What Are The Symptoms Of Chlamydia And Gonorrhea In Females

How Do People Get Chlamydia

Chlamydia spreads through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone with the infection. Semen does not have to be present to get or spread the infection.

Pregnant people can give chlamydia to their baby during childbirth. This can cause ophthalmia neonatorum or pneumonia in some infants.9-12 Rectal or genital infection can persist one year or longer in infants infected at birth.13 However, sexual abuse should be a consideration among young children with vaginal, urethral, or rectal infection beyond the neonatal period.

People treated for chlamydia can get the infection again if they have sex with a person with chlamydia.14

Can Chlamydia Be Protected Against Signs And Symptoms Of Chlamydia And Gonorrhea In Females

The only sure way to prevent chlamydia is to not have genital, anal, or oral sex.

Proper use of latex prophylactics greatly reduces but does not eliminate, the threat of catching or spreading out chlamydia. If your or your companion is allergic to latex, you can make use of polyurethane prophylactics.

How Is Gonorrhea Treated

Health care providers treat gonorrhea with an antibiotic. It is given as a shot in the doctors office. It is important to get tested again 3 months after treatment to make sure the infection is cured .

All sexual partners from the past 2 months need treatment too, even if they dont have signs of gonorrhea.

If someone still has symptoms after treatment, they may need treatment with different antibiotics. Or they may have been infected with gonorrhea again.

You should not have sex again until:

• at least 7 days after you and your sexual partner take the antibiotics
• you and your sexual partner do not have signs of gonorrhea

People can get gonorrhea again if:

• Their partners arent treated.

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Who To Test For Chlamydia

Anyone with the following genital symptoms should not have sex until they see a healthcare provider:

• A discharge
• A burning sensation when peeing
• Unusual sores, or a rash

Anyone having oral, anal, or vaginal sex with a partner recently diagnosed with an STD should see a healthcare provider.

Because chlamydia usually has no symptoms, screening is necessary to identify most infections. Screening programs can reduce rates of adverse sequelae in women.31,41 CDC recommends yearly chlamydia screening of all sexually active women younger than 25. CDC also recommends screening for older women with risk factors, such as new or multiple partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection.40 Screen and treat those who are pregnant as noted in How does chlamydia affect a pregnant person and their baby? Women who are sexually active should discuss their risk factors with a healthcare provider to determine if more frequent screening is necessary.

Routine screening is not necessary for men. However, consider screening sexually active young men in clinical settings with a high prevalence of chlamydia. This can include adolescent clinics, correctional facilities, and STD clinics. Consider this when resources permit and do not hinder screening efforts in women.40

Symptoms Of Oral Chlamydia

Most of the time, people with oral chlamydia do not have any symptoms. The only major one they may have is a sore throat, which can be confused with any number of other conditions from allergies and colds to strep throat and acid reflux.

When symptoms of oral chlamydia do develop, they often include:

• Sore throat
• Mild fever
• Fatigue

Chlamydia can take anywhere from one to three weeks after sexual contact to develop, which is another reason why many don’t make the connection between their symptoms and this infection.

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Who Does Chlamydia Affect

Anyone whos sexually active can get chlamydia. The bacteria that causes chlamydia gets transmitted through vaginal fluid and semen, which means that people of all genders who have sex can become infected with chlamydia and infect their partners, too. If youre pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass it on to your newborn.

Problems It Will Cause If Left Untreated

If treated early, it is possible to eliminate all gonorrhea symptoms in women. When left untreated, it can cause all sorts of complications.

Complications in Women

You may develop several complications of the female reproductive system when you do not seek treatment for gonorrhea. For instance, you may develop:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease that increases risk of infertility
• An abscess near or inside the ovaries
• Inflammation of the glands near your vagina
• A tubal pregnancy
• Chronic pelvic pain

Complications in Pregnant Women

If you are pregnant and have gonorrhea, you should seek immediate medical attention or else you may end up developing several complications. It increases your risk of having a miscarriage. It may also cause preterm labor, premature rupture of the membranes, premature delivery, and infection of the lining of the uterus.

You can also infect your baby at the time of birth if you already have gonorrhea. Infected newborns are likely to develop several long-term complications.

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Can Gonorrhea Be Cured

antibiotic-resistant strains of gonorrhea poses some challenges for successful treatment.

Thats why youll generally receive both an injection and oral dose of antibiotics. If the first treatment approach doesnt work, a healthcare professional will prescribe another antibiotic, which youll take once or twice a day for 7 days.

Its important to take all of your medication to completely treat the infection, even if your symptoms go away before you finish your prescription.

If you continue to have symptoms after taking your antibiotics as prescribed, contact a healthcare professional as soon as possible so they can try a different treatment.

