly Causes Chlamydia
A type of bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis causes chlamydia. This bacterium can take hold in the tissues of your genitals, anus, eyes, or throat.
Its usually transmitted from one person to another during penetrative vaginal or anal sex or oral sex, although sex without penetration can also transmit it.
Chlamydia can also be transmitted to a baby during vaginal delivery if the person giving birth has an untreated chlamydia infection.
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Im Pregnant How Does Chlamydia Affect My Baby
If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can give the infection to your baby during delivery. This can cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your baby. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby early.
If you are pregnant, you should receive testing for chlamydia at your first prenatal visit. Talk to your healthcare provider about getting the correct examination, testing, and treatment. Testing and treatment are the best ways to prevent health problems.
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How Does Someone Know They Have Chlamydia Or Gonorrhea
Once again, many people dont know they have chlamydia or gonorrhea because they have no symptoms. According to estimates, only 10% of men and 5 to 30% of women have symptoms from chlamydia, and most women and many men are asymptomatic with gonorrhea, although its difficult to get clear numbers.
When someone does experience symptoms, they may include:
- Urinary issues, such as a burning or throbbing sensation when peeing
- An abnormal, discolored, and sometimes smelly discharge from the vagina
- Pain in the rectum or an abnormal discharge or bleeding in that area
Symptoms depend on the affected area. This in turn often depends on the type of sex that that person had. For example, someone may also suffer from a sore throat, a cough, or even an eye infection.
Testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea is the best way for someone to know for sure. At Lifeline, we understand that asking for an STI test might be embarrassing, but untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea can lead to serious health conditions with long-term consequences.
Ask Your Doctor For Help Talking To Your Boyfriend
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How To Test For Chlamydia
If you think you may have chlamydia, its best to get tested. As most women dont experience any symptoms, its crucial to do a test whenever in doubt. If for any reason you cannot see your doctor, you can order an STD test online.
MyLAB Box will allow you to take a vaginal swab and send it to a laboratory. Youll receive your lab-certified results within five days along with free medical advice on what to do in case you test positive. Go ahead and order your test kit today.
Chlamydia is fortunately easy to treat with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. The most common are:
- a single dose of azithromycin
- one week treatment with doxycycline
Make sure that during your treatment, you should avoid having sex and your sexual partner should get treatment at the same time. Its very important to start your Chlamydia treatment as soon as possible. If left untreated Chlamydia can cause:
- Fallopian tube inflammation
All of these conditions can have a very negative impact on your overall health as well as fertility. Once you know youve got Chlamydia, start your treatment promptly and stay healthy!
What Does A Chlamydia Test Involve
- If you have a vulva, you may be asked to take a swab around the inside of your vagina yourself.
- A doctor or nurse may take a swab during an internal examination of your vagina and cervix .
- You may be asked to provide a urine sample. Before having this test, youre advised not to pass urine for 12 hours.
- A doctor or nurse may take a swab from the entrance of the urethra .
- If youve had anal or oral sex, a doctor or nurse may swab your rectum or throat . These swabs arent done routinely on everyone.
- If you have symptoms of conjunctivitis swabs will be used to collect a sample of discharge from your eye.
A swab looks a bit like a cotton bud but is smaller and rounded. It sometimes has a small plastic loop on the end rather than a cotton tip. Its wiped over the parts of the body that could be infected. This only takes a few seconds and isnt painful, though it may be uncomfortable for a moment.
Cervical screening and routine blood tests dont detect chlamydia.
If youre not sure whether youve been tested for chlamydia, just ask.
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How Long Does Treatment Take
Treatment time for chlamydia can vary from one to seven days. Azithromycin requires only one dose for one day, while you must take other antibiotics multiple times a day for seven days.
To cure a chlamydia infection, take the antibiotics exactly as prescribed by your doctor and for the full length of the prescription, being sure to take every dose. There should be no medication left at the end of the treatment period. You cannot save medication in case you acquire chlamydia again.
Contact your doctor if you still have symptoms but have taken all your antibiotics. You will need a follow-up test with your doctor
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What Happens If Chlamydia Is Left Untreated Things You Need To Know
Chlamydia is a prevalent sexually transmitted disease that affects both men and women. It can irreparably damage a womans reproductive system. Later, it might be difficult or impossible to conceive.
