What Do They Use To Treat Chlamydia

What If I Don’t Get It Treated

If chlamydia is left untreated it can become a serious threat to your health.

Chlamydia can spread from your cervix to your uterus and fallopian tubes. It can cause pelvic inflammatory disease , which can damage and block your tubes. You may not be able to get pregnant if both tubes are blocked because sperm are unable to reach the egg. If you have had PID you are more at risk of having an ectopic pregnancy or long-term pelvic pain.

Chlamydia can spread from your penis to your testicles and cause painful swelling. You can become infertile.

The Costs Of Infertility

Treating chlamydia is easy, but for those who do not get treated or get treated too late, living with the damage caused by the infection can be hard.

Rabin has treated many women who never knew they had had chlamydia until they couldnt get pregnant due to blocked fallopian tubes. These women often wind up trying in vitro fertilization , which does not always succeed.

There are all kinds of costs involved for these women, say Rabin. There are emotional costs and physical costs. There are also financial costs with IVF. Its much better to not let the tubes get damaged, she says, and get pregnant the old-fashioned way.

Chlamydia Treatment Failure And Predictors

No treatment failures occurred in the doxycycline group . In the azithromycin group, seven participants tested positive for chlamydia at the first follow-up however, two of the males were infected with strains that were discordant with the infecting strains at baseline and were not considered to have treatment failure. Therefore, there were five treatment failures among participants who received azithromycin : four in male participants and one in a female participant all the participants with treatment failure were asymptomatic. The difference in failure rate between the treatments was 3.2 percentage points . Because the upper boundary of the 90% confidence interval exceeded 5 percentage points, the null hypothesis was not rejected, and thus the noninferiority of azithromycin to doxycycline was not established. With only five treatment failures, analyses of participant characteristics associated with treatment failure were limited, and no significant associations were identified.

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So What Is The Best Treatment For Chlamydia

Current guidance from both the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, state that doxycycline is the preferred and first-line treatment for chlamydia. This is due to antibiotic resistance, as research has shown that chlamydia responds better to doxycycline. Azithromycin should be used where doxycycline is not safe to be prescribed, and for patients who may experience difficulty in sticking to a one-week regime. To find out more information, you can visit our chlamydia FAQâs.

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.

Urogenital Infection In Women

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.

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When Can I Have Sex Again

If you had doxycycline, you shouldn’t have sex including vaginal, oral or anal sex, even with a condom until both you and your partner have completed treatment.

If you had azithromycin, you should wait 7 days after treatment before having sex .

This will help ensure you don’t pass on the infection or catch it again straight away.

How Chlamydia’s Passed On

Chlamydia is usually passed from one person to another through sexual contact.

You can get the infection if you come into contact with the semen or vaginal fluids of someone who has chlamydia.

Chlamydia is most commonly spread through:

• vaginal or anal sex without a condom
• sharing sex toys that arent washed or covered with a new condom each time theyre used.

It can be spread by giving or receiving oral sex with someone who has chlamydia. The risk can be lowered by using a condom or a dam to cover the genitals.

If infected semen or vaginal fluid comes into contact with the eye it can cause conjunctivitis (infection or irritation of the eye.

If youre pregnant its possible to pass chlamydia to the baby .

Its not clear if chlamydia can be spread by transferring infected semen or vaginal fluid to another persons genitals on the fingers or through rubbing vulvas together.

You cant get chlamydia from kissing, hugging, sharing baths or towels, swimming pools, toilet seats or from sharing cups, plates or cutlery.

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Urethritis Due To Gonorrhea Or Chlamydia

You have urethritis. This is an inflammation in the urethra. The urethra is the tube between the bladder and the tip of the penis. Urine drains out of the body through the urethra. There are 2 main types of this condition:

• Gonococcal urethritis . This is an infection caused by gonorrhea.

• Nongonococcal urethritis . This is an infection that is often caused by chlamydia. Other infections can also be the cause.

