How Can I Have Chlamydia When He Doesn’t
Ajay asks:
Me and my partner have been together for 5 months now. I have just recently been tested positive for an STI . My partner and I have never used condoms because I am on the pill. My partner went and got himself tested and his results came back negative. How is that possible?
Heather Corinna replies:
If you had a partner before him for oral, vaginal or anal sex, that could be who you got it from and your current partner managed not to contract it from you , or contracted it so recently that he isn’t testing positive yet. Or, your current partner’s test wasn’t accurate, or he said he got tested and truly did not. Any of those things are the biggest possibilities of what’s up here.
A typical practice in healthcare with Chlamydia is this: when your doctor prescribes you a treatment, they ask for your partner’s name and give you a prescription for him as well. In other words, if you know you have only had one partner when you contracted the infection, it is that partner who has the infection, and there’s no need for testing. Regardless, since you have been with this partner while you’ve had the infection, he should be treated, so call into your healthcare provider to get him that treatment. And if you had not had a screening before this partner and had a partner or partners before him, then you’ll want to phone those people — or you can use an anonymous notification service — to inform them about the STI so they can be treated.
Do You Need Protection From Chlamydia During Oral Sex
Yes, to help avoid catching STIs like chlamydia if you want to reduce your risk of getting chlamydia during oral sex, use a barrier method of protection .
Condoms and dental dams can protect you these provide a barrier between you or your partners mouth and genitals, to reduce the risk of any harmful bacteria spreading between. If you have a new partner and are worried about getting chlamydia through oral sex, use a barrier method until you have both been tested for STIs.
Unprotected sex always comes with risks having any kind of unprotected sex with someone you know has chlamydia is a big risk, and will leave you open to infection. Chlamydia is easy to diagnose and even easier to treat, so it’s worth keeping up with testing. Withholding information about STIs when having unprotected sex with another person is a very serious issue.
Chlamydia Is A Serious Infection
Chlamydia is Americas most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Every year, an estimated 2.86 million infections occur. Since its so common, you may assume that its no big deal. However, chlamydia can be a very serious infection.
Chlamydia is very common, but that doesnt mean it cant have a serious impact on your health. The infection can cause a number of long-term complications. In up to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia, the infection spreads to the uterus and uterine tubes, leading to symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease. In addition, some women experience subclinical inflammation of the upper genital tract. This can cause permanent damage to the affected tissues.
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Can You Prevent Chlamydia
You can lower your risk of getting chlamydia and other STIs by:
- using a condom every time you have vaginal, oral or anal sex
- not having sex with someone with chlamydia, even with a condom, until theyve finished treatment and 1 week has passed since their last dose of antibiotics
- regularly getting tested for STIs, especially if you are under 30 and sexually active
Remember that most people with chlamydia dont show any symptoms and dont know they have it, so feeling ‘well’ does not mean that you or your partner are not infected. If in doubt, get tested.
If you have chlamydia, you can help reduce the spread by letting your recent sexual partners know so they can get tested and treated.
You Wont Immediately Know If You Or Your Partner Have Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a serious disease, but if you or your partner become infected, you might not know right away. Early-stage infections often dont cause symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they can be easily overlooked.
If you have unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex, you could get chlamydia. While its possible to get chlamydia through any of these sex acts, the risk varies depending on the type of sex youre having.
For most women with chlamydia, the infection doesnt cause any symptoms. About half of men dont experience symptoms, either. This is why its so important to get tested regularly. For sexually active women under 25, yearly testing is recommended. Women who are over 25 should get tested when they have new partners or have other risk factors for chlamydia.
If symptoms occur, they usually start one to three weeks after infection. In women, these symptoms may include vaginal discharge, pain during sex, or painful urination. For men, signs of chlamydia may include discharge from the penis or pain in the testicles. Since these symptoms are relatively mild, its easy to overlook them.
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Can You Test Negative For Chlamydia And Still Be A Carrier
Modern medical testing is incredibly accurate and this includes STD tests. However, no medical testing method is 100% accurate and there can be a very small number of false negative test results. A false negative is where a person has a condition, despite the medical test saying they are all clear. As well as these small amounts of false negatives there are a number of scenarios that can cause a person to have chlamydia and still test negative.
What Does Chlamydia Do To Men
Chlamydia can affect the whole of the male reproductive system, causing inflammation in the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles, as well as the testicles themselves and the prostate gland. If this inflammation isnt treated, it may lead to scarring, which can have an effect on fertility.
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Who Is At Risk For Chlamydia
Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. It is a very common STD, especially among young people.3 It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia.5
Sexually active young people are at high risk of acquiring chlamydia for a combination of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons. Some young people dont use condoms consistently.15 Some adolescents may move from one monogamous relationship to the next more rapidly than the likely infectivity period of chlamydia, thus increasing risk of transmission.16 Teenage girls and young women may have cervical ectopy .17 Cervical ectopy may increase susceptibility to chlamydial infection. The higher prevalence of chlamydia among young people also may reflect multiple barriers to accessing STD prevention services, such as lack of transportation, cost, and perceived stigma.16-20
Men who have sex with men are also at risk for chlamydial infection since chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex. 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
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.
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Can Chlamydia Be Prevented
The only sure way to prevent chlamydia is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading chlamydia. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Just How Typical Is Chlamydia
In 2017, more than 1.7 million instances of chlamydia were reported to the Centers for Condition Control as well as Avoidance . Nevertheless, several cases go unreported, so the actual number of chlamydia infections yearly may be closer to 3 million.
Men and women can both get the infection, but much more situations in females are reported.
Infection prices are greatest among more youthful ladies, with the highest prices of infection happening in ladies in between ages 15 and also 24.
The CDC recommends that all sexually energetic women ages 25 years and also younger obtain screened for chlamydia each year, as well as older ladies with threat aspects like several or new partners.
Statistically, an individual is more likely to obtain an STI if theyve made love with greater than one person. Other danger elements include having had an STI in the past, or presently have an infection due to the fact that this might lower resistance.
Prices for chlamydia and other STIs have been climbing over the last few years.
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Can I Still Give Someone Chlamydia After The Pills
It is recommended that you wait seven days after taking the medicine before having sex if your doctor prescribes a single dose. It is best to wait until you have taken all the doses of the medicine prescribed by your doctor before having sex if you are taking it for seven days.
How Often Should I Get Checked For Chlamydia
Sexual health check-ups are recommended for anyone who is sexually active. Frequency of testing also depends on your STI risk:
- An annual sexual health check-up is highly recommended if you are sexually active especially if you are under 25.
- Get checked more often during the year if you frequently change sexual partners.
- Remember, you are at greater risk if you have sex without a condom with 1 or multiple sexual partners.
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Just How Is Chlamydia Spread If You Have Chlamydia Do You Always Pass It On
You can get chlamydia by having genital, anal, or foreplay with someone who has chlamydia.
If your sex companion is male you can still get chlamydia even if he does not ejaculate.
If youve had chlamydia and also were dealt with in the past, you can still get contaminated once more. This can happen if you have unprotected sex with somebody who has chlamydia.
If you are pregnant, you can offer chlamydia to your baby throughout childbirth.
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What Causes Chlamydia
Chlamydia infections spread through sexual contact, when vaginal fluid or semen containing the bacteria that causes chlamydia travels from one person to another. Sexual contact includes all kinds of sex, including sex that doesnt involve penetration or ejaculation. There are lots of ways that the fluids from one persons genitals can transmit the bacteria that causes chlamydia.
- Intercourse. Bacteria pass from one persons penis to their partners vagina or vice versa.
- Anal sex. Bacteria passes from one persons penis to their partners anus or vice versa.
- Oral sex. Bacteria passes from one persons mouth to their partners penis, vagina, or anus, or vice versa.
- Sex involving toys. Bacteria pass from a toy with the bacteria to a persons mouth, penis, vagina or anus.
- Manual stimulation of the genitals or anus. Less commonly, infected vaginal fluid or semen can come in contact with a persons eye, causing an infection called conjunctivitis. For example, this can happen if you touch the genitals of an infected person and then rub your eyes without washing your hands first.
