Think that you might have Chlamydia? Or have you recently received this diagnosis?
Stay tuned as we will be talking about the 5
most common symptoms both men and women with Chlamydia experience.
Welcome to JHP Medical, I’m Dr Hart-Pinto, and I’m going
to tell you the 5 most common symptoms of Chlamydia and a few important tips.
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Definition
Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the UK.
Chlamydia trachomatis, the bacteria that causes Chlamydia, spreads through unprotected vaginal,
oral, or anal sex. If left untreated, Chlamydia can cause serious problems for both men and women.
Amongst men, the infection can spread to the testicles causing pain and swelling.
For women, the infection can progress to pelvic inflammatory disease,
leading to persisting abdominal pain
and long-term fertility issues, meaning you may experience difficulty in getting pregnant.
Fortunately, these complications can be avoided where infections
are identified and treated early.
Symptoms of Chlamydia if normally develop a few weeks after unprotected sexual intercourse.
The top 5 symptoms of Chlamydia experienced by women are:
Pain when passing urine
Unusual Vaginal discharge
Pain during sex
Bleeding between periods or after sex
Pain to the lower abdomen or pelvis
Men also can experience symptoms of chlamydia infection.
Amongst men, the top symptoms experienced are:
Pain on passing urine
Unusual discharge from the tip of the penis
Testicular pain
Urethral itching or burning sensation
Top tip depending on the choice of intercourse, you may experience symptoms at other areas:
You may experience discomfort or unusual discharge from your
back passage where you have engaged in anal intercourse.
If you have engaged in oral intercourse and developed a resulting chlamydia
infection to your throat, you may also experience sore throat symptoms.
Most importantly, Chlamydia doesn’t always cause symptoms if you have the infection.
At least 70% of women and 50% of men infected with Chlamydia trachomatis are asymptomatic.
If you are concerned you may have an STI,
you should seek a test from your doctor or local genitourinary medicine clinic.
Should I get tested?
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above or believe you may
have been exposed to someone who may also have Chlamydia, you should get tested.
Testing for Chlamydia is painless, quick and easy. Your doctor may choose to either obtain a:
Swab of the discharge from your penis, vagina, bum or throat, obviously not in that order
Or
A urine sample
In England, it is currently recommended that all sexually active people
under the age of 25 receive annual testing under the National Chlamydia Screening Programme.
Testing should also take place if you change your sexual partner.
When will I receive treatment?
If you have symptoms or signs strongly suggestive of Chlamydia,
your doctor may commence treatment at the first consultation.
Otherwise, you will only receive treatment after a positive test.
What treatment will I need?
You will be glad to know that Chlamydia infections are easily treatable.
If your doctor identifies that you are someone that requires treatment,
they will prescribe you a course of antibiotics.
Currently, in the UK, the antibiotic of choice is Doxycycline 100mg, taken twice a day for 7 days.
However, this may be different depending on where you live,
and antibiotic guidance changes regularly. So the antibiotics you receive may be different.
You must complete the entire course of antibiotics, even if you start feeling better.
Does my partner need to be treated?
It is important to recognise that once treated, you can still be re-infected.
Therefore, it is important that your partner receives treatment also.
It is recommended that you should avoid sex for 1 week
from the start of your treatment and until 1 week after your sexual contact/s have been treated.
If you have multiple sexual contacts, it’s important to engage with contact tracing,
as without treatment, other people may become infected or can have long-term complications,
which can have a significant impact on their quality of life.
Your local GUM clinic can assist with this.
How can I prevent re-infection in the future?
There is one simple way of reducing your risk of contracting Chlamydia in the future.
Where possible, you should try to use barrier contraceptives like the condom.
Outro
Thank you for watching; we hope you have found this information useful. If you have
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Of course, this video does not provide individual
medical advice and is intended for informational purposes only.
Do not consider this as a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis or treatment.
Please don’t ignore professional medical advice
in seeking treatment because of something you have heard here.
If you believe you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or ambulance service.