How Does Chlamydia Affect A Pregnant Person And Their Baby

In newborns, untreated chlamydia can cause:

• ophthalmia neonatorum ,
• and pneumonia.

Prospective studies show that chlamydial conjunctivitis and pneumonia occur in 18-44% and 3-16%, respectively, of infants born to those with chlamydia. 9-12 Neonatal prophylaxis against gonococcal conjunctivitis routinely performed at birth does not effectively prevent chlamydial conjunctivitis.37-39

Screening for and treating chlamydia in pregnant people is the best way to prevent disease in infants. At the first prenatal visit and during the third trimester, screen:

• All pregnant people under age 25 and
• All pregnant people 25 years and older at increased risk for chlamydia .

Retest those with infection four weeks and three months after they complete treatment.40

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How Is Gonorrhea Transmitted

You can contract or transmit gonorrhea by having oral, anal, or vaginal sex.

Using a condom or other barrier method when engaging in sexual activity can go a long way toward lowering your chances of transmitting or contracting STIs like gonorrhea. Just keep in mind these barrier methods wont always completely eliminate your risk, especially if you dont use them properly.

Some evidence also suggests that oral gonorrhea may also be transmitted through French kissing, or kissing with tongue. However, more research is needed to truly understand the potential risk of transmission.

If youve developed gonorrhea before, you have a higher chance of contracting it again. Untreated gonorrhea can also

Gonorrhea Doesnt Always Have Symptoms

Gonorrhea can be tricky, because you or your partner may not have any symptoms. Or the signs of gonorrhea may be so mild you dont even notice them. Sometimes people confuse gonorrhea symptoms with other infections. Lots of people dont even realize they have gonorrhea thats part of the reason why its such a common infection .

Gonorrhea can lead to serious health problems and even infertility if you dont treat it. But its usually easy to cure it with medicine. This is why regular STD testing is so important, no matter how healthy you feel.

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What Happens If Symptoms Are Left Untreated In Females

If chlamydia isn’t treated, it can spread to other areas and cause serious health conditions. In women, it can spread to the womb, ovaries, or fallopian tubes, and cause pelvic inflammatory disease . PID can cause difficulty in getting pregnant, long-term pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy, which is where a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb.

Pregnant women with untreated chlamydia are at risk of passing the infection on to their baby. The baby may develop an eye or lung infection as a result.

Whilst all of our content is written and reviewed by healthcare professionals, it is not intended to be substituted for or used as medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Differences Between Chlamydia And Gonorrhea

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the most common sexually transmitted diseases , mainly caused by bacteria. It usually occurs as a result of unprotected sexual contact with a person who has it. They can be contracted through anal, genital, or oral sex. Many people ask about the differences between chlamydia and gonorrhea because their symptoms are quite the same if they occur. In most cases, they are almost invisible. Therefore, its sometimes hard to determine which one it is without detailed analyses done at your doctors office.

In this article, we will guide you through the differences between chlamydia and gonorrhea and help you notice the tiniest changes on time.

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Am I At Risk For Gonorrhea

Sexually active people can get gonorrhea through vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom with a partner who has gonorrhea.

If you are sexually active, have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider. Ask them if you should get tested for gonorrhea or other STDs. If you are a sexually active gay or bisexual man, you should get tested for gonorrhea every year. If you are a sexually active woman, you should get tested for gonorrhea every year if you are:

• Younger than 25 years.
• 25 years and older with risk factors, such as new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection.

What Happens If Gonorrhea Goes Untreated

If a person is not treated for gonorrhea, there is a good chance complications will occur. Women frequently suffer from pelvic inflammatory disease , a painful condition that occurs when the infection spreads throughout the reproductive organs. PID can lead to sterilization in females. Men may suffer from swelling of the testicles and penis. Both sexes may suffer from arthritis, skin problems and other organ infections caused by the spread of gonorrhea within the body.

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What Should Someone Do If They Suspect They May Have Chlamydia Or Gonorrhea

The first step is to get tested. Lifeline offers no-cost testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea in a friendly environment, free of judgment. The urine test is not painful, and results come in just a couple of days. We will inform you of the next steps if your test comes back positive. Lifeline is not a substitute for medical care. We advise that anyone who has been confirmed for an STI schedule a follow-up with their doctor. Its also recommended to avoid any sexual activity during treatment, as well as to inform any sexual partners so that they can get tested as well. To learn more about what to expect during an STI testing appointment at Lifeline, please visit our service page.

Symptoms Of Gonorrhoea And Chlamydia

Gonorrhoea and chlamydia are sexually transmitted diseases that can cause serious health problems if not treated promptly.

Both infections are caused by Neisseria gonorrhoea and Chlamydia trachomatis, respectively.

