About this topic
Chlamydia is an infection you can catch during sex. This means it is a sexually-transmitted disease or STD. It is caused by a germ. It can also pass to your baby during pregnancy. ‚
Chlamydia may have no signs. If you have signs, they may happen 1 to 3 weeks after contact. Signs in women are: ‚
- Vaginal discharge with odor
- Burning when passing urine
- Bleeding between menstrual periods
- Pain during sex
- Itching or burning in or around the vagina
Men may have: ‚
- Discharge from the tip of the penis
- Pain when passing urine
- Itching or burning in or around the opening of the penis
Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics. It is important that you take all of the antibiotics the right way and finish your treatment ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Tell your sex partner(s) or those whom you had sex with in the past 3 to 6 months to get tested. They may need treatment as well.
- Avoid sharing sex toys. If you share toys, clean them and cover them with a condom before you use.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your doctor may ask you to get tested again in 4 weeks to make sure the infection is gone.
What drugs may be needed?
- Your doctor will order drugs to fight an infection. Take all drugs as ordered by your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have an allergy or any reaction to the drug.
- Be sure to take all of the drug. It is important that you finish the treatment.
- Do not share your drugs with anyone.
Will physical activity be limited?
Physical activity may not be limited. Do not have sex until you have finished the treatment and the doctor has told you it is safe to do so. ‚
What problems could happen?
If infection is not treated, it can: ‚
- Spread into the uterus
- Cause swelling of the testes
Chlamydia during pregnancy may cause: ‚
- Miscarriage
- Preterm baby
- Eye infection in your baby
- Your baby may develop serious problems
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- The only sure way to keep from getting or passing on a sexually-transmitted infection is to not have sexual contact with any person. This infection may be spread even if you do not have any signs of illness.
- Avoid contact with any sex partner known to have an infection.
- If you have sex, use latex condoms each time to lower spread of infection.
- If you are pregnant, get tested and get prompt treatment for Chlamydia infections. This will help avoid passing it to your baby.
- Avoid multiple sex partners. Be in a long-term relationship with only one person who has been tested and is known to have no infection.
- Get a regular check-up for STDs.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, pain with passing urine, blood in urine, mouth sores, a wound that will not heal, or anal itching or pain.
- Signs come back
- Soreness or bleeding in genitals
- Bleeding between menstrual periods
- Pain during sex
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what I can do to help avoid passing the infection to others.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have the same signs again, soreness or bleeding in my genitals, or pain during sex.
Where can I learn more?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/STDFact-Chlamydia.htm ‚
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease ‚
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/chlamydia/pages/default.aspx ‚
National Organization for Rare Diseases ‚
http://www.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases/byID/390/viewAbstract ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