Can you get chlamydia twice

Yes, Chlamydia Can Come Back: 10 Things to Know

Yes, you can contract chlamydia more than once, although it’s rare for it to reoccur or persist after correct treatment.

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics, usually azithromycin or doxycycline.

In order to make sure chlamydia is cured, you need to take the full course of antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor. You need to take every single dose — don’t stop taking the antibiotics until there are none left.

If you’ve taken all your antibiotics but you still have symptoms, contact your doctor or another healthcare professional.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), you’ll need a follow-up test three months after treatment to ensure that the infection is cured.

There are a few reasons why you might contract chlamydia a second time:

• The initial infection wasn’t cured because the course of antibiotics wasn’t completed as directed.
• A sexual partner transmitted chlamydia to you.
• You used a sex toy that was contaminated with chlamydia.

A 2014 study suggests that chlamydia can live in the gastrointestinal tract and reinfect the genitals, causing chlamydia symptoms to reappear after the genital infection went away.

However, this study only looked at animal models of chlamydia. Research on human participants is needed.

The symptoms of chlamydia typically disappear once you finish your antibiotics. This can vary in time, as some chlamydia antibiotic courses are one dose taken on one day, while others last longer.

The CDC recommends waiting seven days after a one-day antibiotic, or until the end of a seven-day antibiotic course, before having partner sex again.

No home remedy for chlamydia can replace antibiotics. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, so you need to take antibiotics to cure it.

However, there are a few ways you can soothe symptoms while you wait for the antibiotics to get to work. For example:

• Use pain medications, such as ibuprofen to reduce pain
• Use a cold pack to soothe inflammation.
• A herb called goldenseal might reduce inflammation and other symptoms.
• Use an echinacea supplement aid your immune system.

Remember that these home remedies might soothe the symptoms of chlamydia, but they don’t actually cure chlamydia in itself. The best way to soothe the symptoms is to use antibiotics.

If you take your antibiotics as directed, chlamydia is likely to go away. But if it’s left untreated, it can cause a few complications.

For example, if you have a vulva, you could develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is a painful infection that could damage your uterus, cervix, and ovaries.

Untreated chlamydia can also lead to scarred fallopian tubes, which can cause infertility.

If you’re pregnant, untreated chlamydia can be transmitted to the baby during vaginal delivery. Chlamydia can cause eye infections and pneumonia in newborns.

Untreated chlamydia can lead to epididymitis, which is when the epididymis (the tube that holds the testicles in place) becomes inflamed, causing pain.

Chlamydia can also spread to the prostate gland, which can lead to painful sex, lower back pain, and a fever.

Fortunately, treatment for chlamydia is relatively straightforward. And if it’s treated quickly, you’re unlikely to experience any long-term complications.

If you have a sexual partner, or if you’ve recently had sex with someone, talk with them about your chlamydia diagnosis. They’ll need to get tested and treated, too.

If your sexual partner doesn’t seek treatment, there’s a risk that they can transmit it back to you, even after your infection has been cured.

Need help starting the conversation? Check out our tips on sharing your STI status.

To prevent chlamydia from reoccurring, there are a few steps you can take:

• Take all your antibiotics as directed by a healthcare professional, even if your symptoms improve.
• Ensure your current sexual partner is also treated for chlamydia so you don’t transmit it back and forth.
• Clean all sex toys thoroughly. Read our handy guide to cleaning sex toys.
• Use barrier methods like condoms during sexual activity.

A type of bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis causes chlamydia. This bacterium can take hold in the tissues of your genitals, anus, eyes, or throat.

It’s usually transmitted from one person to another during penetrative vaginal or anal sex or oral sex, although sex without penetration can also transmit it.

Chlamydia can also be transmitted to a baby during vaginal delivery if the person giving birth has an untreated chlamydia infection.

If you suspect you have chlamydia, see a healthcare professional as soon as possible. Abstain from all sexual activity until your appointment.

If you aren’t comfortable getting tested for STIs with your usual provider, you can find a clinic in your area.

There are many free or low-cost clinics. Here’s how to find one near you.

You can also visit GetTested or call CDC Info at 800-232-4636 (TTY: 888-232-6348) to find local clinics.

It’s possible to have chlamydia more than once.

To prevent reoccurrence or reinfection, finish your full course of antibiotic treatment, and talk with your sexual partner(s) about getting tested and treated for chlamydia, too.