Men are more likely to have symptoms, but may not. Symptoms can start within 1 week after exposure to an infection. But they can take a month or more to appear. Or they may not even occur. Some symptoms are:

• Burning or pain when urinating

• Irritation in the penis

• Pus discharge from the penis

• Pain and possible swelling in one or both testicles

Infections in the urethra are often caused by a sexually transmitted infection . The most common STIs are gonorrhea, chlamydia, or both.

Gonococcal urethritis is an infection of the urethra. Its caused by gonorrhea. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection . Gonorrhea can also be in other areas of the body. This can cause:

• Rectal pain and discharge

• Throat infection

• Eye infections

Without treatment, the infection can get worse and spread to other parts of your body. The infection can cause rashes, arthritis, and infections in your joints, heart, and brain.

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Treatment Of Chlamydia Is There A Cure For Chlamydia

Chlamydia can be cured easily and effectively with simple antibiotics once it has been diagnosed. The treatment can consist of a single dose or last up to 2 weeks depending on the type of chlamydia. The infected person should not have penetrative sex until receiving a negative Chlamydia test at an after-treatment check-up. Both partners must be treated for chlamydia and undergo re-testing after 34 months.

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Why Early Detection Is Necessary

When symptoms reach a stage that patients end up in the emergency room, those with undiagnosed STIs are often misdiagnosed. In fact, studies show that almost two thirds of them are diagnosed with and treated for a UTI. This will not clear up chlamydia, since its a short course of antibiotics that are typically used.

Because its left undiagnosed and untreated, chlamydia often involves serious complications that are life altering. Because it resides in the mucusy parts of the body, chlamydia can affect not just the sexual organs but also the anus, the eyelids, and the throat. One of the most common complications of untreated chlamydia is pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, which has its own set of concerns, including complications during pregnancy. Other problems include:

• Pain and inflammation in the sexual organs, as well as in the prostate in men
• Damage to the tear ducts and the cornea
• Infertility in both men and women

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How Soon Can I Have Sex Again

Dont have oral, vaginal or anal sex, or use sex toys, until you and your partner have both finished the treatment and any symptoms have gone. This is to help prevent you being re-infected or passing the infection on to someone else.

If youre given antibiotic treatment called azithromycin, youll still need to avoid sex for seven days after starting the treatment as thats how long it takes to work.

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Home Remedies For Chlamydia

There are several home remedies for chlamydia, and a number of websites claim that these home remedies can cure chlamydia. While some of the home remedies have been shown to have antibacterial properties, antibiotics are the only proven cure for chlamydia. If untreated, chlamydia can lead to infertility or other serious complications.

If you experience symptoms, some of these home remedies may be effective for symptom relief, but they cant cure the infection itself.

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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What Happens If You Dont Get Treated For Chlamydia

Even though chlamydia is common and doesnt usually cause any symptoms, it can become a big deal if its not caught and treated early.

Chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes if it goes untreated for a long time. This can cause you to have pelvic inflammatory disease . PID can cause permanent damage that leads to pain, infertility, or ectopic pregnancy. So getting tested regularly for chlamydia really lowers your chances of getting PID.

If you have a penis, a chlamydia infection can spread to your epididymis if its left untreated, and can cause chronic joint pain. Rarely, it can make you infertile.

Having chlamydia may increase your chances of getting or spreading HIV.

If you have chlamydia during your pregnancy and dont treat it, you can pass it to your baby when youre giving birth. Chlamydia can also cause eye infections and pneumonia in newborns, and it also increases the risk of delivering your baby too early.

Testing and treatment for chlamydia is quick, easy, and the best way to avoid all of these problems.

How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Getting Chlamydia

Abstaining from sexual activity is the only guaranteed way to prevent chlamydia.

However, if you are sexually active, there are several simple steps you can take to decrease your risk of contracting chlamydia, as well as many other STIs.

