How Common Is Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common STI caused by bacteria. Nearly 2 million cases of chlamydia were reported to the CDC in 2019. The number of infections is likely even higher. When compared to previous years, 2019 infection rates increased among people of all genders, all races and ethnicities, and in every region of the U.S. Most cases of chlamydia are asymptomatic, which means there are no signs or symptoms of an infection. Many of these cases likely go unreported.
Certain demographic characteristics may make you more likely to get diagnosed with chlamydia. Youre more likely to get diagnosed if youre:
- A teen or young adult aged 15 to 24. More than half of all diagnosed chlamydia cases in the U.S. occur in this age group.
- A cisgender woman aged 15 to 24. Young women in this age group are targeted for chlamydia screenings, and the rate of infection among those who are tested is high.
- A man who has sex with men . Chlamydia infections disproportionately affect men who have sex with men.
- Black and non-Hispanic. Chlamydia infections disproportionately affect non-Hispanic Black populations.
How To Get Antibiotics For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a common STD that can infect both males and females. It can cause major, permanent damages to a womans reproductive system. How To Get Antibiotics For Chlamydia
This can make it difficult or impossible for her to obtain expectant later on. Chlamydia can likewise cause a possibly deadly ectopic maternity a pregnancy that takes place outside the womb.
Chlamydia Signs In Women How To Get Antibiotics For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is commonly referred to as the silent infection. Thats due to the fact that individuals with chlamydia might not experience signs at all.
If a lady agreements the STI, it might take numerous weeks before any type of signs appear.
Some of one of the most common signs and symptoms of chlamydia in females consist of:
- agonizing intercourse
- discomfort in the reduced abdominal area
- inflammation of the cervix
- bleeding between periods
In some ladies, the infection can infect the fallopian tubes, which might trigger a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease .
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What Happens If Chlamydia Isn`t Treated
Not all people with Chlamydia will experience any complications. If the infection gets treatment early, it won`t probably cause any long-term damages. Still, with no treatment Chlamydia will spread to other body parts. The more times you get infected with it, the more like it is for you to experience complications.
- In men this condition may lead to an infection of the testicles and maybe even infertility.
- In women this infection may lead to inflammation and pain around the liver. With proper treatment, this usually gets better in time.
- In women this medical condition may spread to other important body organs leading to PID. In turn, this may lead to long-term damages, such as ectopic pregnancy, pelvic pain, infertility and blocked fallopian tubes.
- In both man and women More rarely, this infection may lead to joint inflammation. This is also known as SARA and it`s on occasion accompanied by eye and urethral inflammation. It occurs more rarely in women than men.
Whats The Treatment For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is usually easy to get rid of. Your nurse or doctor will get you antibiotics to treat the infection. Sometimes you only have to take one dose of medication. Another chlamydia treatment lasts for 7 days. Your doctor will help you figure out which treatment is best for you.
If youre treated for chlamydia, its really important for your sexual partners to get treated also. Otherwise, you can keep passing the infection back and forth, or to other people. Sometimes your doctor will give you medicine for both you and your partner.
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How Urinary Tract Infections Are Treated In Men
Whether an infection affects a man or a woman, the treatment is the same: a round of antibiotics to kill the bacteria and get rid of UTI symptoms. For an uncomplicated infection, a woman typically needs to take an antibiotic for one to three days. For men, a longer course of at least seven days of antibiotics is required, says Trost.
How Can You Get Rid Of Chlamydia
If your chlamydia test comes back positive, you may be wondering how to get chlamydia treated. Itâs important to discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider. Most likely, you will be treated for chlamydia with oral antibiotics. With treatment, infections often clear up in one to two weeks.
Even if your symptoms resolve sooner, however, itâs very important to complete your healthcare providerâs entire course of prescribed antibiotics. Otherwise, the infection may not be completely eliminated and you could be at risk for reinfection. You could also still pass chlamydia to a partner if you donât complete the recommended course of antibiotics.
Finally, as part of your treatment for chlamydia, connect with any sexual partners you may have unintentionally exposed to this infection. Your healthcare provider may also recommend antibiotics for your partner. This is a key part of chlamydia treatment, since it can help prevent reinfection when you resume sexual intercourse.
Chlamydia is a potentially harmful infection, but fortunately, itâs easy to test for. Itâs also simple to treat when you have a confirmed diagnosis. The important thing is stay informed and know your statusâsomething you can do from the privacy and comfort of home with our STD Test for women.
References
1. Overview: Chlamydia. National Health Service. URL. Accessed March 27, 2020.
2. Chlamydia CDC Fact Sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. URL. Accessed March 27, 2020.
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How To Treat Chlamydia
The best way to treat this health condition is with antibiotics. In this case, antibiotics are very effective and generally heal about 95% of all infections. At Apomeds we offer the following antibiotics:
As with all medications, these antibiotics have side effects. However, not all patients experience. The most common side effects are:
- Tummy pain
- Vaginal thrush
- Feeling sick
You can buy the two antibiotics only via prescription. On our platform, you can have a prescription issued via online diagnosis by our EU-licensed doctors. After that, your order will be processed by the mail-order pharmacy we collaborate with and you will receive the drug within 24 to 48 hours.
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:
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Gonococcal urethritis . This is an infection caused by gonorrhea.
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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:
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Burning or pain when urinating
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Irritation in the penis
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Pus discharge from the penis
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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:
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Rectal pain and discharge
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Throat infection
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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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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.
What Happens If I Dont Get Treated
The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems.
If you are a woman, untreated chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes . This can cause pelvic inflammatory disease . PID often has no symptoms, however some women may have abdominal and pelvic pain. Even if it doesnt cause symptoms initially, PID can cause permanent damage to your reproductive system. PID can lead to long-term pelvic pain, inability to get pregnant, and potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy .
Men rarely have health problems linked to chlamydia. Infection sometimes spreads to the tube that carries sperm from the testicles, causing pain and fever. Rarely, chlamydia can prevent a man from being able to have children.
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Parents Have A Role In Chlamydia Prevention
Parents can do two main things to help their kids avoid getting chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections , says Dombrowski. These two things are:
How Does Chlamydia Treatment Work
Chlamydia treatment works by stopping the bacteria that causes chlamydia from producing an important protein which it needs to multiply. This stops the bacteria from growing and replicating, so your symptoms should improve as your body is cleared of chlamydia.
The first line treatment for chlamydia in the UK is doxycycline. The usual dose is one tablet to be taken twice daily for 7 days. You can swallow doxycycline tablets whole with water and take them with or without food. You should sit up for about 30 minutes after each dose to prevent symptoms of throat irritation or stomach upset.
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Put Sex On Hold During And After Chlamydia Treatment
If you were given a single dose of antibiotics to treat your chlamydia, you should not have any kind of sex for a full seven days after the day you took the medicine. If youre taking antibiotics for a week, wait another seven days after the last day of your treatment. Be sure to take all of the medicine that is prescribed for you.
Not having sex for seven days after treatment is important so you dont spread the infection to your partner or partners.
Medication stops the infection and can keep you from spreading the disease, but it wont cure any permanent damage that the infection caused before you started treatment. In women, such damage can include blocking the fallopian tubes, causing infertility.
If you still have symptoms for more than a few days after you stop taking your medicine, go back to see your doctor or other healthcare provider so they can check you again.
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.
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What Are The Best Antibiotics For Chlamydia
While there are numerous antibiotics available to treat bacterial infections, certain types are considered to be the best for treatment of chlamydia. The two first-choice antibiotics for chlamydia prescribed by most doctors are azithromycin and doxycycline. Erythromycin, ofloxacin and levofloxacin are all drugs that may also be prescribed, and amoxicillin is sometimes used to treat women who are pregnant. Each medication has pros and cons in regards to dosing regimen, price, and side effects.
Azithromycin is considered one of the two best antibiotics for chlamydia treatment. It is very easy to take, only requiring a single dose, and cures the disease in 95% of cases. People with chronic, recurring cases of chlamydia do particularly well when treated with this drug, and it is considered safe to be used during pregnancy. The disadvantages of the drug are that it tends to be more expensive than other treatments, and may cause nausea or vomiting.
Who May Buy Azithromycin
Pharmacists will be able to sell azithromycin only to individuals with a positive NAAT result and to their sexual partners. Partner notification contact slips will be used to obtain a supply partners will not need to have a positive test. A database of test results will be held, which pharmacists will need to access to confirm the results for index cases.
Manufacturer Actavis is working with the NPA on training materials for pharmacists and medicines counter assistants as well as a Clamelle-branded chlamydia test kit. The NPA has developed a chlamydia screening service package, which is due to be launched on 11 August 2008. Clamelle is expected to be available in late October 2008.
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What Happens If Chlamydia Is Not Treated
In women, untreated chlamydia can spread to the womb and fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease. This causes permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus and leads to chronic pain, infertility and potentially life threatening ectopic pregnancies
Men and women can suffer from joint stiffness, swelling and swell and eye pain following a chlamydia infection.
This is why it is very important to get treated for chlamydia with antibiotic tablets as soon as you know you are infected.
Can I Get Treatment For Chlamydia Online
If you test positive for chlamydia or have a partner who tests positive, you can obtain treatment online through Virtuwell. Just fill out a short questionnaire detailing your health history and current situation, then a certified nurse practitioner will provide you with a chlamydia treatment plan and send a prescription to your preferred pharmacy. If youre not sure if you were exposed or not, we recommend starting a visit, just to be safe.
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The Consequences Of An Untreated Chlamydia Infection
Chlamydia Pneumoniae can cause inflammation of the bronchi and paranasal sinuses, as well as pneumonia. Also, Chlamydia Psittaci causes severe pneumonia. In men, an untreated Chlamydia infection may result in inflammation of the testicles and infertility. If the infection stays untreated in women, inflammation of the uterine lining, fallopian tubes and ovaries may cause scarring and obstruction of the fallopian tubes, which can lead to a high risk of ectopic pregnancy and infertility. It is estimated that around 100,000 women in the United Kingdom are infertile because of Chlamydia. In addition, an eye inflammation from these bacteria can ultimately lead to blindness.
How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed
Chlamydia can be diagnosed with either a first-catch urine test or a swab collected from the endocervix or vagina in women, or a first-catch urine test or a swab collected from the urethra in men.
Self-collected vaginal swab testing is available and many women find this screening strategy highly acceptable.
- Geisler WM, Uniyal A, Lee JY, et al. Azithromycin versus Doxycycline for Urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis Infection. N Engl J Med. 2015 373:2512-2521. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1502599
- Workowski, K, Bolan G. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2015. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
- WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis. Geneva: World Health Organization 2016. 4, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TREATMENT OF CHLAMYDIAL INFECTIONS. Available from:
- Chlamydia Treatment and Care. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/treatment.htm
- Chlamydia Treatment Information Sheet. Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
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