Sian Ferguson is a freelance health and cannabis writer based in Cape Town, South Africa. She’s passionate about empowering readers to take care of their mental and physical health through science-based, empathetically delivered information.

10 Essential Facts About Chlamydia

Chlamydia often causes no symptoms in the short term, but it can have serious health consequences if it goes untreated.

By Mark HenricksMedically Reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD

Reviewed: June 26, 2019

Medically Reviewed

If you’re sexually active, you should know about chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted bacterial infection. These 10 facts will bring you up to speed on who’s at risk, why regular screening is so important, and how to avoid getting chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

About 1.7 million chlamydia infections were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2017, but the real number is likely higher because chlamydia is considered an underreported infection.

"The number of reported cases is substantially lower than the true estimated incidence," says Bradley Stoner, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and former president of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association.

The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System relies on state and local public health departments to collect and report data on chlamydia (and certain other STIs) to the CDC. Those public health departments depend on individual physicians, hospitals, and laboratories to report cases of chlamydia to them. Accurate statistics require all parties to routinely comply with disease-reporting mandates.

The bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis causes chlamydia infection, which usually occurs in the genital tract, so the cervix in women and the penis in men. In both women and men, the bacteria may also infect the rectum and the throat.

"Infections are spread during any kind of sexual activity: vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse," says Jonathan Schaffir, MD, an ob-gyn at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

Chlamydia trachomatis can also cause conjunctivitis (pink eye) if the bacteria come into contact with the eyelids or the clear membrane covering the white of the eye.

Because chlamydia infections often cause no symptoms, individuals who have one may not seek medical attention or get treated for it. However, anyone who is infected with chlamydia can pass it to other people, who can, in turn, pass it to others.

Women between ages 15 and 24 are most likely to be newly infected with chlamydia, according to the CDC, but anyone who is sexually active — male or female — can be infected. Men who have oral or anal sex with men are also at risk, notes the CDC. The CDC recommends regular chlamydia screenings for people at an increased risk of contracting it.

You should be screened annually for chlamydia if you are:

• A sexually active woman under age 25
• A woman age 25 or older who has multiple sexual partners
• A woman whose sexual partner may have multiple sexual partners
• Pregnant and under age 25 or pregnant and age 25 or older with an increased risk (pregnant women at risk for chlamydia should be screened as early as possible in the pregnancy, with a repeat screening in the third trimester)
• A man who has sex with men
• At an increased risk for other health reasons

“I would emphasize that young women should be screened if they engage in any sexual behavior that puts them at risk because [chlamydia] often has no symptoms, and early treatment is important to avoid long-term damage and infertility,” Dr. Schaffir says.

Screening for chlamydia is painless: It usually involves testing a urine sample or a specimen swabbed from the vagina or penis. Some lab tests for chlamydia can use specimens from the throat or rectum.

You can only get chlamydia by having intimate sexual contact with an infected person, not from casual contact, touching another person’s clothing, or consuming contaminated food or water.

“The chlamydia organism lives only in human cells and cannot be transmitted by external contact, such as towels or toilet seats,” Schaffir says.

“By and large, most cases of chlamydia are asymptomatic — they are picked up by screening, which is why it's so important to have good screening programs in place,” notes Dr. Stoner. Men or women who have chlamydia symptoms may experience painful urination.

Women may also have these symptoms:

• Abdominal pain
• Smelly discharge from the cervix
• Pain during sex
• Bleeding after sex
• Bleeding between periods

And men may have these symptoms:

• Discharge from the penis
• Painful testicles

6. Chlamydia Infection May Have Long-Term Health Consequences

For women, the long-term effects of an untreated chlamydia infection may include:

• Severe infection with pain and fever requiring a hospital stay
• Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the upper reproductive tract
• Scarring in the reproductive tract that causes infertility
• Higher risk of ectopic pregnancy

Men are less likely than women to have major health problems linked to chlamydia, although they can develop epididymitis, an inflammation of a structure within the testicles called the epididymis that can result in infertility.

A chlamydia infection can sometimes result in reactive arthritis in both men and women.

When a baby is exposed to the mother’s untreated chlamydia infection during childbirth, the infant can contract an eye infection or pneumonia, requiring treatment with antibiotics. Chlamydia during pregnancy also raises the risk of premature birth and low birth weight.

