Tuesday, March 26, 2024
HomeWhat Can You Take For Chlamydia

What Can You Take For Chlamydia

How Do You Get Chlamydia

Chlamydia: Sexually Transmitted Infection Symptoms and Treatment

Chlamydia is caused by a bacterial infection called chlamydia trachomatis, that is spread through unprotected sex or any contact with infected genital fluids such as, semen or vaginal fluid. You can get chlamydia by:

  • Having unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia even if they are asymptomatic.
  • Sharing sex toys that have not been washed before use or covered with a clean condom each time they are used.
  • Your genitals coming into contact with your sexual partners genitals who is already infected with chlamydia. Even if there is no penetration, orgasm or ejaculation you can still catch chlamydia.
  • Infected semen or vaginal fluid getting into your eyes or other body part that is moistened with infected discharges.
  • Pregnant women with chlamydia can pass on the infection to their unborn baby.

Can You Test Negative For Chlamydia And Still Have It

Chlamydia is an usual sexually transmitted disease that can infect both men and women. It can cause severe, irreversible damages to a ladys reproductive system. Can You Test Negative For Chlamydia And Still Have It

This can make it difficult or impossible for her to get expectant in the future. Chlamydia can likewise cause a potentially fatal ectopic maternity a maternity that takes place outside the womb.

Preventing The Spread Of Infection

It is absolutely necessary to inform the partner if you get a positive test for Chlamydia. The sooner the partner is told the more effective and simple the treatment can be. Make sure your partner gets tested and receives the treatment as well and abstain from the intercourse until the treatment of both you and the partner is finished.

Read Also: What To Do If I Think I Have Chlamydia

Female Complications Of Untreated Chlamydia

Some women develop PID, an infection that can damage the uterus, cervix, and ovaries. PID is a painful disease that often requires hospital treatment.

Women can also become infertile if chlamydia is left untreated because the fallopian tubes may become scarred.

Pregnant women with the infection can pass the bacteria to their babies during birth, which can cause eye infections and pneumonia in newborns.

How Does Chlamydia Spread

How does it take to get rid of chlamydia

Chlamydia is transmitted by sexual contact with the penis, vagina, anus and/or rectal area, and mouth of the infected individual. Occasionally, if the eyes are infected, ocular secretions may contain transmissible bacteria. The organisms are simply transmitted by contact, usually by direct physical contact. Chlamydia bacteria are easily spread. They spread from females to males and vice versa through sexual contact.

You May Like: Difference Between Gonorrhea And Chlamydia Symptoms

Also Check: What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia

What Are The Treatments For Chlamydia

If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, your doctor will prescribe oral antibiotics. A single dose of azithromycin or taking doxycycline twice daily for 7 to 14 days are the most common treatments and are the same for those with or without HIV.

With treatment, the infection should clear up in about a week. Do not have sex for at least 7 days until you have taken all of your medication, and do not stop taking the antibiotics even if you feel better.

Your doctor will also recommend that your partner be treated as well to prevent reinfection and further spread of the disease.

Women with serious infections, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, may require a longer course of antibiotics or hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics. Some severe pelvic infections may require surgery in addition to antibiotic therapy.

Make sure you get retested after three months to be certain the infection is gone. Do this even if your partner has been treated and appears to be infection free.

Does My Partner Need To Be Treated

Yes. Also, any other sexual partners within the previous six months should also be tested for infection.

If your sexual partner is infected and not treated then chlamydia can be passed back to you again after you are treated.

There may be certain occasions when you may not want to contact partners from previous relationships. In these cases staff at the clinic can contact previous partners for you without disclosing your details. This is because it is important that anyone who is at risk of infection with chlamydia be both identified and treated.

Read Also: Can You Take Chlamydia Medication Twice

Chlamydia Signs In Guy

Numerous men do not see the signs of chlamydia. Most guys have no signs and symptoms whatsoever.

If signs and symptoms do show up, its generally 1 to 3 weeks after transmission.

A few of one of the most usual signs of chlamydia in men consist of:

  • melting sensation throughout peeing
  • yellow or green discharge from the penis
  • discomfort in the lower abdomen
  • discomfort in the testicles

Its additionally possible to obtain a chlamydia infection in the rectum. In this situation, the main signs are commonly discharge, discomfort, as well as bleeding from this location.

Having oral sex with somebody who has the infection elevates the risk of obtaining chlamydia in the throat. Symptoms can consist of an aching throat, cough, or fever. Its also possible to carry germs in the throat and also not know it. Can You Test Negative For Chlamydia And Still Have It

Urogenital Infection In Women

At Last! Reliable Treatments For Chlamydia

In women, chlamydial infection of the lower genital tract occurs in the endocervix. It can cause an odorless, mucoid vaginal discharge, typically with no external pruritus, although many women have minimal or no symptoms.2 An ascending infection can result in pelvic inflammatory disease .

