Chlamydia, like other STIs, is passed from an infected person to a partner through certain sexual activities. Chlamydia is passed primarily during anal or vaginal sex. Chlamydia can be passed even if the penis or tongue does not go all the way into the vagina or anus. If the vagina, cervix, anus, penis or mouth come in contact with infected secretions or fluids, then transmission is possible.It is less likely to be transmitted through oral sex. Show
Chlamydia can be passed when the mucous membrane—the soft skin covering all the openings of the body—comes into contact with the mucous membrane secretions or semen of an infected person. This is what happens during unprotected sex (that is sex without a condom) whether vaginal or anal sex. Oral sex is not a common cause of infection with this bacteria. Chlamydia is less likely to be transmitted during oral sex because the bacteria that cause chlamydia prefer to target the genital area rather than the throat. This is why it is unlikely for chlamydia to be transmitted from mouth-to-penis and penis-to-mouth contact, although it is still possible. It is even less likely for transmission to take place from vagina-to-mouth or anus-to-mouth contact. Transmission is not known to occur from mouth-to-vagina and mouth to anus contact.Even a woman who has not had anal sex can get chlamydia in the anus or rectum if bacteria are spread from the vaginal area, such as when wiping with toilet paper. Eye infections may result when discharge caries the disease into the eye during sex or hand-to-eye contact. It can also be passed from mother to newborn as the baby passes through the infected birth canal. This can result in eye infections, pneumonia or other complications. In children, chlamydia may be a possible sign of sexual abuse. Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. It can infect both men and women. Women can get chlamydia in the cervix, rectum, or throat. Men can get chlamydia in the urethra (inside the penis), rectum, or throat. How do you get chlamydia?You can get chlamydia during oral, vaginal, or anal sex with someone who has the infection. A woman can also pass chlamydia to her baby during childbirth. If you've had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can get re-infected if you have unprotected sex with someone who has it. Who is at risk of getting chlamydia?Chlamydia is more common in young people, especially young women. You are more likely to get it if you don't consistently use a condom, or if you have multiple partners. What are the symptoms of chlamydia?Chlamydia doesn't usually cause any symptoms. So you may not realize that you have it. People with chlamydia who have no symptoms can still pass the disease to others. If you do have symptoms, they may not appear until several weeks after you have sex with an infected partner. Symptoms in women include:
If the infection spreads, you might get lower abdominal pain, pain during sex, nausea, or fever. Symptoms in men include:
If the chlamydia infects the rectum (in men or women), it can cause rectal pain, discharge, and/or bleeding. How is chlamydia diagnosed?There are lab tests to diagnose chlamydia. Your health care provider may ask you to provide a urine sample. For women, providers sometimes use (or ask you to use) a cotton swab to get a sample from your vagina to test for chlamydia. Who should be tested for chlamydia?You should go to your health provider for a test if you have symptoms of chlamydia, or if you have a partner who has a sexually transmitted disease. Pregnant women should get a test when they go to their first prenatal visit. People at higher risk should get checked for chlamydia every year:
What other problems can chlamydia cause?In women, an untreated infection can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause permanent damage to your reproductive system. This can lead to long-term pelvic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Women who have had chlamydia infections more than once are at higher risk of serious reproductive health complications. Men often don't have health problems from chlamydia. Sometimes it can infect the epididymis (the tube that carries sperm). This can cause pain, fever, and, rarely, infertility. Both men and women can develop reactive arthritis because of a chlamydia infection. Reactive arthritis is a type of arthritis that happens as a "reaction" to an infection in the body. Babies born to infected mothers can get eye infections and pneumonia from chlamydia. It may also make it more likely for your baby to be born too early. Untreated chlamydia may also increase your chances of getting or giving HIV/AIDS. What are the treatments for chlamydia?Antibiotics will cure the infection. You may get a one-time dose of the antibiotics, or you may need to take medicine every day for 7 days. Antibiotics cannot repair any permanent damage that the disease has caused. To prevent spreading the disease to your partner, you should not have sex until the infection has cleared up. If you got a one-time dose of antibiotics, you should wait 7 days after taking the medicine to have sex again. If you have to take medicine every day for 7 days, you should not have sex again until you have finished taking all of the doses of your medicine. It is common to get a repeat infection, so you should get tested again about three months after treatment. Can chlamydia be prevented?The only sure way to prevent chlamydia is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading chlamydia. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Start Here
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National Institutes of HealthThe primary NIH organization for research on Chlamydia Infections is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases DisclaimersMedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines. Can you get chlamydia non sexually?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.
How did I get chlamydia and my partner didn t?As most people do not have symptoms, it is possible the person (who tested positive) could have had chlamydia/gonorrhea from a previous relationship, and has not passed it to their partner yet. It is never 100% that you will pass an STI when you have sex.
What causes chlamydia other than sexually?STDs can spread without even having sex.
Things like kissing a loved one or family member, conducting oral, sharing contaminated food, borrowing unclean towels, and more can transmit STDs like chlamydia, herpes, and hepatitis.
How can you tell if a man has chlamydia?Symptoms in men
pain when urinating. white, cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis. burning or itching in the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) pain in the testicles.
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