So Im Having Sexhow Do I Make Sure I Dont Get An Sti
If youre having sex, the best way to prevent getting an STI whilst having any kind of sexual contact is to use condoms for protection. This includes oral sex, although dental dams are also available. Condoms literally create a barrier between your skin and someone elses, so that most STIs cant get through.
You should also use condoms on sex toys if youre sharing them or using them in more than one part of the body.
It sounds easy right? And in many ways it is, but lets be real it isnt always. Especially when the person youre having sex with throws you a curve ball with a line like, But sex doesnt feel as good with a condom.
Coming back from those kinds of lines can be hard and negotiating to have safe sex in those situations or in the heat of the moment can be tricky. Whether its a playful conversation or a more serious one, having a chat with your partner about condoms and getting regular STI testing is key to taking the worry out of sex and getting on with the fun stuff. Some of these conversation starters may help.
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.
How Long Can You Have Chlamydia Without Knowing
If youve had intercourse with an infected man or woman, chlamydia symptoms may appear between 1 3 weeks after contact.
However, you may still be asymptomatic after a chlamydia infection. This is because chlamydia can be silent or dormant for months and years without showing symptoms.
In men, about 50 70 percent will show symptoms of chlamydia while only 30 50 percent of women will be symptomatic. Absent symptoms of chlamydia do not mean absent infection. You should take chlamydia test to confirm if you have the infection or not.
Also Check: Chlamydia Heal On Its Own
You Can Get Chlamydia More Than Once
With some diseases, having one infection makes you immune to future infections. Thats not the case with chlamydia. If you engage in sexual activity with a person who has a chlamydia infection, you can get it again, even if youve just completed treatment for it.
Both partners should be treated before reinitiating sexual intercourse to prevent relapse, Schaffir says.
Also Check: Are There Other Ways To Get Chlamydia
What If I Still Have Symptoms After Chlamydia Treatment
It is possible to have symptoms of this infection after treatment still. If your symptoms remain after a few days of treatment, you should return to your doctor for reevaluation. This is because repeat chlamydial infections are entirely possible and common.
This is why you should avoid sex until you have completed your treatment. In addition, you can get reinfected if your partner has not been correctly treated.
Also Check: How Can You Get Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
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.
Chlamydia Can Lead To Infertility
A lot of us dont 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.
Many women, and some men, are infected with chlamydia but dont 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.
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.
Recommended Reading: How Soon Can You Feel Symptoms Of Chlamydia
You May Like: What To Do If You Think You Have Chlamydia
Can You Prevent Chlamydia
You can lower your risk of getting chlamydia and other STIs by:
- 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.
Question : How Does Chlamydia Impact My Pregnancy
Chlamydia can cause a number of issues during pregnancy.
Women with untreated chlamydia might develop pelvic inflammatory disease , which can lead to chronic pelvic pain, infertility and increased risk of ectopic pregnancies. Additionally, pregnant women who are infected with chlamydia have an increased risk of their waters breaking prematurely, causing the baby to be born early.
If a mother has chlamydia during pregnancy, her baby can also become infected at childbirth causing lung or eye infections. Because of this, doctors recommend that pregnant women should be tested for chlamydia.
Also Check: Where To Go For Chlamydia Treatment
Question : Can I Have Chlamydia For Years Without Knowing
The majority of people who have chlamydia dont experience any symptoms at all. That means that you could have chlamydia for months, or even years, without knowing it.
Even if you do have symptoms, they may not show up for anywhere from 1 week to 3 or more months after the infection is first spread to you through unprotected sex. By getting tested regularly you can stay on top of your sexual health and ensure that you are not spreading an STI like chlamydia unknowingly.
Chlamydia Can Be Prevented
The most effective way to avoid getting a sexually transmitted infection is to not have sex. However, if you wish to have sexual contact, you can reduce your risk of infection with these actions:
- Minimizing the number of partners with whom you have intimate contact
- Asking your partners to get screened for STDs before engaging in sexual activity
- Always using latex condoms when having intercourse of any kind
Additional reporting by Ingrid Strauch.
Read Also: Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Guys
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:
- 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.
What Is Herpes And What Causes It
Herpes is a very common STD caused by the herpes simplex virus, or HSV. There are two different types of herpes:
- HSV-1 is a typical cause of cold sores or fever blisters that appear on the lips. This form of herpes spreads through skin-to-skin contact with an infected person and sometimes affects the genitals.
- HSV-2 is the most common cause of genital herpes, which can lead to symptoms like small blisters on the genitals, painful urination, swollen lymph nodes around the groin, and more. You can contract this virus through sexual contact with someone who has it. This HSV infection is highly contagious, and it can spread to you regardless of whether your partner has an open sore. If you are infected but donât have symptoms, you have asymptomatic herpes.
After an initial infection, the herpes virus doesnât go away. Instead, it lies dormant in the body before it can cause symptoms to reappear. Some people may experience a symptomatic recurrence multiple times a year, while others may go years between flare-ups. In the case of asymptomatic herpes, however, you may not have any noticeable symptoms at any point during the infection.
Read Also: Can You Be Immune To Chlamydia
Do Past Infections Mean Im Immune
While some studies have looked into the potential for immunity in animals and in humans, there have been no conclusive signs of immunity.
