Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection globally. It is estimated that 2.86 million infections occur annually. Since it’s so common, some people may assume that it’s no big deal. However, chlamydia can be a very serious infection which can have a serious impact on your health.
The infection can cause many long-term complications. In up to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia, the infection spreads to the uterus and fallopian tubes, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease. In addition, some women experience subclinical inflammation of the upper genital tract. This can cause permanent damage to the affected tissues and ultimately lead to infertility.
Keep reading to learn some more facts about this very common bacterial sexually transmitted infection.
Chlamydia does not (always) go away on its own.
Some diseases and infections can go away on their own, so it’s not surprising that people sometimes assume that chlamydia will go away on its own? The truth is, it sometimes does. In about 20% of people who have no symptoms, chlamydia may resolve spontaneously without treatment. This means that under certain circumstances the body’s immune responses can control chlamydia naturally.
Untreated chlamydia can go on without any symptoms for a long period of time. That’s why it’s so important to get tested for STIs routinely and hopefully catch it early. When chlamydia isn’t treated, it can cause a number of serious complications. In women, the infection can spread to the uterus and uterine tubes, while in men, it can spread to the prostate gland. Chlamydia can also cause reactive arthritis, which affects your joints and eyes.
Some people claim that chlamydia can be treated with home remedies like garlic and turmeric, but these remedies are unproven and should be avoided. The only proven cure for chlamydia is treatment with antibiotics, which usually clear up the infection in a week or two.
Chlamydia can have a negative effect on your pregnancy or reproductive health
Chlamydia can cause complications for both pregnancy and fertility.
Chlamydia can cause many complications for pregnant women and their babies. When the infection is left untreated, it can cause preterm delivery. Babies who are born prematurely can have problems with their lungs, hearts, or brains. The infection can spread to the baby, resulting in pneumonia, eye infections, and other complications. Due to these risks, pregnant women are routinely screened for chlamydia.
Chlamydia can also cause complications for women who want to get pregnant. If untreated chlamydia spreads to other parts of the reproductive system, like the uterus and fallopian tubes which can be damaged. The result of this type of damage is infertility. Damage to the fallopian tubes could also result in an ectopic pregnancy. This means a fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus, usually inside the fallopian tube. These pregnancies aren’t viable and may put the mother’s life at risk.
Having chlamydia in the past does not make you immune.
With some diseases, when you’ve previously been infected, you can’t catch them again. Unfortunately, this isn’t true for chlamydia. Repeat chlamydia infections are common.
If you’ve had chlamydia in the past, you have no immunity against the infection. If you’re sexually active with somebody who has the infection, you could catch it again. Since reinfection is common, you should get tested for chlamydia about three months after being treated for the infection.
You can’t catch chlamydia from a toilet seat
There are very few infections you can catch from a toilet seat and thankfully Chlamydia isn’t one of them.
There’s no need to worry about catching chlamydia in a public bathroom. Even if you share a toilet seat with someone who has it, you can’t get the infection. You also can’t catch chlamydia from sharing items like towels.
Usually, chlamydia spreads through unprotected sex. It’s also possible to get the disease if you share sex toys with someone who has the infection. Sex toys should be washed or covered with a condom. If your partner has vaginal fluid or semen on their fingers, it may be possible to spread the infection that way.
You can catch chlamydia through oral or anal sex
Mamy people think that it’s not possible to get chlamydia through oral or anal sex, but this is just a myth. If you have unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex, you could get chlamydia.
While it’s possible to get chlamydia through any of these sex acts, the risk varies depending on the type of sex you’re having. Chlamydia isn’t commonly passed through cunnilingus, but it’s possible. The infection is commonly passed through fellatio and anal sex.
No matter what type of sex you’re having, it’s always a good idea to use protection. This may include dental dams or condoms, depending on the sex act. Other types of contraception, like birth control pills and IUDs, don’t provide any protection against chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections.
You may have chlamydia and not show any symptoms (immediately)
Chlamydia doesn’t usually cause any symptoms in the early stage. When symptoms do occur, they can be easily overlooked.
For most women with chlamydia, the infection doesn’t cause any symptoms. About half of men don’t experience symptoms, either. This is why it’s so important to get tested regularly. For sexually active women under 25, yearly testing is recommended. Women who are over 25 should get tested when they have new partners or have other risk factors for chlamydia.
If symptoms occur, they usually start one to three weeks after infection. In women, these symptoms may include vaginal discharge, pain during sex, or painful urination. For men, signs of chlamydia may include discharge from the penis or pain in the testicles. Sometimes, due to the lack of severity and non-specific nature of these symptoms, it’s easy to overlook them.
If you’re sexually active, you should make a point of getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases regularly and also pay attention to any symptoms, no matter how mild, and discuss them with a doctor if possible.
