KNOW THE SIGNS
I’m a doctor – here are 5 signs you have chlamydia and how you can treat it
CHLAMYDIA is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the UK.
Up to one in 10 young people are thought to have it at any time - but many have absolutely no idea.
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Up to 80 per cent of infected women and 50 per cent of infected men experience no symptoms at all, making it difficult to detect and easy to pass on.
However, there are some subtle signs to look out for after unprotected sex.
Dr Andrew Hart-Pinto, an NHS doctor from Liverpool, said in a video for JHP Medical: "Chlamydia doesn't also cause symptoms if you have an infection."
He said the five most common signs in men are:
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- Pain when passing urine
- Unusual penile discharge
- Testicle pain
- Urethral itching
- Burning sensation
And for women, the five most common symptoms are:
- Pain when passing urine
- Unusual vaginal discharge
- Pain during sex
- Bleeding between periods or after sex
- Abdominal or pelvic pain
Depending on the type of intercourse, symptoms may present in other areas.
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For example, you may experience discomfort or unusual discharge from your bottom after anal sex, or a sore throat may emerge after oral sex.
If you think you may have chlamydia, you should seek a test from your GP, pharmacy or sexual health clinic.
They are quick, easy and painless, and involve a swab from the vagina, bottom or throat, or a urine sample.
You should receive your results in about seven to 10 days.
If you test positive, Dr Hart-Pinto said the treatment process is straightforward, with a short course of antibiotics.
This is usually a twice-daily doxycycline pill taken for seven days, but you may also be given azithromycin to take once a day for three days.
"One really important point is that you must complete the entire course of antibiotics, even if you start feeling better," he added.
Dr Hart-Pinto also said it's crucial to recognise that once treated, you can still be re-infected.
Your partner should therefore receive the same treatment, and you should avoid sex until one week after your contacts have been treated.
If left untreated, chlamydia can cause serious problems, Dr Hart-Pinto warned.
For men, the infection can spread to the testicles, causing pain and swelling.
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And in women, the infection can progress to pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to persistent abdominal pain and long-term fertility issues so you could have difficulty getting pregnant in the future.
One simple way to reduce risk of contracting chlamydia is to use barrier contraception like condoms.
What is chlamydia?
CHLAMYDIA is a bacterial infection, usually spread through sex or contact with infected genital fluids.
It is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the UK and is passed on through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex.
You can also catch it by sharing sex toys, genital contact or getting infected semen or vaginal fluid into your eye, and it can be passed by a pregnant woman to her baby.
Chlamydia is particularly common in sexually active teenagers and young adults, with up to one in 10 thought to be infected at any time.
Most infected people do not notice any symptoms and do not know they have it.
If you do develop symptoms, you may experience:
- Pain when peeing
- Unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or bottom
- In women, pain in the tummy, bleeding after sex and bleeding between periods
- In men, pain and swelling in the testicles
If you think you're at risk of having an STI or have any symptoms of chlamydia, see your GP or local sexual health clinic.
Source: NHS
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