Physical findings of urogenital chlamydial infection in women include cervicitis with a yellow or cloudy mucoid discharge from the os. The cervix tends to bleed easily when rubbed with a polyester swab or scraped with a spatula. Chlamydial infection cannot be distinguished from other urogenital infections by symptoms alone. Clinical microscopy and the amine test can be used to help differentiate chlamydial infection from other lower genital tract infections such as urinary tract infection, bacterial vaginosis, and trichomoniasis.3 In addition, chlamydial infection in the lower genital tract does not cause vaginitis thus, if vaginal findings are present, they usually indicate a different diagnosis or a coinfection.

Some women with C. trachomatis infection develop urethritis symptoms may consist of dysuria without frequency or urgency. A urethral discharge can be elicited by compressing the urethra during the pelvic examination. Urinalysis usually will show more than five white blood cells per high-powered field, but urethral cultures generally are negative.

You May Like: Does Chlamydia Go Away Without Antibiotics

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.

Getting Treated For Chlamydia And Often Gonorrhea

If you have your own doctor, he will prescribe the antibiotics you need to treat chlamydia. If you dont have your own doctor, you can often find free or low-cost care at either a Planned Parenthood site or a community health clinic.

Listen carefully to the instructions for taking the medicine that you are given by the doctor or other healthcare provider, and follow them closely.

Ask questions if you dont understand something. Also, if you have other questions as you take your medicine, you can always call the pharmacist for help. They are often easier to reach than the doctor.

If you test positive for chlamydia, your healthcare provider is likely to also recommend that you be treated for gonorrhea. This is because the cost of treating gonorrhea is less than the cost of testing for the infection.

Recommended Reading: Can Guys Get Rid Of Chlamydia On Their Own

What Happens If Chlamydia Goes Untreated

Chlamydia often has no symptoms therefore, some people go untreated. Even with those who have symptoms stigma, access, or other reasons get in the way of getting medical attention. Not receiving prompt and proper treatment can create serious health problems. Chlamydia that goes untreated can increase the likelihood of contracting another STD, like gonorrhea or HIV/AIDS, or increasing the likelihood of transmitting that STD to someone else. It is also possible to develop reactive arthritis, or arthritis caused by the bodys reaction to an infection, because of chlamydia. This can affect the joints, urethra, and eyes.

For women, chlamydia that goes untreated can spread through your uterus to your fallopian tubes. Fallopian tubes connect the ovaries to the uterus and transport fertilized eggs during pregnancy. If untreated chlamydia spreads to this area, the result is pelvic inflammatory disease , affecting around 5% of women in the US.

Pelvic inflammatory disease, similar to chlamydia, can have no symptoms or just some pelvic or abdominal pain initially. Unfortunately, PID can do permanent damage to a womens reproductive system, including:

For men, chlamydia rarely leads to health problems. It is very rare for chlamydia to cause infertility in men, but sometimes the infection can spread past the penis causing fever or pain. In addition, it is possible for chlamydia to cause:

Im Pregnant How Does Chlamydia Affect My Baby

What is Chlamydia disease?

If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection to your baby during delivery. This could cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your newborn. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby too early.

If you are pregnant, you should get tested for chlamydia at your first prenatal visit. Testing and treatment are the best ways to prevent health problems.

You May Like: What’s Prescribed For Chlamydia

Concerned You May Have Chlamydia Check Your Symptoms For Free And Chat With A Doctor For Just $23

Always follow the directions from your doctor or pharmacist for taking azithromycin.

Azithromycin is taken as a single dose, one time.

It should be taken as soon as you receive the prescription. Azithromycin can be taken with or without food, however, the extended-release form is typically taken on an empty stomach.

If you take the liquid form, shake it well before using and use a dosing spoon to measure an accurate dose. If you are prescribed the powder, mix it with water according to directions.

What Can Happen If Chlamydia Isnt Treated

Untreated chlamydia can put your health at risk. Make an appointment with your provider immediately if you notice any symptoms of chlamydia, and get regular STI screenings to avoid complications later.

Complications of chlamydia for people with vaginas

Untreated chlamydia can cause:

  • Pelvic inflammatory disease . PID is a serious condition that requires hospitalization. It can occur when an untreated STI, like chlamydia, damages your reproductive organs. PID can lead to infertility and chronic pelvic pain. It can also cause an ectopic pregnancy,which is life-threatening for the fetus and potentially deadly for the mother or gestational parent, too.
  • Pregnancy complications. An untreated infection can lead to pre-term delivery. Also, if youre pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection on to your newborn. Babies born with chlamydia may have pneumonia or conjunctivitis that could lead to blindness if not treated.

Complications of chlamydia for people with penises

Untreated chlamydia can cause:

  • Epididymitis. Infection can spread to the testicles and the tube that carries sperm to your testicles , causing symptoms like pain, swelling and tenderness in your testicles.
  • Reduced fertility. Chlamydia can harm your sperm, negatively impacting your ability to conceive.