At this point, it seems you cannot become immune to chlamydia after having it. To avoid future infections, its important to practice safe sex and get tested regularlyespecially if you are sexually active with multiple partners.
Chlamydia Signs And Symptoms
Many people with chlamydia have few or no symptoms. In fact, 75% of women and 50% of men do not experience symptoms. If symptoms do show up, itâs 1-3 weeks after infection.
In men, the following symptoms can indicate a chlamydia infection:* Pain and/or swelling in your testes* Pain or burning whenever you pee* Increased amount of clear or cloudy discharge from the penis* Itching in or around your urethra
In women, the following chlamydia symptoms may appear:* Pain or burning when you pee* A change in color, odor, or consistency of your discharge from your normal* Pain or discomfort during sex or after sex* Bleeding after sex or outside of your normal menstrual cycle* Lower abdominal pain or discomfort
The most common and serious complications occur in women. Chlamydia in women can lead to serious consequences like pelvic inflammatory disease , ectopic pregnancy, tubal factor infertility, and chronic pelvic pain.
Symptoms of chlamydia in the throat are caused by having oral sex with someone with the infection. Chlamydia in the throat is considered a mouth infection and may look a lot like pharyngitis.and swallowing can be painful.
Throat symptoms donât show up very often, but if they do, youâll notice them a week or several months after the initial infection.
If you think you contracted the virus through oral sex, let your provider know so they can do a throat swab and test for the infection that way.
Also Check: What Is The Test For Gonorrhea And Chlamydia
How Common Is Chlamydia
In the United States, chlamydia infection rates are on the rise, making chlamydia the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection in the country. In 2016, almost 1.6 million cases of chlamydia were reported to the Centers for Disease Control .
In the U.S., women are about twice as likely to be reported to have chlamydia as men. However, this is likely due to screening practices, since women are often screened during their annual pelvic exams. Men do not generally have similar annual screenings of their reproductive organs.
Since women are more likely to be asymptomatic, the number of people who actually have chlamydia could be even higher. Also, as testing becomes more sensitive and screening becomes more common and available, this trend is expected to continue to rise.
People aged 15 to 25 years old make up almost two thirds of all chlamydia cases reported in 2016 to the CDC . More specifically, up to 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 could have chlamydia in the US .
Outside of the US, chlamydia is also very common. In 2012, the worldwide estimate of chlamydia infections was around 131 million new cases of chlamydia per year . This number is close to that of the entire population of Japan.
Where To Get Tested For Stds Near Me:
Back in the day, you were at the mercy of the local clinic if you wanted to be properly screened for sexually transmitted infections or diseases. It was either that or setting a doctors appointment. Both of these traditional in-person testing methods are still the first place many people turn. But for many of us, theyre not exactly the best possible solution. Just because its the old way to do it doesnt mean its the best way to do it! In fact, these testing solutions come with a fair amount of caveats and hang-ups. And it leaves room for plenty of excuses to get in the way of people following through with their test.
Recommended Reading: Will I Know If I Have Chlamydia
How Can I Prevent Chlamydia
Its easier to prevent an STI like chlamydia than it is to treat it:
- Dont have more than one sex partner at a time. The safest sex is with one partner who has sex only with you. Every time you add a new sex partner, you are being exposed to all of the infections that all of their partners may have.
- Use a condom every time you have sex. Latex and polyurethane condoms keep out the viruses and bacteria that cause STIs.
- Be responsible. Dont have sex if you have symptoms of an infection or if you are being treated for an STI.
- Wait to have sex with a new partner until both of you have been tested for STIs.
Does Chlamydia Go Away On Its Own
It is highly unlikely that Chlamydia will go away on its own without treatment, which is why it is so important to be tested regularly and be treated swiftly if positive. Whilst it has been known for some infected with Chlamydia to recover without treatment, this is uncommon and very risky as untreated Chlamydia may lead to more severe health problems.
You May Like: Chances Of Antibiotics Not Working For Chlamydia
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.
Question : Can You Get Chlamydia From Sex Toys
Its less likely, but chlamydia can be passed during other types of sex such as sharing sex toys. If you are using and sharing sex toys, play it safe and place condoms and water-based lube on them.
When youre finished, clean them carefully with a bar of mild soap and water. You can also use a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution to clean toys. Do not use anti-bacterial or perfumed soaps as they can leave a residue which can irritate your genitals.
You May Like: What Medicine Treats Chlamydia And Gonorrhea
How Long Does Chlamydia Last
If you believe youve been exposed to chlamydia, even if you dont have any symptoms, the first thing you should do is get tested. And if your chlamydia test is positive, be confident that you are doing the right thing.
Being tested means that you can be treated, and the proper treatment will help clear up a chlamydial infection in a matter of weeks.
On the other hand, if you dont get tested or dont see a healthcare provider for treatment, chlamydia can live in the body for weeks, months, or even years without being detected.
This can lead to long-term complications, including infertility.
Read on to learn what chlamydia is, how it spreads, the symptoms, and when symptoms typically show.
Ill also explain how long chlamydia lasts, what happens if it goes untreated, how long you have to wait to have sex after an infection, and if you can become immune to chlamydia.