What Does Chlamydia In The Throat Look Like

What Are The Treatments For Chlamydia

Antibiotics will cure the infection. You may get a one-time dose of the antibiotics, or you may need to take medicine every day for 7 days. Antibiotics cannot repair any permanent damage that the disease has caused.

To prevent spreading the disease to your partner, you should not have sex until the infection has cleared up. If you got a one-time dose of antibiotics, you should wait 7 days after taking the medicine to have sex again. If you have to take medicine every day for 7 days, you should not have sex again until you have finished taking all of the doses of your medicine.

It is common to get a repeat infection, so you should get tested again about three months after treatment.

What Are The Symptoms Of Oral Chlamydia

Chlamydia is commonly referred to as the silent infection, the reason for this being pretty self-explanatory – most people infected with the disease are asymptomatic and experience little to no symptoms.

In saying that, when chlamydia in the mouth and throat do show symptoms, they may include:

• A sore throat that is not being treated effectively with throat medicine
• A cough that is not being treated effectively with cough medicine
• Feeling feverish
• Dryness and itchiness in the mouth and throat

Does Oral Chlamydia Go Away

Chlamydia, whether it is oral or genital does not go away on its own.

It is possible for the symptoms of chlamydia to go away for a short period of time, but that does not mean you no longer have chlamydia. The infection may persist in the body in the absence of treatment .

A short course of antibiotics are required to treat chlamydia, and a follow up test is required to ensure the risk of re-infection.

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Is Oral Chlamydia A Common Thing

Yes, it is possible to get oral chlamydia, which causes symptoms in the mouth and throat. In 2018, four million cases of chlamydia were reported in the United States, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the number of infections may be much higher because many people do not experience noticeable symptoms.

The exact prevalence of oral chlamydia is unknown, as it is typically less common than genital chlamydia. However, its important to know that it can happen and that taking the necessary steps to avoid this STD may help reduce your risk for infection.

How Common Is Chlamydia

Chlamydia is among the most common STDs in the world. In the U.S. alone, over 1.5 million infections are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year.

In Europe, chlamydia infection is the leading STD. Its the cause of acute morbidity and long-term reproductive health problems, especially in young people. The number of affected people in Europe is constantly increasing, and there are now more than 250,000 new cases each year.

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In Men Untreated Chlamydia Can Lead To:

• Epididymitis painful inflammation of the inner structures of the testicles, which may cause reduced fertility or sterility. A rare complication of Epididymitisis reactive arthritis, which causes pain in the inflamed joints that can be disabling
• Prostatitis
• Occasionally, Reiters syndrome
• Urethritis inflammation of the urethra with a yellow discharge appearing at the tip of the penis. Untreated urethritis results in narrowing of the urethra which leads to painful urinating and can cause kidney problems

How Can You Catch Chlamydia In The Mouth

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected partner. As we mentioned earlier, some STIs can affect other regions such as the mouth and throat as well. Chlamydia is one of these.

Usually you get chlamydia in the throat by engaging in oral sex with a partner that has chlamydia. Chances are, like 80 percent of Americans, youve engaged in oral sex. Believe it or not, this is exactly why you should get an oral chlamydia test. Although chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, you probably wont know if you have oral chlamydia without specifically testing for it.

The area where you become infected is often linked to your sexual activity. For example, it is possible to catch oral chlamydia through performing oral sex on a partner who is carrying a genital infection. In the reverse example, if you are infected with throat chlamydia, you can spread the infection to your partners genitals.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Chlamydia

If you do notice symptoms, youll likely experience them differently based on your reproductive anatomy. Many of the symptoms that cisgender women experience can also affect transgender men and nonbinary individuals with vaginas. Many of the symptoms that cisgender men notice can affect transgender women and nonbinary individuals with penises, too.

Signs of chlamydia if you have a vagina

Chlamydia bacteria often cause symptoms that are similar to cervicitis or a urinary tract infection . You may notice:

• White, yellow or gray discharge from your vagina that may be smelly.
• Pus in your urine .
• Increased need to pee.
• Itching or burning in and around your vagina.
• Dull pain in the lower part of your abdomen.

Signs of chlamydia if you have a penis

Chlamydia bacteria most often infect your urethra, causing symptoms that are similar to nongonococcal urethritis. You may notice:

• Mucus-like or clear, watery discharge from your penis.
• Pain or a burning sensation when you pee .

Signs of chlamydia that all genders may notice

Chlamydia can affect parts of your body other than your reproductive organs, such as your:

• Anus. You may notice pain, discomfort, bleeding or a mucus-like discharge from your bottom.
• Throat. You may have a sore throat, but you usually wont notice symptoms if the bacterias in your throat.
• Eyes. You may notice symptoms of conjunctivitis if C. trachomatis bacteria gets in your eye. Symptoms include redness, pain and discharge.

What Is The Difference Between Chlamydia In The Throat And Streptococcus Infections

Both chlamydia in the throat and streptococcus throat are bacterial infections that affect the mouth and throat area.