Antibiotics prescribed for chlamydia include:

• Zithromax (azithromycin)
• Doryx (doxycycline)

A single oral dose of Zithromax is the most common treatment. Other drugs may be given in varying doses for a period of up to a week. Most cases of chlamydia clear up within a week after you start on antibiotics.

“If you think you have been exposed to chlamydia,” Stoner says, “see your healthcare provider to receive antibiotic medication to prevent the onset of infection.”

The partners of individuals diagnosed with chlamydia will need treatment, too, and in some states they can get it without a doctor visit through a practice called “expedited partner therapy,” in which the first person treated delivers the treatment to their partner or partners.

With some diseases, having one infection makes you immune to future infections. That's not the case with chlamydia. If you engage in sexual activity with a person who has a chlamydia infection, you can get it again, even if you've just completed treatment for it.

"Both partners should be treated before reinitiating sexual intercourse to prevent relapse," Schaffir says.

The most effective way to avoid getting a sexually transmitted infection is to not have sex. However, if you wish to have sexual contact, you can reduce your risk of infection with these actions:

• Minimizing the number of partners with whom you have intimate contact
• Asking your partners to get screened for STDs (and getting screened yourself) before engaging in sexual activity
• Always using latex condoms when having intercourse of any kind

Additional reporting by Ingrid Strauch.

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What Is Chlamydia? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Chlamydia - KVD №2

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). The disease is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis (Chlamydia trachomatis), which affects the female genital area and is the cause of non-gonococcal urethritis in men. Manifestations of chlamydia are usually minor or absent, but serious complications develop. Complications can cause irreparable damage to the body, including infertility - all this proceeds very secretly.

Chlamydia also causes penile discharge in infected men.

Chlamydia transmission routes

Chlamydia can be transmitted through:

• vaginal or anal contact with an infected partner;
• less common with oral sex;
• use of sex toys with an infected partner;
• infection of a newborn during childbirth from a sick mother.

Absolutely all sexually active people can get chlamydia. The greater the number of sexual partners, the greater the risk of infection. The risk of infection is especially high in girls, because their cervix is ​​not fully formed. About 75% of new cases occur in women under 25 years of age. By the age of 30, approximately 50% of sexually active women have had chlamydia. In sexually active men, the risk of infection is highest between the ages of 20 and 24.

You cannot get chlamydia through kisses, hugs, dishes, baths, towels.

Manifestations of chlamydia

Chlamydia is very secretive. About 75% of infected women and 50% of infected men are asymptomatic. If manifestations of the disease develop, then this occurs approximately 1 to 3 weeks after infection.

In women, chlamydia first affects the cervix and urethra (urinary canal).

Manifestations:

• unusual vaginal discharge;
• pain or discomfort when urinating;

If the infection penetrates to the appendages, manifestations are possible:

• pain in the lower abdomen;
• pain in the lumbar region;
• nausea;
• slight increase in temperature;
• pain during intercourse or bleeding after it;
• bleeding between periods.

Symptoms in men:

• clear or cloudy discharge from the penis;
• pain or discomfort when urinating;
• there may be burning and itching in the area of ​​the outlet of the urethra;
• rarely pain and/or swelling of the testicles.

Men or women who have anal sex with an infected partner can infect the rectum, resulting in inflammation, pain, discharge, or bleeding from the rectum.

Chlamydia can cause sore throat (pharyngitis) in men and women who have oral contact with an infected partner.

What complications can develop if chlamydia is not treated?

If the disease is not treated, serious short-term and persistent complications develop. Like the disease itself, complications often occur insidiously.

In women with untreated chlamydia, infection can spread from the urethra to the fallopian tubes (the tubes that carry the egg from the ovaries to the uterus) - this causes (in 40% of cases) the development of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID causes permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues. Chronic pelvic pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancy are the result of PID.

Women with chlamydia are more susceptible to HIV infection, the risk increases by almost 5 times.

To prevent serious consequences of chlamydia, annual chlamydia screening is required for all sexually active women 25 years of age and younger. An annual examination is necessary for women over 25 who are at risk (new sexual partner, multiple sexual partners). All pregnant women should be screened for chlamydia.

Complications of chlamydia are rare in men. The infection sometimes extends to the epididymis and causes pain, fever, and, rarely, male infertility (sterility).

