What Are the Most
Common Chlamydia
Symptoms?

Imagine that one day you wake up and you're not feeling good, you have pain in your lower abdomen, and it burns like crazy when you pee. Then, you get a text from your sexual partner saying that they've just been diagnosed with chlamydia! Your heart starts racing and you think — what on earth is chlamydia, how did I get it, and how dangerous is it? Yikes! This is some scary stuff, but it's important to know that chlamydia is really easy to treat.

Talking with someone about chlamydia can help ease some of the concerns you might have about the infection. Our medical providers at Wisp are here for you! We know how frightening chlamydia might seem, but we will listen to you, ask some questions, and prescribe the right medicine so that you can clear the chlamydia infection up. With that in mind, let’s talk about how you can get chlamydia (it spreads in more ways than you might think!), chlamydia symptoms, and what you can do about them.

How Do I Get Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by bacteria. You get chlamydia when you exchange fluids – specifically semen and vaginal secretions – with someone who has the bacteria in their system.

The chlamydia bacteria can be transferred from an infected partner during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. When one infected person's genitals touch someone else's body, even without penetrative intercourse, the bacteria can be transmitted from one partner to the next. We’ll repeat this one because it’s important: chlamydia infection can occur during oral sex if either person has the bacteria!

There are three strains of chlamydia bacteria, and Chlamydia trachomatis is the one that causes the STI. If the bacteria continue to live in your body untreated, you'll start to feel some discomfort and typical chlamydia symptoms. If you continue to have sex before getting treatment, you can spread the infection to others.

Symptoms of Chlamydia

One of the frustrating things about chlamydia is that it is often asymptomatic. 40 to 96 percent of chlamydia infections in both men and women show no symptoms at all, which is why transmission and reinfection are so common. That's why it's super important to get tested on a regular basis if you're sexually active. With testing, you'll have peace of mind that if you are carrying the bacteria, you can treat the infection quickly, and not spread it to your sexual partners.

As we mentioned, it’s very possible to have chlamydia without having any symptoms. And when you do have symptoms, they can vary from person to person. The signs of chlamydia for guys are different than for women, so it’s important to know what to watch out for if you suspect you have chlamydia. Let’s dive into the details below.

Chlamydia Symptoms in Women

Sometimes you know when something’s not right after sex. When you have obvious signs of a chlamydia infection, like unusual vaginal discharge or burning, it’s definitely time to get tested and seek out medical help! Once you recognize the symptoms, getting treatment for chlamydia will have you feeling better in no time.

Common chlamydia symptoms in women include:

• Painful urination. Painful urination is often associated with UTIs, but it’s also a common symptom of chlamydia.
• Abnormal vaginal discharge. The discharge is often strong-smelling and may have a yellowish color.
• Pain during intercourse. Painful intercourse is a common symptom of chlamydia because the vagina and cervix are swollen.
• Lower belly or back pain. You may experience a dull pain in your lower back, stomach area, or pelvic area along with a fever.
• Bleeding between periods or after intercourse. The inflammation caused by the chlamydia bacteria may cause you to bleed between menstrual cycles or after sexual intercourse.

Chlamydia Symptoms in Men

It’s very common to have chlamydia without knowing it, as it often comes without any noticeable symptoms. That said, it’s important to know the signs of chlamydia for guys—and to test yourself regularly, of course!

Common chlamydia symptoms in men include:

• Painful urination: A burning sensation when you urinate is common in UTIs, but it can also be a sign of chlamydia.
• Penile discharge: Chlamydia can cause penile discharge that has a strong odor and is milky or watery.
• Lower belly pain: You might experience dull pain in your lower abdomen and pelvic area.
• Testicular pain: When left untreated, chlamydia bacteria can cause epididymitis, which is the swelling of the testicular tubes where sperm mature.

Chlamydia Symptoms from Anal and Oral Sex

You can also get a chlamydia infection in your anus from receiving anal sex or from the passage of fluids during vaginal sex. Symptoms of chlamydia of the anus include:

• Pain
• Anal discharge
• Anal bleeding

And, you guessed it, you can also get a chlamydia infection in your throat from oral sex. This can cause a cough, sore throat, or dry throat, but it’s possible to carry the bacteria without knowing it.

How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed?

For ease, privacy and convenience, having an online consultation with licensed medical providers at Wisp allows you to avoid having to leave your home and go to an in-person medical provider or clinic. We'll ask you specific questions, go over your medical and sexual history and once we diagnose your STI, we'll refer you to a lab to get tested, and if safe and appropriate, prescribe the proper medicine to begin treatment immediately.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Untreated Chlamydia?

When you test regularly, chlamydia is easy to detect and treat so normally you won't have any long-term effects. However, if you don't realize you have the infection and don’t get treated, chlamydia can cause some serious long-term effects. For women, chlamydia can lead to several reproductive issues, including:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Infertility

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of internal reproductive organs often caused by bacteria from untreated STIs, like chlamydia. These bacteria can travel from the vagina to the uterus, fallopian tubes, or into the ovaries and cause scarring. The scarring from PID can lead to infertility and increase your risk of ectopic pregnancies.

Since chlamydia substantially increases the risk of PID, getting yearly GYNO exams along with regular screening for chlamydia is a must! Using condoms and testing for STIs will help keep your reproductive system healthy and free from disease or infections.

What Is the Treatment for Chlamydia?

The good news is that chlamydia is easily treated with oral antibiotics. Generally, a Wisp medical provider will prescribe azithromycin or doxycycline. The dosage of the antibiotic can vary depending on the severity of the infection. The licensed medical provider may prescribe an antibiotic to be taken in one dose or over several days. It's important that your sexual partner also gets treated for chlamydia, so you don't reinfect one another.

Be sure to take the full dose of antibiotics for the prescribed amount of time, so the medicine can effectively kill all of the chlamydia bacteria. After treatment, get screened again to make sure there are no bacteria left.

Keep in mind that after taking antibiotics, you may get a yeast infection. If you suspect that you have a yeast infection, Wisp offers prescription antifungal medicine shipped directly and discreetly to your home.

How Can I Prevent Getting Chlamydia?

Because chlamydia is sexually transmitted, it's fairly easy to protect yourself from infection. The best ways to protect yourself include:

• Using condoms: Use high-quality condoms every time you have sex.
• Avoiding sex if you have tested positive for chlamydia: Wait to have sex until you and your partner have completed the treatment.
• Getting regular screenings: Get tested at a clinic or with an at-home test every three months if you have frequent sex, sex with multiple partners, or have had sex with someone you suspect may have the chlamydia infection.
• Taking DoxyPEP for STD prevention: DoxyPEP works like the morning after pill, but for STIs! Take DoxyPEP within 72 hours of unprotected sex to lower your risk of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

Remember! These sneaky bacteria don't always come with symptoms, so it can be hard to know whether you have chlamydia or not. This is one of the reasons that chlamydia is such a common STI. After all, if you don't have symptoms, how are you supposed to know you have chlamydia?

Our answer to that common question: Regular screening, at-home testing, or a private STI consultation with Wisp medical providers is the best way to know if you have Chlamydia or another harmful STI.

Chlamydia is easy to avoid, easy to treat, and you can enjoy a happy, healthy sex life without worrying about getting the bacteria. Just follow the helpful tips we've offered, be proactive, and don't hesitate to contact our licensed medical providers at Wisp with any questions or concerns. We're happy to speak with you at any time.