What Are the Most
Common Chlamydia
Symptoms?

Symptoms of Chlamydia

Imagine that one day you wake up and you're not feeling good, you have pain in your lower abdomen, it burns like crazy when you pee and 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 professional staff and doctors 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.

What Is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a bacteria that you get when you exchange fluids (semen and vaginal secretions) with someone who has it so it's considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are three strains of chlamydia bacteria, and the one called 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 if you continue to have sex, you can spread the infection to others.

One of the frustrating things about chlamydia is that it is often asymptomatic — the body doesn't even show symptoms of having the infection. 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.

How Do I Get Chlamydia?

The chlamydia bacteria is transferred from an infected partner during vaginal, anal or oral sex. When one infected person's genitals touch someone else's body, even without intercourse, the bacteria can be transmitted from one partner to the next. A chlamydia infection can also occur during oral sex if either person has the bacteria.

What Are Chlamydia Symptoms If You Have a Vagina?

When you have obvious signs of a chlamydia infection, like discharge or burning, you can tell that something's not right and you'll seek out medical help. However, because these sneaky bacteria often don't show symptoms in the human body, it can be hard to know that you're even carrying it. This is one of the reasons that chlamydia is such a common STI. If you don't have symptoms, how are you supposed to know you have chlamydia?

Regular screening or a private STI consultation with wisp doctors is the best way to know if you have the Chlamydia trachomatis You may have chlamydia if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Painful urination. There are other reasons to have pain when urinating, but this is a common symptom when you have 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 the lower back, the stomach area or in the 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.

How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed?

For ease, privacy and convenience, having an online consultation with the professional and licensed doctors at Wisp allows you to avoid having to leave your home and go to the doctor 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?

Chlamydia is easy to detect and treat so normally you won't have any long-term effects. However, if you don't get treated, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is an infection of internal reproductive organs. Bacteria travel from the vagina to the uterus, fallopian tubes or into the ovaries. PID can cause scarring in the fallopian tubes, which may lead to infertility. Getting yearly GYNO exams along with regular screening for chlamydia will help keep your reproductive system healthy and free from disease or infections.

What Is the Treatment for Chlamydia?

The good news is that with oral antibiotics, chlamydia is easily treated. Generally, a Wisp doctor will prescribe azithromycin or doxycycline. The dosage of the antibiotic can vary depending on the severity of the infection. The doctor 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, consult with our Wisp doctors. If you do have a yeast infectio, we'll prescribe antifungal medicine, which we'll discreetly ship it to your home, so no one knows that you have it or are taking medicine for it.

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 your self 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. Do this at least once a year or more often if you're under 25 years old and have frequent sex with multiple partners, or have had sex with someone you suspect may have the chlamydia infection.

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 professional staff at Wisp with any questions or concerns. We're happy to speak with you at any time.