Chlamydia Symptoms: Understanding The "silent" STD Before It's Too Late

Ironically, the number one chlamydia symptom is no symptom. In fact most people who are infected with the chlamydia bacteria are surprised that they have an STD

If you have sex with new or more than one partner then you are at risk for chlamydia.

Another tricky part of identifying a chlamydia symptom is that chlamydia symptoms are similar to the gonorrhea symptoms - it is not uncommon to confuse these sexually transmitted diseases.

A Chlamydia Symptom Checklist

If you are concerned that you might be infected it might be helpful to know that if a a chlamydia symptom does appear, it usually appears within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure.

Possible areas that could be infected with these bacteria include:

• Surfaces of the urethra, vagina, and cervix

• Fallopian tubes

• Anus and rectum

• Lining of the eyelid

A chlamydia symptom can appear in women as any of the following:

• Vaginal discharge

• Vaginal bleeding

• Pain in the abdomen

• Lower back pain

• Fever

• Painful urination (burning during urination)

• Sore throat (less common, but the infection can spread with oral sex)

• Painful sexual intercourse

• No symptom

The GOLDEN RULE to identify a chlamydia symptom is to understand that the chlamydia bacteria will target the cells of the mucous membranes.

This is the soft, moist tissues of the body not covered by skin.

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Do you know which sexual activities pass the chlamydia infection?

A Chlamydia infection can be passed when the mucous membrane comes into contact with the mucous membrane secretions or semen of an infected person.

What this means for most women is that Chlamydia is passed through most sexual activities - but not all.

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 contact, although it is still possible.

So take note that it is important for women to know who there partner is before giving oral sex to a male partner.

On the other hand a women receiving oral sex from a partner has little to worry - oral sex is not known to pass the bacteria from mouth to vagina or anus.

Care also must be given to any contact with male or female sexual discharge.

Eye infections may result when discharge caries the disease into the eye during sex or hand-to-eye contact.

To review the following are 3 common ways chlamydia infection can be transmitted:

• Unprotected anal or vaginal sex

• Oral sex (less common)

• Wiping with toilet paper (Women who do not have anal sex can get chlamydia in the anus or rectum if bacteria are spread from the vaginal area)

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Warning: Sexually Active Women Need to Test for Chlamydia

I have mentioned this already - but it needs to be repeated!

About 4 million cases of chlamydia occur in the US each year and 50% of all men and 75% of all women who have chlamydia have no symptoms and don't know that they have the disease.

This is an easily treatable disease, however, if it goes undected it has serious consequense for your future sexual pleasure and fertility.

Here is what every sexual active and pregnant woman needs to know about the serious health issues if chlamydia is not treated early:

• Almost half of all women who get chlamydia and aren't treated by a doctor will get pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a generic term for infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries

• PID can cause scarring inside the reproductive organs, which can later cause serious complications, including chronic pelvic pain, difficulty becoming pregnant, ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, and other dangerous complications of pregnancy

• Chlamydia causes 250,000 to 500,000 cases of PID every year in the U.S.

Do you get the picture - do you see why it is so important to catch chlamydia early!

Because chlamydia is:

• Very common STD    
  
                            plus....

• It often doesn't produce symptoms

It really is a SILENT disease!

This can not be stressed enough - unprotected sex danagerous unless you are in a monogomous relationship with both partners having a negative STD test.

It is extermly important for you to practice safe sex and make regular testing as part of health routine.

Sexually Active Women Need to Test for Chlamydia Chlamydia screening is recommended annually for all sexually active women 25 years of age and younger.

An annual screening test also is recommended if you are a women older than 25 with risk factors for chlamydia (a new sex partner or multiple sex partners).

If you are pregnant you also should have a screening test for chlamydia.

There are 3 kinds of tests to diagnose chlamydia.

1. Tissue sample: Taken from an infected site (cervix or penis)

2. Urine test: Does not require a pelvic exam or swabbing of the penis

3. Blood Test: If you want to avoid the hassel and embrassement of a doctors visit until it is absolutely necessary, you can have a blood test without a doctors appointment by going directly to a certified blood lab.
   
   These blood labs are the same as the one's that your Doctor uses except you will not pay the middle-man fee. This can save you upto 40-70% and you will even have the results delivered in 24-48 hrs .
   
   The convenience and effectiveness of a blood test makes this an easy and great defense to screen for STD's.
   
   You can screen for individual STD's or test for upto 5 different STD's:
   
   

   • Chlamydia

   • Gonorrhea

   • HIV

   • Hepatitis B

   • Syphillis

Note, a Pap test is not a test for chlamydia.

Any genital symptoms such as discharge or burning during urination or unusual sore or rash should be a signal to stop having sex and to consult a health care provider immediately.

If a person has been treated for chlamydia (or any other STD), he or she should notify all recent sex partners so they can see a health care provider and be treated.

This will reduce the risk that the sex partners will develop serious complications from chlamydia and will also reduce the person's risk of becoming re-infected.

The person and all of his or her sex partners must avoid sex until they have completed their treatment for chlamydia.

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Chlamydia Quick Facts Review

• Reinfection can re-occur after successful treatment.

• If chlamydia is left untreated, it can cause sterility in both men and women.

• 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 the biggest preventable cause of blindness in the world. Blindness occurs as a complication of trachoma (chlamydia conjunctivitis).

• Chlamydia is not passed through things like shaking hands or toilet seats.
  
  

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Treatment of a Chlamydia Symptom

A Chlamydia symptom can be treated easily and effectively with antibiotics, especially azithromycin and doxycycline.

Both partners need to take the treatment in full, even if one has no symptoms.

Again it is important to remember that during this time, sex needs to be put on hold until the infection has cleared up.

If you are concerned that you have chlamydia, with a chlamydia symptom or without chlamydia symptom it's important to see a health care provider.

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External Resources

Think you have a chlamydia symptom? Need More Help? Here is more information

 

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