Chlamydia why worry

Women also may have abdominal pain, bleeding, and an abnormal discharge from the vagina. Symptoms usually appear within one to three weeks after being infected and may be very mild. If not treated, chlamydia can lead to damage to the reproductive system. In women, chlamydial infection can spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease PID , according to the CDC.

PID can damage the fallopian tubes and uterus and cause chronic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Women who have chlamydia also are at much greater risk for becoming infected with HIV. In men, complications from chlamydia are rare. In pregnant women, chlamydia can cause premature delivery, the CDC says.

A child born to an infected woman can develop an infection in their eyes and respiratory tracts. Chlamydia can be confused with gonorrhea, another STD, because they have similar symptoms. A lab test is the best way to confirm if you have chlamydia. In the most common test, a health care provider takes a sample of fluid from the vagina or penis and has the sample analyzed.

The other method analyzes a urine sample. Because chlamydial infection often has no symptoms, many people do not realise they have the infection. Even if you know a person well, you may not be able to tell they have an STI, because people can look healthy and still have chlamydia. Remember, you can get chlamydia and other STIs from a new sexual partner who has in the past had sex with someone who is infected. If complications from chlamydia infection are present — such as pelvic inflammatory disease PID in women — a longer course of antibiotics will be required.

Do not have sex for 7 days after you and your current partner have completed treatment. This includes all kinds of sex vaginal, anal and oral with or without a condom. Sexual partners may be infected too. If you have chlamydia, anyone you have had sex with from the last 6 months needs to be informed, tested and treated. Most people will appreciate being told they may have an infection and it is an important step in preventing further infection in the community.

Your local GP and sexual health centre can help you inform your partners and let them know that they need a test. It can be done anonymously, and your confidentiality is always respected. You can also anonymously notify your sexual partners of the need to get tested and treated for chlamydia via the Let Them Know website if you feel unable to speak to them personally. There are also nurses called partner notification officers who can help you anonymously notify your partners.

They can be contacted on 03 If you are not sure whether your sexual partner s will seek treatment, ask your doctor for extra chlamydia medication or a prescription. You can give it to them so they can be treated as soon as possible. This is known as patient delivered partner therapy PDPT for chlamydia. Talk to your doctor to see if PDPT is right for you and your sexual partner s.

Safer sex practices reduce the risk of STI transmission. Ways to reduce your risk of catching chlamydia include:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Anthrax is a rare but potentially fatal bacterial disease that occasionally infects humans. The Western obsession with cleanliness may be partly responsible for the increase in allergic asthma and conditions such as rhinitis. Careful prescribing of antibiotics will minimise the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.

Aspergillus is a fungus that commonly grows on rotting vegetation. It can cause asthma symptoms. The simplest form of prevention for lyssavirus is to avoid close contact with bats. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. Anyone who is sexually active should get tested for STDs every year or more often if recommended by their health care provider. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Chlamydia? What Are STDs? How Do People Get Chlamydia? Chlamydia spreads through sex vaginal, oral, or anal with someone who has the infection.

Someone with chlamydia may have: discharge from the vagina, penis, or anus pain in the lower belly fever pain when peeing Many people with chlamydia have no symptoms.