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What is
Chlamydia?
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection. It
is caused by bacteria. It is very common, especially
among teenagers and young adults. It is a reportable
infection, meaning that if you test positive for
Chlamydia, you may be contacted by a clinic or health
department to get contact information for current
and past sexual partners for notification and testing
purposes. Your name is not
disclosed when a current or past sexual partner
is notified.
How do you get Chlamydia?
You can get Chlamydia if you have oral sex, vaginal
sex, or anal sex with a person who already has the
infection. A pregnant woman can also pass it on
to her baby while she is giving birth.
How can you tell if you have Chlamydia?
Many people who have Chlamydia do not have any signs
that tell them they have a sexually transmitted
infection. You can pass on chlamydia without even
knowing that you have it. If you have Chlamydia,
you might notice
Women
Strange discharge from your vagina.
Itchy vagina.
A little bit of bleeding even when it is not time
for your period.
Bleeding during or after you have vaginal sex.
Pain in your lower abdomen.
Pain when you urinate.
Men
Needing to urinate a lot.
A feeling of burning when you urinate.
Watery discharge coming out of your penis.
Burning or itching around the hole of your penis.
Pain in your testicles.
How do you get tested for Chlamydia?
For women, a clinician will check for infection
by taking a swab of the cervix, the opening to the
uterus. For men, the clinician will swab the urethra,
the opening of the penis or using a urine test.
For the urine test, it is important that men do
not urinate for 2 hours before the test is taken.
Do you need a follow-up test?
Yes. You should have another test. Women should
get this test done after they have finished all
of the antibiotic pills and have had one period.
Men should get another test done a month after finishing
the antibiotics. The only way to be sure that you
are cured and can no longer pass on the infection
is to do the follow up test after you have taken
all of the antibiotic pills. If the test is negative,
you no longer have Chlamydia, and cannot pass it
to your partners.
How is Chlamydia treated?
It is important to treat Chlamydia because it can
lead to serious health problems. Both men and women
might become infertile if it is not treated, which
means they may not be able to have children. A woman
could also have an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic
pregnancy happens when an egg grows outside of the
uterus in the wrong place. Chlamydia can be cured
with antibiotics. It is important to tell your sexual
partner(s) that you have chlamydia. They also need
to be treated. It’s a good idea to refrain
from unprotected intercourse until the treatment
is completed to ensure you don’t infect your
partner(s). |
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