Complications of chlamydia that can affect all genders

Untreated chlamydia can:

Also Check: What Is Azithromycin 500mg Used To Treat Chlamydia

What Do I Need To Know If I Get Treated For Chlamydia

If youre getting treated for chlamydia:

  • Take all of your medicine the way your nurse or doctor tells you to, even if any symptoms you may be having go away sooner. The infection stays in your body until you finish the antibiotics.
  • Your partner should also get treated for chlamydia so you dont re-infect each other or anyone else.
  • Dont have sex for 7 days. If you only have 1 dose of medication, wait for 7 days after you take it before having sex. If youre taking medicine for 7 days, dont have sex until youve finished all of your pills.
  • Get tested again in 3-4 months to make sure your infection is gone.
  • Dont share your medicine with anyone. Your nurse or doctor may give you a separate dose of antibiotics for your partner. Make sure you both take all of the medicine you get.
  • Even if you finish your treatment and the chlamydia is totally gone, its possible to get a new chlamydia infection again if youre exposed in the future. Chlamydia isnt a one-time-only deal. So use condoms and get tested regularly.

Signs And Symptoms Of Chlamydia

What Is Chlamydia? | STDs

Chlamydia is known as one of the silent diseases which can produce no symptoms for a long period of time. Approximately 7095 percent of women and 50 percent of men with chlamydia do not observe chlamydia symptoms at all. The symptoms can also be mild and almost unnoticeable.

Another reason why symptoms are not the best way to determine the infection is that it is often confused with gonorrhea as the symptoms are very much alike. Asymptomatic nature of chlamydia makes it difficult to estimate how long a person remains infectious and this period is commonly believed to last until full recovery.

Chlamydia symptoms show up between 1 and 3 weeks after the contraction.

Also Check: Can Chlamydia Develop On Its Own

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection

KARL E. MILLER, M.D., University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Am Fam Physician. 2006 Apr 15 73:1411-1416.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection most commonly affects the urogenital tract. In men, the infection usually is symptomatic, with dysuria and a discharge from the penis. Untreated chlamydial infection in men can spread to the epididymis. Most women with chlamydial infection have minimal or no symptoms, but some develop pelvic inflammatory disease. Chlamydial infection in newborns can cause ophthalmia neonatorum. Chlamydial pneumonia can occur at one to three months of age, manifesting as a protracted onset of staccato cough, usually without wheezing or fever. Treatment options for uncomplicated urogenital infections include a single 1-g dose of azithromycin orally, or doxycycline at a dosage of 100 mg orally twice per day for seven days. The recommended treatment during pregnancy is erythromycin base or amoxicillin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend screening for chlamydial infection in women at increased risk of infection and in all women younger than 25 years.

SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Azithromycin or doxycycline is recommended for the treatment of uncomplicated genitourinary chlamydial infection.

SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Azithromycin or doxycycline is recommended for the treatment of uncomplicated genitourinary chlamydial infection.

Do I Need To Have A Test To Check That The Chlamydia Has Gone

If you take the treatment according to the instructions, you wont usually need a test to check the chlamydia has gone.

If youre aged under 25, you should be offered a repeat test 3 months after finishing the treatment. This is because youre at a higher risk of getting chlamydia again.

Whatever your age, you may need a repeat test or more treatment if:

  • you think youve come into contact with chlamydia again
  • you had sex without a condom with a partner before the treatment for both of you was finished
  • you didnt complete the treatment or didnt take it according to the instructions
  • the signs and symptoms dont go away
  • your test was negative but you develop signs or symptoms of chlamydia
  • youre pregnant.

A repeat test can be done 56 weeks after the first test.

If the chlamydia was in your rectum , you may need another test around 3 weeks after finishing the treatment. Your doctor, nurse or clinic will let you know if you need another test.

You can go back to the doctor, nurse or clinic if you have any questions or need advice on how to protect yourself from infection in the future.

Don’t Miss: Why Wont My Chlamydia Go Away

What’s The Treatment For Chlamydia

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. If you take the treatment according to instructions, its over 95% effective at treating chlamydia.

  • Youll be given a course of antibiotics for 3 or 7 days or sometimes up to two weeks.
  • If theres a high chance you have chlamydia, treatment may be started before the results of the test are back. Youll always be given treatment if a sexual partner is found to have chlamydia.
  • You may also need other treatment if complications have occurred.
  • Tell the doctor or nurse if youre pregnant, or think you might be, or youre breastfeeding. This may affect the type of antibiotic youre given.
  • Complementary therapies cant cure chlamydia.

How Many Days Does It Take To Recover From Chlamydia

Chlamydia

It can take up to two weeks to recover from a chlamydia infection. Most prescriptions last 7 to 14 days on average and chlamydia is typically cleared up at the end. However, you will likely have to be retested after 3 months to ensure you have recovered fully. If you have severe chlamydia it may take longer to recover and a hospital stay may be involved.

Don’t Miss: How To Not Spread Chlamydia

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular