Medical App & Medical Advice with Hello Doctor

What exactly is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a type of bacteria.

The disease can affect both men and women. Women can get chlamydia in the cervix, rectum, or throat, while men are vulnerable in the urethra (inside the penis), rectum, or throat.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); in 2017, over two million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis were reported.

Chlamydia remained the most common condition reported to the CDC with more than one million cases diagnosed in 2017. The report estimates that about 45% of these cases are girls between the ages of 15 to 24.

How do you get chlamydia?

This STD can be passed on through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex. This includes sharing sex toys with someone who has chlamydia, even if they don’t have symptoms. If you’re pregnant with chlamydia, you can pass the infection on to your unborn baby. You can also get this condition if your genitals come into contact with your partner’s. This means you can contract chlamydia from someone even if there’s no penetration, orgasm or ejaculation. People most at risk of contracting chlamydia are those who regularly have unprotected sex or multiple sexual partners.

Symptoms

Like most STDs/STIs, chlamydia puts you at risk of other STDs including HIV/AIDS. Many cases go undiagnosed because people with the condition don’t have obvious symptoms when they first contract it:

  • Pain or burning when peeing.
  • Increased vaginal discharge caused by an inflamed womb (cervix).
  • Pain during sex and/or bleeding after sex.
  • Pain in the lower abdomen during sex.
  • Bleeding between periods and/or heavier periods.
  • Pain, discharge or bleeding in the anus (bottom).
  • A cloudy, white or watery discharge from the penis.
  • Pain and/or swelling in the testicles.

When these symptoms are ignored, they can lead to more infections, prostate problems and even cause infertility in women.

How can it be treated? 

As soon as you notice symptoms, check in with your doctor who will ask you to provide a urine sample for testing. For women, a swab is taken from the lower part of the womb (cervix) or the vagina. For men, a swab is taken from the tip of the penis (urethra). If you’ve had anal or oral sex, a swab can be taken from the rectum (bottom) or throat. In most cases, your doctor will give you an effective antibiotic treatment. Your partner must take an antibiotic too, so they don’t reinfect you.

Stay safe

Prevention is key, so learn to protect yourself to prevent infection. Don’t have sex until you and your partner have completed the antibiotic treatment. If you’re diagnosed with chlamydia, you’ll need to inform all your sexual partners, because they will need the same treatment. Also make sure to:

  • Use latex condoms correctly when you have sex.
  • Have a follow-up test to make sure the treatment has cleared the infection.
  • Contact all sexual partners. Even if partners have no symptoms, they could possibly transmit the infection to other sexual partners, so they need to be tested and treated as soon as possible.

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