The main difference is that they are caused by a different bacterium. Chlamydia is caused by the bacteria called chlamydia trachomatis and strep throat is caused by bacteria streptococcus pyogenes.

This means that although they share some of the same symptoms, such as pain and soreness in the throat, inflammation of the lymph nodes and fever, they also have symptoms that differ. For example, chlamydia often presents as white spots towards the back of the throat and strep throat causes red spots. Aside from this difference, itâs difficult to distinguish the difference between the two.

A swab test is required to accurately diagnose both.

Chlamydia is treated using either doxycycline or azithromycin, and strep throat infections are treated using penicillin and erythromycin antibiotics.

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When Can I Have Unprotected Sex After Chlamydia Treatment

Even if your chlamydia infection has been cured, its not recommended to practice unsafe sex. Having your STD treated doesnt guarantee that the infection will never come back. In fact, many people become infected with STDs multiple times because they continue to have unprotected sex with partners who have untreated STDs.

If you have a regular sexual partner, tell them about your infection so they can get treatment as well. Once youre sure you both got treated, you have to wait until the treatment has had time to be effective before you start having unprotected sex again.

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:

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Does Chlamydia Cause Cervical Cancer

No, chlamydia doesn’t cause cervical cancer.

It’s possible to get a sexually transmitted infection by having sex with someone who has an STI, even if they have no symptoms.

The following measures will help protect you from most STIs including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HIV.

If you have an STI, they’ll also help prevent you from passing it on to someone:

• Use condoms every time you have vaginal or anal sex.
• If you have oral sex , use a condom to cover the penis, or a dam to cover the vulva or anus.
• Avoid sharing sex toys. If you do share them, wash them or cover them with a new condom before anyone else uses them.

Can You Cure Mouth Chlamydia

Yes you can chlamydia in the mouth, just as at other sites of the body, can be treated and completely removed with a simple course of antibiotics. However, its important to follow your treatment regime properly to ensure the infection is removed. Also, treatment only removes existing infections and wont protect you from future infection.

Does oral chlamydia go away on its own? if chlamydia is untreated, it is thought that up to 50% of people will clear the infection themselves within 12 months. However, in the remainder of people who dont clear the infection, a chronic chlamydial infection becomes established, and in the longer term this can result in serious negative medical outcomes.

How does oral chlamydia treatment work? the first choice antibiotic for chlamydia is the antibiotic doxycycline 100mg taken twice a day by mouth for 7 days (this should not be used in pregnancy.

Make sure you use treatment correctly it is important that you:

• Take all the antibiotics as instructed dont miss any out

• Do not have sex on treatment or for 7 days afterwards, not even oral sex or sex with a condom

• Your current/most recent partners should be tested, and treated as they are contacts

• Attend a sexual health clinic for a full STI screen

Do I need another test after treatment? usually no, except in the following situations:

• You have to be treated with a different antibiotic to the 2 standard treatments, e.g. erythromycin

• You have rectal chlamydia as well

• You are pregnant

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How Can I Prevent Catching Oral Chlamydia

There are risk factors that increase your chances of getting chlamydia. These include:

• Being sexually active and under age 25
• Having multiple sexual partners
• Having a history of sexually transmitted infection

There are certain steps you can take to prevent catching oral chlamydia including:

• Using condoms for mouth to penis contact
• Using a dam during mouth to vagina or oral-anal contact
• Talking to your sexual partner about their sexual health
• Using barrier methods, such as condoms, during each encounter
• Having a regular sexual health check or STI tests, especially if you have unprotected sex with a new partner

The recurrence rate of chlamydia is particularly high. This makes it even more important to practice safe oral sex and prevent future infections.

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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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

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.

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What Happens If Chlamydia Is Left Untreated For Too Long

When left untreated, chlamydia can increase your risk for other serious health problems, including HIV/AIDs and infertility.

Chlamydia can weaken your immune system to make you more vulnerable to other infections and diseases, including other STDs. According to the NIH, n females, untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. In males, it may lead to infertility and infection of the epididymis. Untreated chlamydia may also cause arthritis, reports the NIH.

Other Complications Of Untreated Chlamydia In All People

• Conjunctivitis, spread by touching the infected area and then touching the hand to the eye
• Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the rectum , if the chlamydia is from anal sex
• Varied symptoms, such as joint and eye inflammation, caused by bacterial infection
• Lymphogranuloma venereum, or LGV. This is caused by a type of chlamydia that is usually rare in the United States, but it is becoming more common in men who have sex with men. It causes open sores in the genital area, headache, fever, fatigue, and swelling of the lymph nodes in the groin. It also causes proctitis in people who get chlamydia through anal sex.

Read Also: How Do You Know If A Girl Has Chlamydia

How Do You Get Oral Chlamydia

A person can get oral chlamydia by giving vaginal, penile, or anal oral sex to another person already infected with the bacteria.

Chlamydia trachomatis can also be spread from an infected persons throat to the penis. Research has not shown that the infection can spread from an infected persons throat to the vagina or rectum during oral sex.

Chlamydia does not seem to spread through kissing.

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.

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