I’ve got chlamydia. Can I have sex?
No. Sorry! But the good news is that it is treatable, so hop in there and get it treated and when you’ve got the all clear you can get back on that bike.
I DON’T WANT TO GET CHLAMYDIA! WHAT DO I DO?
You have a right to a pleasurable and healthy sex life. And studies prove experiencing pleasure is important for our health and well-being.
Don’t deny yourself sexual pleasure to avoid STIs; rather, find fun, playful ways to have sex safely. Use condoms, dental dams and gloves. Wash sex toys and place fresh condoms on them before they’re used to pleasure a different person.
Make safe sex what you do in every sexual encounter. It lowers the risk but doesn’t eliminate it. So, be tested regularly, to be sure any infections are picked up early and treated.
Chlamydia is easily treated and cured with antibiotics.
Is Chlamydia a girls’ name?
No. What? NO! Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection. It’s Australia’s most frequently reported infectious disease. Those most at-risk are sexually active people under age 30.
How is it spread?
Chlamydia is spread by direct contact with infected bodily fluids (eg semen and vaginal fluid). You can contract it having unprotected oral, vaginal or anal sex. Sharing sex toys without washing them and covering with a new condom can also result in infection transmission. Chlamydia can infect your cervix, urethra, mouth and throat, anus, and eyes.
During childbirth, a baby can contract chlamydia from the birthing parent. Fortunately, chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics safely during pregnancy.
What are the symptoms?
Most people have no symptoms, so you can be infected with chlamydia without realising. You and/or your partner might have been infected for months, even years, without knowing.
Symptoms usually occur 2–21 days after having unprotected sex but it could be months later. Symptoms can also disappear after a few days, but this doesn’t mean you’re no longer infected. Whether or not there are symptoms, untreated chlamydia can lead to serious health problems.
Symptoms include:
- Frequent urination and/or pain (burning, stinging)
- A change in your vaginal discharge
- Bleeding or spotting between periods
- Bleeding after sex
- Rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding
- Pain or cramps in your lower stomach
- A clear or 'milky' discharge from the penis
- Redness at the opening of the penis
- Swelling or pain in one or both testicles
How do you test for chlamydia?
Ask your doctor. They will send a urine sample and/or a swab from your cervix, anus or throat off to a laboratory. The process is so easy, you could even self-collect with some instructions from your doctor.
You will also be tested for gonorrhoea - it’s been found many affected people have both. It’s a great idea, while you’re there, to get tested for other STIs.
Getting a check-up at the doctors, or having a cervical screening test, are both good opportunities to test for chlamydia.
Treatment
Chlamydia is easily treated and cured with antibiotics, but it’s vital the full course is taken. It’s also important not to have sex while being treated. If treatment’s a single dose of antibiotics, wait at least 7 days after taking the dose before having sex.
Don’t have sex with any partner from the past 6 months, until they’ve been tested and treated.
It’s important to be re-tested, three months after treatment, to ensure you’ve not been reinfected.
What if I don’t get treatment?
Untreated, chlamydia can cause serious complications, such as infertility and chronic pain.
If it spreads to the uterus and fallopian tubes, chlamydia can result in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This may also not produce symptoms but can negatively affect fertility, even lead to infertility.
Ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage and premature birth are also complications which can result from an untreated chlamydia infection.
Finding out you have Chlamydia
A positive STI test can be distressing. You might feel embarrassed and worried what other people will think. Try to remember you’re not alone - chlamydia is a very common STI, can be easily treated and you can fully recover.
You will need to inform all sexual partners of your positive test results, so they can be tested and treated (and help stop chlamydia spreading). If you’re anxious about contacting recent sexual partners, websites such as Let Them Know enable you to send anonymous text messages or emails.
References:
Let Them Know. https://letthemknow.org.au/