STD:Chlamydia on What need to know if get treated for chlamydia?

What is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that’s easily cured with antibiotic medicine. It’s one of the most common STDs, and most people who have chlamydia don’t show any symptoms.

Chlamydia is really common.

Chlamydia is a SUPER common bacterial infection that you can get from sexual contact with another person. Close to 3 million Americans get it every year, most commonly among 14-24-year-olds.

Chlamydia is spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. The infection is carried in semen (cum), pre-cum, and vaginal fluids. Chlamydia can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, eyes, and throat. Most people with chlamydia don’t have any symptoms and feel totally fine, so they might not even know they’re infected.

Chlamydia can be easily cleared up with antibiotics. But if you don’t treat chlamydia, it may lead to major health problems in the future. That’s why STD testing is so important — the sooner you know you have chlamydia, the faster you can cure it. You can prevent chlamydia by using condoms every time you have sex.

How do you get chlamydia?

Chlamydia is usually spread during sexual contact with someone who has the infection. It can happen even if no one cums. The main ways people get chlamydia are from having vaginal sex and anal sex, but it can also be spread through oral sex.

Rarely, you can get chlamydia by touching your eye if you have infected fluids on your hand. Chlamydia can also be spread to a baby during birth if the mother has it.

Chlamydia isn’t spread through casual contact, so you CAN’T get chlamydia from sharing food or drinks, kissing, hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, or sitting on the toilet.

Using condoms and/or dental dams every time you have sex is the best way to help prevent chlamydia.

What’s 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 you’re treated for chlamydia, it’s 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.

What do I need to know if I get treated for chlamydia?

If you’re getting treated for chlamydia:

• Take all of your medicine the way your doctor tells you to, even if the symptoms go away sooner. The infection stays in your body until you finish the antibiotics.
• Your partner(s) should also get treated for chlamydia so you don’t re-infect each other or anyone else.
• Don’t 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 you’re taking medicine for 7 days, don’t have sex until you’ve finished all of your pills.
• Get tested again in 3-4 months to make sure your infection is gone.
• Don’t share your medicine with anyone. Your 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, it’s possible to get a new chlamydia infection again if you’re exposed in the future. Chlamydia isn’t a one-time-only deal. So use condoms and get tested regularly.

What happens if you don’t get treated for chlamydia?

Even though chlamydia is common and doesn’t always cause any symptoms, it can become a big deal if it’s not caught and treated early.

Chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID might not have any symptoms at first, but there can be permanent damage that leads to pain, infertility, or ectopic pregnancy. Getting tested for chlamydia really reduces your chances of getting PID.

If you have a penis, a chlamydia infection can spread to your epididymis(a tube that carries sperm from your testicles), and can cause chronic joint pain. Rarely, it can make you infertile.

Having chlamydia may increase your chances of getting or spreading HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

If you have chlamydia during your pregnancy and don’t treat it, you can pass it to your baby when you’re giving birth. Chlamydia can 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 these problems.

credit/source: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/chlamydia

Note: All information are credited to the original writer's source and references.