Chlamydia

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world!

• How do you get/give it?
  Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that can be passed from an infected partner through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex.
• How do you know if you have it?
  The scary part about chlamydia is that most people infected may not have ANY symptoms. For those who have symptoms, they are usually noticed anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks after getting the infection. Symptoms for men often include:
  
  
  • painful urination
  • itching
  • discharge from penis
  • pain or swelling of the testicles.
    
    Symptoms for women include:
  • discharge
  • redness
  • itchiness
  • painful bowel movements.
    
• How do you get tested?
  Testing can be done in 2 ways! One way is by swabbing the infected area and the other is with a simple urine sample. Chlamydia testing is not included in a routine Pap smear test.
• Does it go away?
  Yes…but it needs help! You can get rid of chlamydia with pills that you take called antibiotics. These pills will get rid of the infection but are only a short-term cure…it will not stop you from getting chlamydia again in the future. If girls do not get treated they may have a hard time getting pregnant in the future and if they do, chlamydia can cause problems during pregnancy and can even be spread to the baby during delivery.
• How do I NOT get chlamydia?
  Using a condom every time you have sex will lower your chance of getting chlamydia BUT the only way to protect yourself 100% is to NOT have sex.
• Where can you get tested?
  At your doctor’s/healthcare professional’s office, or at the sexual health clinics at the Northwestern Health Unit.