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How Is It Treated
Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. It is important that you take all the pills you are given. You may be given pills for seven to 10 days or you may be given pills for just one day.
- if you could be pregnant please tell the nurse or doctor so you are given the correct antibiotics
- tell the nurse or doctor if you are allergic to any antibiotics
- it is best to have another test 3 months after treatment to check you have not got chlamydia again.
Essential Facts About Chlamydia
Chlamydia often causes no symptoms in the short term, but it can have serious health consequences if it goes untreated.
If youre sexually active, you should know about chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted bacterial infection. These 10 facts will bring you up to speed on whos at risk, why regular screening is so important, and how to avoid getting chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections .
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Chlamydia Cdc Fact Sheet
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease that can be easily cured. If left untreated, chlamydia can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant.
Basic Fact Sheet | Detailed Version
Basic fact sheets are presented in plain language for individuals with general questions about sexually transmitted diseases. The content here can be syndicated .
Antibiotics Are A Highly Effective Cure For Chlamydia Infection
Antibiotics prescribed for chlamydia include:
A single oral dose of Zithromax is the most common treatment. Other drugs may be given in varying doses for a period of up to a week. Most cases of chlamydia clear up within a week after you start on antibiotics.
If you think you have been exposed to chlamydia, Stoner says, see your healthcare provider to receive antibiotic medication to prevent the onset of infection.
The partners of individuals diagnosed with chlamydia will need treatment, too, and in some states they can get it without a doctor visit through a practice called expedited partner therapy, in which the first person treated delivers the treatment to their partner or partners.
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Where Can I Get More Information
Health care providers with STD consultation requests can contact the STD Clinical Consultation Network . This service is provided by the National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers and operates five days a week. STDCCN is convenient, simple, and free to health care providers and clinicians. More information is available at www.stdccn.orgexternal icon.
Division of STD Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-38271-800-783-987
References
1. OFarrell N, Morison L, Moodley P, et al. Genital ulcers and concomitant complaints in men attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic: implications for sexually transmitted infections management. Sexually transmitted diseases 2008 35:545-9.
2. White JA. Manifestations and management of lymphogranuloma venereum. Current opinion in infectious diseases 2009 22:57-66.
3. Kreisel KM, Spicknall IH, Gargano JW, Lewis FM, Lewis RM, Markowitz LE, Roberts H, Satcher Johnson A, Song R, St. Cyr SB, Weston EJ, Torrone EA, Weinstock HS. Sexually transmitted infections among US women and men: Prevalence and incidence estimates, 2018. Sex Transm Dis 2021 in press.
4. CDC. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2019. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services April 2021.
5. Torrone E, Papp J, Weinstock H. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infection Among Persons Aged 1439 Years United States, 20072012. MMWR 2014 63:834-8.
How Do You Get Tested
There are several different reliable tests for chlamydia. Newer tests, called NAATs , are very accurate and easy to take. Your healthcare provider can explain what testing options are available . If you dont have a regular healthcare provider, you can search here for a clinic near you.
People infected with chlamydia are often also infected with gonorrhea, so patients with chlamydia are often treated for gonorrhea at the same time, since the cost of treatment is generally less than the cost of testing.
If you live in Alaska, Maryland, or Washington, D.C., you can have a free at-home chlamydia test. Visit iwantthekit.org for more information.
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Exactly How Usual Is Chlamydia
In 2017, more than 1.7 million cases of chlamydia were reported to the Centers for Condition Control and Avoidance . Several instances go unreported, so the real number of chlamydia infections every year might be closer to 3 million.
Males and female can both get the infection, but a lot more situations in women are reported.
Infection prices are highest possible amongst younger ladies, with the greatest prices of infection taking place in females in between ages 15 and 24.
The CDC recommends that all sexually active females ages 25 years and also more youthful get screened for chlamydia yearly, along with older women with threat factors like numerous or brand-new companions.
Statistically, an individual is more likely to obtain an STI if theyve made love with greater than someone. Other risk factors consist of having had an STI in the past, or currently have an infection since this can lower resistance.
Rates for chlamydia as well as other STIs have been climbing up in recent years.