Rarely, chlamydial infection can cause inflammation of the joints in combination with skin lesions, inflammation of the eyes and urinary tract - this is the so-called Reiter's syndrome.

The effect of chlamydia on a pregnant woman and her child

Chlamydia in pregnant women increases the risk of miscarriage, premature detachment of the placenta. Newborns from infected mothers can get eye and lung infections. A lung infection (pneumonia) can be fatal to a newborn.

Diagnosis of chlamydia

Diagnosis includes observation of the patient's clinical symptoms, testing for chlamydia smears from the cervix, scraping from the urinary canal, the first morning urine. Most often, the study is carried out by PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Swabs and scrapings may cause minor discomfort.

In addition, a blood test by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) for the presence of immunity to chlamydia is carried out, this auxiliary test often helps to establish an accurate diagnosis.

Treatment of chlamydia

Treatment of chlamydia is with oral antibiotics. To prevent re-infection, all sexual partners must be found, examined and treated. Patients with chlamydia should refrain from unprotected sex during treatment, otherwise it is possible to re-infect the sexual partner. Unfortunately, after successful treatment, re-infection with chlamydia is possible, since a strong immunity to this microorganism does not develop. Repeated infection of women with chlamydia leads to a significant increase in the risk of serious complications, including infertility. A re-examination is carried out 4 weeks after treatment.

Prevention of chlamydia

The best way to prevent sexually transmitted infections is through long-term sexual contact with one healthy sexual partner. Latex male condoms, when used correctly, drastically reduce the risk of transmission.

Annual chlamydia screening required for all sexually active women 25 years of age and younger. An annual examination is also necessary for women over 25 who are at risk (new sexual partner, multiple sexual partners). All pregnant women should be screened for chlamydia.

Any manifestations, such as pain or discomfort when urinating, unusual rash, discharge are a signal to stop sexual intercourse and immediately examine in a specialized clinic - KVD. If the patient is found to have chlamydia (or any other STI), he must inform his sexual partners so that they also undergo a full examination and appropriate treatment. This will reduce the risk of developing serious complications and prevent the possibility of re-infection.

Patients with chlamydia should refrain from unprotected sex during treatment, otherwise the sexual partner may be re-infected.

CHLAMYDIOSIS

CHLAMYDIOSIS

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a predominantly sexually transmitted infectious disease caused by chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) that can infect both men and women. It can cause serious harm to the female reproductive system, which can subsequently make it difficult or impossible for a woman to become pregnant. According to WHO, urogenital chlamydia is one of the most common diseases among STIs.

The causative agent of the disease is chlamydia, an intracellular parasite that, in its cycle of development, resembles both a virus and a bacterium. The incubation period for the development of chlamydia is from 5-7 days to 3-6 weeks (average 20-30 days)

How is chlamydia transmitted?

1. Sexual contact, including vaginal, anal and oral sex. The probability of transmission during a single sexual intercourse is 68% from an infected woman to a man and 25% from an infected man to a woman.

2. Vertical - infection of newborns (conjunctivitis or pneumonia) during childbirth from a sick mother when passing through the birth canal.

3. The contact-household route of infection with chlamydia is noted much less frequently, through bedding and toiletry, linen, etc. Cases of infection of the mucous membrane of the conjunctiva of the eye are described when transferring secretions from the genital organs with the hands.

What are the manifestations of chlamydial infection?

Most people with chlamydia have no symptoms, and many are unaware that they have the infection.

Women with symptoms may notice unusual vaginal discharge, burning during urination. In addition, periodic aching pains in the lower abdomen and during intercourse, as well as post-contact spotting, are possible.

Symptoms in men may include: discharge from the penis; burning sensation when urinating; pain and swelling in one or both testicles (although this is less common).

Men and women can also get chlamydia in the rectum. It occurs during anal sex, or by spread from another infected site (such as the vagina). Although these infections often cause no symptoms, they can cause rectal pain, discharge, and bleeding.

How to find out about infection with chlamydia?

Laboratory tests are available to diagnose chlamydia. The most accurate and sensitive is PCR, which makes it possible to detect even a small amount of the pathogen in the test material. For research, scrapings are taken from the cervix and from the urethra, blood, semen, urine.

What are the complications of chlamydial infection?

The initial harm caused by chlamydia often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems. Urogenital complications of chlamydia in men are chlamydial prostatitis, urethritis, epididymitis.

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