Both conditions are treatable with antibiotics. Gonorrhoea is curable in most cases, but it may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, resulting in infertility or ectopic pregnancy.

Chlamydia causes PID as well as pelvic pain and bleeding between periods. The infection may be asymptomatic, or you may have a mild case.

According to the centre for disease control, In 2020 alone, there were about 820,000 new cases of gonorrhoea and over 300,000 new cases of chlamydia.

This means that more than 1 million people got infected with these two types of STDs. It is essential to know what they look like so you can get tested and treated quickly. The following are 5 symptoms of gonorrhoea and chlamydia:

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Sexually Active Women Below 25 Years

Experts advise all women below 25 years to get screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea, especially chlamydia. Screening for chlamydia requires a sample of vaginal fluid or urine, which you can collect yourself and take to the clinic. Better off, a doctor can take your sample to make the results more accurate. If you test positive for chlamydia, it is essential to repeat another test three months later after being under medication. Chlamydia has a high rate of reinfection due to undertreatment.

Regular Screening Prevents Later Problems

When young women and other women at high risk for chlamydia follow CDC guidelines and get yearly screening, they reduce their risk for the serious problems that the illness can cause. They are less likely to suffer infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, and other serious health troubles than women who skip yearly testing.

Testing is easy. If it helps you remember, do it the week after your birthday, or tie it to some other annual event, like July 4th. That way, you can declare your independence from worry about STDs.

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Sex Hurts Your Lady Parts

Speaking of sex: This can vary between mild discomfort to a sharper, stabbing pain, says Jennifer Wider, M.D., whos based in New York. She notes that gonorrhea can inflame the tissues of the vagina and cervix, making them extra sensitive. Because there are a variety of causes for this symptom, it’s very important for women who have had unprotected sex or potential exposure to an STD go get tested, she says.

Chlamydia Vs Gonorrhea: Whats The Difference

Both chlamydia and gonorrhea can be completely asymptomatic in a large number of people. According to the CDC, chlamydia is more prevalent than gonorrhea, with 1,800,000 new cases of chlamydia reported in the United States in 2019 vs. 600,000 cases of gonorrhea.

The discharge caused by chlamydia is more likely to have a strong, unpleasant smell and a cloudy appearance. Gonorrhea, on the other hand, tends to cause discharge that is white, yellow, or greenish.

Complications of both chlamydia and gonorrhea can include:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Epididymitis in men, which can lead to infertility in rare cases

Unlike gonorrhea, chlamydia can cause reactive arthritis in some cases. Untreated chlamydia eye infections can also lead to a chronic form of conjunctivitis, called trachoma.

According to the WHO, trachoma can cause irreversible blindness and it has been estimated to affect 137 million people around the world, mainly in endemic areas.

Untreated gonorrhea, on the other hand, can spread to the joints, skin, and valves of the heart. When it affects the joints, gonorrhea can cause a condition called septic arthritis. In very rare cases, gonorrhea can cause meningitis or endocarditis .

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What Is Gonorrhea How Do You Get It

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection caused by the organism Neisseria gonorrhoeae that is transmitted during unprotected sex. Gonorrhea is one of the oldest known sexually transmitted diseases. Among individuals who are infected with gonorrhea, 50% to 70% also will be infected with chlamydia, another type of bacteria that causes another STD.

Contrary to popular belief, gonorrhea cannot be transmitted from toilet seats or door handles. The bacterium that causes gonorrhea requires very specific conditions for growth and reproduction. It cannot live outside the body for more than a few seconds or minutes, nor can it live on the skin of the hands, arms, or legs. It survives only on moist surfaces within the body and is found most commonly in the vagina, and, more commonly, the cervix. It can also live in the tube through which urine drains from the bladder. Neisseria gonorrhoeae can even exist in the back of the throat and in the rectum .

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Frequently Asked Questionsexpand All

• What is a sexually transmitted infection ?

  A sexually transmitted infection is an infection spread by sexual contact. There are many STIs. This FAQ focuses on chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. These STIs can cause long-term health problems and problems during pregnancy. Having an STI also increases the risk of getting human immunodeficiency virus if you are exposed to it.

• What is chlamydia?

  Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STI in the United States. Chlamydia is caused by a type of bacteria, which can be passed from person to person during vaginal sex, oral sex, or anal sex. Infections can occur in the mouth, reproductive organs, urethra, and rectum. In women, the most common place for infection is the cervix .

• What are the risk factors for chlamydia?

  The following factors increase the risk of getting chlamydia:

• Having a new sex partner

• Having more than one sex partner

• Having a sex partner who has more than one sex partner

• Having sex with someone who has an STI

• Having an STI now or in the past

• Not using condoms consistently when not in a mutually monogamous relationship

• Exchanging sex for money or drugs

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