Here are a few ways to reduce your risk:

• Use barrier methods. Using a condom, dental dam, or other barrier method each time you have oral, vaginal, or anal sex can help significantly decrease the risk of infection.
• Get tested. Getting screened regularly for STIs can help prevent the transmission of chlamydia and ensure that you get treatment if needed. A doctor can help determine how often you should get tested, depending on your risk level.
• Communicate with your sexual partners. Having multiple sexual partners can increase your risk of chlamydia and other STIs. But you can decrease this risk by openly discussing STI prevention and using barrier methods every time you have sex.
• Avoid sharing sex toys. If you do decide to share any sex toys, wash them thoroughly between each use and cover with a condom.

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Outcomes And Populations Used For Analyses

The primary outcome was treatment failure at the first follow-up, which was defined as a positive test for chlamydia and concordant C. trachomatis strains at baseline and follow-up if genotyping was unsuccessful , participants could not have had unsupervised furloughs and could not have had sex between enrollment and the follow-up. Participants with discordant strains were presumed to have new infections and were not considered to have treatment failure. The secondary outcomes included treatment efficacy based on the results of tests from both follow-up visits, as well as safety.

Chlamydia Symptoms In Women:

• testicular pain and/or swelling
• swollen skin around the anus

Depending on the localization of the infection, women, men and children may experience inflamed rectum, urethra or eyelids. The symptoms of mouth and throat infections are rare although a person can suffer a sore throat. Eyes infected with chlamydia can be itchy, swelled, cause painful sensations or produce discharge similar to conjunctivitis. Infection in the rectum results in bleeding, chlamydia discharge and pain.

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Azithromycin Vs Doxycycline For Chlamydia

Azithromycin and doxycycline are the most commonly prescribed drugs to treat chlamydia.

While azithromycin is prescribed in a single, one-gram dose taken orally, doxycycline is typically prescribed in a 100-milligram dose taken orally twice a day for seven days.

A 2014 meta analysis of 23 studies found that doxycycline had a slightly higher efficacy compared with azithromycin.

However, other research suggests that treatment with a single oral dose of azithromycin appears to be as safe and efficacious as a seven-day course of doxycycline for the treatment of uncomplicated genital chlamydial infection.

Talk to your healthcare provider about which medication is best for you.

Treatment For Gonorrhea Is Quick And Easy Too

The CDC currently recommends a shot of the antibiotic Rocephin and an oral dose of the antibiotic azithromycin, given at the same time, to treat gonorrhea.

Treatment recommendations for gonorrhea have changed over the years as the bacteria that causes gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, has become resistant to a growing number of antibiotics.

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How Do You Get Chlamydia

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.

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.

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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.

Rules For Successful Treatment

The patient should make sure that the doctor is informed if the patient is pregnant or has any allergies. These conditions influence the choice of the medicine prescribed. No matter which antibiotic the patient takes treating chlamydia the following points should be remembered:

• The treatment of all partners on the infected person is obligatory
• Abstain from sex contacts during the treatment and until the negative result on chlamydia test is received
• It is unadvisable to interrupt the course of antibiotics treatment as it will result in the necessity to start again from the beginning. Although the symptoms may disappear, the infection may still remain in the body
• It is necessary to get tested after 34 months after the end of the treatment to make sure the infection is no longer in the body.

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Signs And Symptoms Of Chlamydia:

As per the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 75% of women and 50% of men dont recognize the symptoms of chlamydia. So, here we are explaining you the signs and symptoms of chlamydia which helps you to recognize the problem early.

Chlamydia symptoms in women include lower abdominal pain, painful urination, painful sexual intercourse, vaginal discharge, bleeding after sex and between periods, inflammation or infection in the eyes, rectal pain and discharge, persistent sore throat, fever, nausea, lower back pain, etc.

Chlamydia symptoms in men include painful urination, testicular tenderness, and swelling, rectal pain and discharge, cloudy or thick discharge from the penis, sore throat, redness or itching along with swelling at the opening of the urethra, etc.

The most common risk factors for chlamydia include improper usage of condoms, multiple sexual partners, having unprotected sex, being sexually active or having a partner who is considered at high risk, etc. However, the study brings to light new information about the potential risk factor is that the exact reason behind this disease is unclear till now. In general, if youre diagnosed with chlamydia then your doctor will prescribe an oral antibiotic for a period of 5 10 days .