I’m a doctor – here are 5 signs you have chlamydia and how you can treat it
CHLAMYDIA is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the UK.
It’s thought to affect up to 1 in 10 young people – but many have no idea.
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Up to 80 percent of infected women and 50 percent of infected men have no symptoms at all, making the disease difficult to recognize and pass on.
However, there are some subtle signs to look out for after unprotected sex.
dr Andrew Hart-Pinto, an NHS doctor from Liverpool, said in a video for JHP Medical: “Even if you have an infection, chlamydia doesn’t cause any symptoms.”
He said the five most common signs in men are:
- pain when urinating
- Unusual discharge from the penis
- testicle pain
- itching in the urethra
- burning sensation
And in women, the five most common symptoms are:
- pain when urinating
- Unusual vaginal discharge
- pain during sex
- Bleeding between periods or after sex
- abdominal or pelvic pain
Depending on the type of intercourse, the symptoms can also appear in other places.
For example, you may experience discomfort or unusual discharge from your buttocks after anal sex, or you may experience a sore throat after oral sex.
If you think you have chlamydia, you should get tested at your GP, pharmacy, or sex clinic.
They’re quick, easy, and painless, and require a swab from the vagina, buttocks, or throat, or a urine sample.
You should get your results in about seven to ten days.
If your test comes back positive, according to Dr. Hart-Pinto is uncomplicated and requires a short course of antibiotics.
This is usually a doxycycline pill taken twice a day for seven days. You may also be given azithromycin, which you take once a day for three days.
“A really important point is that even if you’re feeling better, you have to go through the entire course of antibiotics,” he added.
dr Hart-Pinto also said it’s important to recognize that you can still get infected again after treatment.
Your partner should therefore receive the same treatment and you should avoid sex for a week after treating your contact lenses.
If left untreated, chlamydia can cause serious problems, warned Dr. Hart Pinto.
In men, the infection can spread to the testicles, causing pain and swelling.
And in women, the infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to persistent abdominal pain and long-term fertility problems, so you may have trouble conceiving in the future.
An easy way to reduce your risk of contracting chlamydia is to use barrier contraceptives such as condoms.
What is chlamydia?
CHLAMYDIA is a bacterial infection usually transmitted through sex or contact with infected genital fluids.
It is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the UK and is transmitted through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex.
You can also catch the disease by sharing sex toys, having genital contact, or getting infected semen or vaginal fluid in your eye, and a pregnant woman can transmit it to her baby.
Chlamydia is particularly common in sexually active teenagers and young adults, with up to one in ten people thought to be infected at some point.
Most infected people don’t notice any symptoms and don’t know they have it.
If you experience symptoms, the following symptoms may occur:
- pain when peeing
- Unusual discharge from the vagina, penis, or buttocks
- In women, abdominal pain, bleeding after sex, and bleeding between periods
- In men, there is pain and swelling in the testicles
If you think you are at risk of an STD or have any signs of chlamydia, contact your GP or local sex clinic.
Source: NHS