Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is caused by bacteria living in your partner’s throat or rectum. If you have chlamydia, it is difficult to tell if you have it because there are no symptoms. Therefore, regular testing is recommended if there is a history of changing sexual partners.
Every year, 1 in 15 sexually active women aged 14-19 will get chlamydia. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is transmitted through sexual contact. Chlamydia is most commonly transmitted through vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected partner. The bacteria that cause chlamydia are found in moist areas of your body (such as your vagina), where a lot of mucus is produced. That’s why they can easily get inside you if you touch them with wet hands after using the toilet or changing clothes during sex.
What are the Symptoms?
Chlamydia does not always cause symptoms immediately; up to half of women do not know they have it until they become pregnant because there are no obvious signs on their cervix (lower part of the womb). If left untreated, chlamydia can cause infertility in both men and women because it damages the fallopian tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus during ovulation (release).
Men and women can get chlamydia in the throat or rectum if they have unprotected sex with an infected partner. Although chlamydia often goes away on its own without treatment (it is not considered a chronic disease), it can cause serious complications in some people, including infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Chlamydia can be detected by a urine test. Urine testing takes up to 72 hours and is done in a laboratory. Chlamydia can also be detected by swabbing inside your vagina or penis with an applicator; this method gives results in about two hours.
Self-Pay SPB Testing at NYD
Both types of tests – self-testing with a swab and more accurate testing with a urine sample (via the NLZOH) – are offered in the NYD online shop. You can find out more on the individual NYD products page for SPB self-testing.
If you are pregnant, it is best to get tested in the first trimester (the first 12 weeks), as there are no symptoms at this stage to tell you are infected. A blood test is another way of detecting chlamydia infection; however, it takes longer than urine samples because blood tests take several days before the results are returned – meaning that this type of diagnosis has to wait longer than other methods such as swabs or urine tests.
Summary
Chlamydia is a common infection that affects many people. It is easy to get and can be treated with antibiotics. But if left untreated, it can cause infertility or genital cancer in women.
You can read more about other STDs and why regular testing is recommended on our blog.
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