Chlamydia may also induce an ectopic pregnancy , which is potentially deadly.
If you think that you might have chlamydia, it is important to get tested and treated as soon as possible. Chlamydia is easily treated with a course of antibiotics.
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Can Chlamydia Go Away And Come Back
If youve had unprotected intercourse, its likely you may not have chlamydia if your partner is not infected. If treated chlamydia can go away and not come back if you abstain or ensure protected sex.
However, dont assume chlamydia will go away without taking medications. You may not have symptoms immediately and may still have chlamydia long-term problems.
Swab Method If You Have A Penis
You will be asked to remove your pants and underwear and cover with a paper blanket. You may be asked to sit on an exam table.
A medical professional will swab the head of your penis with alcohol or another sterile agent. Next, theyll insert a cotton swab into your urethra at the tip of your penis.
The medical professional may also use a swab or very small brush to gently rub your anus, inside your mouth and throat, or both.
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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How Can I Tell My Partner Will They Think Ive Cheated On Them
You may feel embarrassed, scared or angry. However it is important and respectful to let your partner know as soon as possible so they can get tested and treated. Remember that chlamydia often has no symptoms, so a diagnosis doesnt necessarily mean the infection was caught recently. You may not be sure when you were exposed. Many people are surprised how supportive their partner is, and how they appreciate being confided in.
Can I Test Myself For Chlamydia At Home
Home testing kits for chlamydia are widely available and can be purchased at many pharmacies or online.
These kits typically require a urine sample or tissue swab, which you can collect at home and securely ship back to the lab to receive your results.
Some companies also include a free medical consultation with a doctor if your test results are positive to review your treatment options.
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Can Gonorrhea Lay Dormant In The Body
Yes, gonorrhea can lay dormant. A person can be infected with the bacterium but never develops symptoms that are noticeable. It is because most of the sexually transmitted infections, whether viral or bacterial, do not cause symptoms and can lie dormant for a few years before manifesting symptoms. Gonorrhea can lay dormant for up to a year. The majority of the females infected with gonorrhea are asymptomatic and up to 50% of the males infected with the bacterium have either very minor symptoms or no symptoms at all.
Question: How long could you have gonorrhea and not know about it? I believe my last partner ago give it to me around 9 months.
Answer: It is difficult to know the exact time from when the person had gonorrhea, particularly because it is so common to be asymptomatic. If you have a doubt, it is advised to visit a physician and get yourself tested for STIs. Many times, symptoms do dont develop for a month and you may not notice it until it spreads to other parts of body.
Can I Have Chlamydia And My Partner Not
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease that can infect both males and females. It can create significant, long-term damage to a females reproductive system. Can I Have Chlamydia And My Partner Not
This can make it difficult or difficult for her to obtain expecting later. Chlamydia can likewise create a potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy a pregnancy that happens outside the womb.
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Letting Partners Know You Have Chlamydia
Sexual partners may be infected too. If you have chlamydia, anyone you have had sex with from the last 6 months needs to be informed, tested and treated.
If they dont know, they could reinfect you or infect someone else if they are not treated. dont receive treatment.
Most people will appreciate being told they may have an infection and it is an important step in preventing further infection in the community.
Your local GP and sexual health centre can help you inform your partners and let them know that they need a test. This process is called partner notification. It can be done anonymously, and your confidentiality is always respected.
You can also anonymously notify your sexual partners of the need to get tested and treated for chlamydia via the Let Them Know website if you feel unable to speak to them personally.
There are also nurses who can help you anonymously notify your partners. They can be contacted on .
How Is Gonorrhea Diagnosed
Your healthcare provider will ask you questions about your symptoms and sexual history. A urine test can often diagnose gonorrhea.
During the physical exam, your provider may:
- Perform a pelvic exam, taking a sample of fluid from the cervix to test.
- Take a sample of fluid from the penis.
- Do a throat or anal culture to see if the infection is in those areas.
Your provider will discuss which testing method is best in your situation. You may need to wait a few days for test results to come back from the lab. You may also have chlamydia, another STD. These two infections often occur together. Your provider may test you for both.
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