chlamydia symptoms male / women
chlamydia symptoms male / women , Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI).
It is passed from person to person through unprotected sex (sex without a condom) and especially among sexually active adolescents and young adults.
If you live in England and are aged 25 or under and are sexually active, you will need to be tested for chlamydia every year or when you change sexual partners.
Symptoms of chlamydia
Most people are not aware of any symptoms of chlamydia and are not even aware that they have it.
If you do develop symptoms, you may experience:
- pain while urinating
- Irregular discharge from the vagina, penis, or rectum
- In women, abdominal pain, bleeding during or after sex, and bleeding between periods.
- In men, swelling and pain in the testicles
If you think you may be at risk of an STI or have any symptoms of chlamydia, see your GP, community contraceptive service or local genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic to get tested. go to.
Read more about the symptoms of chlamydia.
How can you get chlamydia?
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection. The bacteria is usually spread through sex or when coming in contact with infected genital fluids (semen or vaginal fluid).
You can get chlamydia from:
- having unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex
- sharing sex toys that haven’t been washed after each use or using them without being covered with a new condom
- Your genitals come into contact with your partner’s genitals – this means you can get chlamydia from someone even if there has been no penetration, orgasm or ejaculation.
- getting infected semen or vaginal fluid in your eye
It can also be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby. Read about the complications of chlamydia for more information about this.
Chlamydia is not spread through casual contact such as kissing and hugging, or sharing baths, or sharing towels, swimming pools, and utensils, or toilet seats.
Is chlamydia a serious condition?
Although chlamydia usually does not cause any symptoms and is cured with a few courses of antibiotics, it can become a serious condition if not treated early.
If left untreated, the infection can spread to other parts of your body and cause long-term health problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), epididymo-orchitis (inflammation of the testicles), ) (epididymo-orchitis) and infertility. It also sometimes causes reactive arthritis.
This is why it is important to get tested and treated as soon as possible if you think you may have chlamydia.
Read more about the complications of chlamydia.
getting tested for chlamydia
Symptoms of this disease can be detected by urine test or swab test. You do not always need to have a physical examination by a doctor or nurse.
You can buy at-home chlamydia test kits, although the accuracy of these tests varies. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor for advice if you want to use one of these tests.
Read more about getting a chlamydia test.
How is chlamydia treated?
It is usually treated with antibiotics.
You are given some medicines which have to be taken once a day or some capsules may have to be taken for a few weeks.
You should not have sex until your treatment is over. If your course of treatment is one day, then you should not have sex for a week.
It is important that your current sexual partner and everyone you have had sex with in the last six months get tested to prevent the spread of the infection.
According to the advice of NCSP, people below the age of 25 years can get infected with chlamydia only after three months of getting cured from the treatment. This is because adults of working age are more prone to infection after getting infected.
Sexual health or GUM clinics help you approach your sexual partners. You or your clinic assistant can also talk to your sexual partner about this or send them a note advising them to get tested. Your name will not be on the note, so your privacy will be protected.
Read more about treating chlamydia.
chlamydia prevention
Anyone who is sexually active can get chlamydia. The risk is greatest if your sex partner is new or by not using a barrier method of contraception when having sex.
How you can help prevent the spread of chlamydia:
- using a condom every time you have vaginal or anal sex
- using a condom to cover the penis during oral sex
- using a dam (a piece of thin, soft plastic or latex) to cover the female genitals during oral sex or even when rubbing the genitals together
- not sharing sex toys
If you share sex toys with others, then it should be thoroughly cleaned and a layer of new condom should be put on it.
Chlamydia symptoms
Chlamydia symptoms
Most people do not have any symptoms.
If you do feel any symptoms, it’s usually within one to three weeks after you’ve had unprotected sex with an infected person. For some people they don’t develop until several months later.
Sometimes the symptoms of this disease end only after a few days. Even after getting cured of this infection, you can spread this infection to another person.
Chlamydia symptoms in women
Its symptoms do not appear in at least 70 percent of women. Common symptoms are:
- pain while urinating
- abnormal vaginal discharge
- pain in the abdomen or pelvis
- bleeding during sex
- pain or bleeding during sex
- bleeding between periods
- excessive bleeding during menstruation
If chlamydia is left untreated, it can spread to the fetus and cause a more serious condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). It is a major cause of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women.
Read more about the
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Chlamydia symptoms in men
At least half of all men with chlamydia do not experience any symptoms. If they do have symptoms, the most common are:
- pain while urinating
- white, cloudy, or watery discharge from the penis
- burning or itching in the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body)
- Pain in the testicles
If chlamydia is left untreated, the infection can cause inflammation of the epididymis (the tube that carries sperm from the testicles) and testicles. This can affect your fertility.
Read more about the complications of chlamydia.
Chlamydia in the rectum, throat or eyes
Chlamydia can also infect:
- the rectum (back passage) if you have unprotected anal sex – this can cause discomfort and discharge from your rectum
- Throat impaction from unprotected oral sex – this is uncommon and usually causes no symptoms
- eyes, if infected semen or vaginal fluid gets into the eyes during intercourse – this can cause redness, pain and discharge (conjunctivitis)
When to seek medical advice
If you have any symptoms of chlamydia, see your GP or local genitourinary (GUM) clinic as soon as possible.
You should get tested even if you don’t have any symptoms, but are concerned that you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
If you are sexually active and under the age of 25, you should get tested for chlamydia every year or every time you have a new partner. You can get the test in places such as pharmacies, hospitals and youth centres.
