How fast chlamydia can be cured

Basic Fact Sheet Detailed Version. Basic fact sheets are presented in plain language for individuals with general questions about sexually transmitted diseases. The content here can be syndicated added to your web site. Print version pdf icon. Chlamydia is a common STD that can infect both men and women. This can make it difficult or impossible for her to get pregnant later on. Chlamydia can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy pregnancy that occurs outside the womb.

This can happen if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia. If you are pregnant, you can give chlamydia to your baby during childbirth. If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting chlamydia:. Anyone who has sex can get chlamydia through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

However, sexually active young people are at a higher risk of getting chlamydia. This is due to behaviors and biological factors common among young people. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men are also at risk since chlamydia can spread through oral and anal sex.

Have an honest and open talk with your health care provider. Ask whether you should be tested for chlamydia or other STDs. If you are a sexually active woman younger than 25 years, you should get a test for chlamydia every year.

If you are an older woman with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has an STD, you should get a test for chlamydia every year. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; as well as pregnant women should also get tested for chlamydia. If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection to your baby during delivery.

This could cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your newborn. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby too early. Male Condom Use. July 6, Sources Chlamydia Treatment and Care. October 31, American Sexual Health Association. Health Topics. Health Tools. Reviewed: April 9, Medically Reviewed. Your partner must take an antibiotic, too, to keep them from reinfecting you, she says. Put Sex on Hold During and After Chlamydia Treatment If you were given a single dose of antibiotics to treat your chlamydia, you should not have any kind of sex for a full seven days after the day you took the medicine.

Get Retested Following Treatment Many people have more than one chlamydia infection. If you are going to have sex, the two most important things you can do to lower your chances of getting chlamydia are: Only have sex within a long-term relationship with one other person, who only has sex with you and who has tested negative for STDs. Such a relationship is called a mutually monogamous relationship.

Use latex condoms the right way every time you have sex. These two things are: Talk openly. Parents are often focused on preventing pregnancy, says Dombrowski, which can be achieved with various contraceptives besides condoms.

Parents can leave condoms lying around where kids will find them, without saying much of anything about the condoms, she suggests. School-Based Prevention Can Work Schools also have a role to play in prevention by offering children and teens good sex education. Such programs: Are delivered by trained instructors Are age-appropriate Include skill-building components, with a focus on abilities such as communication and planning Involve parents as well as other organizations that serve young people or health organizations The Costs of Infertility Treating chlamydia is easy, but for those who do not get treated or get treated too late, living with the damage caused by the infection can be hard.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking. Signs and symptoms. Other parts of the body There are rarely any symptoms if the infection is in the rectum back passage but it may cause discomfort and discharge. Infection in the throat is less common than genital infection and usually has no symptoms.

How will I know if I have chlamydia? You can only be certain you have chlamydia if you have a test. What causes chlamydia? How chlamydia's passed on. Chlamydia is usually passed from one person to another through sexual contact. Check ups and tests. How soon after sex can I have a test? What does a chlamydia test involve? If you have a vulva, you may be asked to take a swab around the inside of your vagina yourself.

A doctor or nurse may take a swab during an internal examination of your vagina and cervix entrance to the womb. You may be asked to provide a urine sample. A doctor or nurse may take a swab from the entrance of the urethra tube where urine comes out. If you have symptoms of conjunctivitis an eye infection swabs will be used to collect a sample of discharge from your eye s.

How accurate are the tests? Where can I get a test? There are a number of services you can go to. Choose the one you feel most comfortable with. You can also choose to pay for a chlamydia test at a private clinic. Will I have to pay for tests? Will I know how long I've had the infection? Will I have to pay for treatment? What's the treatment for chlamydia? You may also need other treatment if complications have occurred.

When will the signs and symptoms go away? You should notice an improvement quite quickly after having treatment. Discharge or pain when you urinate should improve within a week. Bleeding between periods or heavier periods should improve by your next period. Pelvic pain and pain in the testicles should start to improve quickly but may take up to two weeks to go away.

Do I need to have a test to check that the chlamydia has gone? A repeat test can be done 5—6 weeks after the first test. What happens if chlamydia isn't treated?

If you have a vulva, chlamydia can spread to other reproductive organs causing pelvic inflammatory disease PID. This can lead to long-term pelvic pain, blocked fallopian tubes, infertility and ectopic pregnancy when the pregnancy develops outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. In people with a vulva, chlamydia can also cause pain and inflammation around the liver, though this is rare. This usually gets better with the correct antibiotic treatment.

If you have a penis, chlamydia can lead to infection in the testicles.