Read more about getting tested for chlamydia.
Getting tested for Chlamydia
The only way to know if we have chlamydia is to get tested. You can get tested even if you don’t have any symptoms.
What is involved in a chlamydia test?
The tests prescribed for chlamydia are simple, painless, and generally very reliable.
This involves sending a sample of cells to a laboratory for testing. You don’t necessarily need to be examined by a doctor or nurse first, you can often collect the sample yourself.
There are two main methods of sampling:
● using a swab – a small cotton bud is gently wiped over an area that may be infected, such as inside the vagina or inside the anus
● Peeing in a container – this should ideally be done an hour or two after you last urinated
Men will usually be asked to provide a urine sample, while women will usually be asked to provide a urine sample, usually either from a swab or from inside their vagina.
Results will usually be available after seven to ten days. If you are more likely to have chlamydia – for example, you have symptoms of the infection or your partner has been diagnosed with it and you have had unprotected sex with them – then you can start treatment before you get your results Are.
Read more about treating chlamydia.
When should I get tested?
If you think you might have chlamydia, don’t delay getting tested. Getting diagnosed and treated as early as possible will reduce your risk of developing any serious complications of chlamydia.
You can have a chlamydia test at any time, although you may be advised to repeat the test at a later date if you’ve had sex less than two weeks ago because the infection can’t always be detected in its early stages.
You should consider getting tested for chlamydia if:
● you or your partner have any symptoms of chlamydia
- you had unprotected sex with a new partner
- If a condom breaks during sex
- you or your partner have had unprotected sex with other people
- you think you may have a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- sexual partner tells you they have a sexually transmitted infection
- you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy
If you are under the age of twenty-five and are sexually active, testing should be done every year but is recommended if you change sexual partners because you are more likely to get chlamydia.
If you have chlamydia, you should have another test three months after you have been treated. This is because young adults who test positive for chlamydia are at increased risk of getting it again.
Where can I get a chlamydia test?
You can get a free, confidential chlamydia test:
- a sexual health clinic
● A Genetic Medicine (GUM) Clinic
- to your doctor
You can go where you find the most comfortable and convenient environment.
You can buy chlamydia test kits to do at home, but they are not always very accurate. If you’re considering using one of these tests, speak with your pharmacist or doctor for advice.
Chlamydia treatment
Chlamydia can usually be treated effectively with antibiotics. More than 95% of people will recover if they take their antibiotics correctly.
Once the test results confirm that you have chlamydia, you can be started on antibiotic treatment. But if you are very likely to have an infection, treatment may be started before you get your results.
The two most commonly prescribed antibiotics for chlamydia are:
- azithromycin – two or four tablets are given at once
- doxycycline – given as two capsules per day for one week
If you have allergies or are pregnant or breastfeeding, your doctor may give you different antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or erythromycin. Antibiotics may be used for a longer period of time if the doctor is concerned about complications of chlamydia.
Some people experience side effects during treatment, but these are usually mild. The most common side effects include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vaginal thrush in women.
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When to have sex again?
You should not have sex – including vaginal, oral or anal sex, even with a condom – until both you and your partner have completed treatment.
If you took a one-day course of azithromycin, you should avoid sexual intercourse for a week after treatment.
This will help you make sure that you do not spread the infection or become infected again.
Will I need to return to the clinic?
If you take your antibiotics correctly, you may not need to return to the clinic.
However, you will be advised to return for another chlamydia test if:
● you had sex before you and your partner completed treatment
● You forgot to take your medicine or you didn’t take it correctly
● Your symptoms are not going away
● You were treated for chlamydia when you are pregnant
If you are under the age of twenty-five, you should have a re-test for chlamydia three months after you have finished your treatment as you are at high risk of becoming infected again.
Testing and treatment of sexual partners
If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, it is important that your current sex partner and any other sex partners you have had during the past six months are tested and treated.
A specialist sexual health counselor can help you contact your recent sexual partners, if you wish, and the clinic can contact them for you if you wish.
You or someone at the clinic can talk to them, or the clinic can send them a note to let them know they’ve been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Chlamydia complications
If chlamydia is not treated, it can sometimes spread and cause potentially serious problems.
Complications in men
Inflammation of the testicles
In men, chlamydia can spread to the testicles and epididymis (the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles), causing pain and swelling. This is known as epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis.
The inflammation is usually treated with antibiotics. If it is not treated, there are chances that it may affect your fertility.
Reactive arthritis
Chlamydia is the most common cause of sexually acquired reactive arthritis (SARA). This is where your joints, eyes or urethra (the tube urine passes through the body) become inflamed, usually within the first few weeks after getting chlamydia.
It can affect women who have had chlamydia, but is more common in men.
There is currently no cure for SARA, but most people get better within a few months. In the meantime, treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can help relieve symptoms.
Complications in women
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
In women, chlamydia can spread to the womb, ovaries or fallopian tubes. This can lead to a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
PID can cause a number of serious problems, such as:
● Difficulty getting pregnant or infertility
● Persistent pelvic pain
● increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (where a fertilized egg implants outside the womb)
Symptoms of PID are usually similar to symptoms of chlamydia, including discomfort or pain during sex, pain during urination, and bleeding between periods and after sex.
PID is properly treated with a two-week course of antibiotics. The risk of experiencing problems such as infertility is low if it is treated early, so it is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible if you have symptoms of the condition.
