Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted bacterial infection. In fact, it is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), affecting over 468,000 people in the UK in 2019.

Chlamydia is highly contagious as many people will not experience any symptoms. In fact, some people can go months without realising that they have chlamydia.

Symptoms rarely occur for many people who have the infection. It is important that if you are sexually active that you regularly get a chlamydia test. It is also recommended that you get tested at least once every year so you can catch the infection early if you do have it.

Chlamydia is typically passed on through unprotected sexual activity. Sex without using a condom and unprotected oral sex are the main ways that a chlamydia infection can be transmitted. However, penetration does not have to occur to contract it. Touching genitals together can transmit the bacteria.

Chlamydia can also be contacted if you have had the infection before and failed to treat it properly. So, it is crucial that you complete the chlamydia treatment cycle to ensure the infection has completely gone.

Newborn babies can contract chlamydia from their mothers during birth. Most prenatal testing includes a chlamydia test. However, it is worth checking in with your obstetrician-gynecologist before your first testing.

Although 70% of men and 90% of women do not show any symptoms of chlamydia when they have the infection, there are still many symptoms that people can experience. Common symptoms include:

• Pain whilst urinating
• Unusual discharge from the genitals

If you do start to show signs of these symptoms, typically, they will start to show up within one to three weeks after contact. If you experience symptoms and are unsure if it is chlamydia or not, you should consult with your doctor as soon as possible.

Although the causes of chlamydia for both men and women are the same, the symptoms can differ. Below are some of the most common symptoms that men can experience from contracting Chlamydia:

• Small amounts of clear or cloudy discharge from the tip of your penis
• Painful urination
• Burning and itching around the opening of your penis
• Pain and swelling around your testicles

For men, if Chlamydia is left untreated, it can spread to the testicles and epididymis. These are the tubes that carry sperm to the testicles. This can lead to inflamed testicles, which can affect your fertility.

Unlike men, women have a greater risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) if their infection goes untreated. This can cause the infection to spread to the womb, fallopian tubes, or ovaries, which can cause issues in relation to pregnancy and infertility. PID can be treated however and the sooner you can identify it, the better.

Below are some of the most common chlamydia symptoms for women:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge that may have an odour
• Bleeding between periods
• Painful periods
• Abdominal pain with fever
• Pain when you have sex
• Itching or burning in or around your vagina
• Pain when urinating

It is important to remember that not every woman will experience these symptoms and may potentially experience none of them. However, you should be aware of them so you can identify your infection sooner rather than later.

Chlamydia is a very common STI, especially amongst people under the age of 25. It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14-24 years has chlamydia.

It is not difficult for the infection to spread once someone has contracted it. As previously mentioned, simply coming into contact with someone's genitals is enough to contract the virus. This is why it is important to regularly get tested.

The infection is also easily spread because most people do not experience any symptoms. They may continue to be sexually active with new sexual partners without knowing they are spreading the infection.

If your newborn baby does contract chlamydia, they may develop an eye infection (conjunctivitis) and lung infection (pneumonia). If your baby has any of these symptoms, your GP can arrange a chlamydia test for you.

If this is the case then antibiotics will be used to clear the infection. However, it is important to note that untreated chlamydia in pregnancy can also increase the risk of problems such as premature labour and low birth weight.

Chlamydia treatment is necessary in order for the infection to no longer be present. The infection can be easily treated, and the earlier you catch it, the fewer complications you will have in the future.

Just because symptoms may have subsided does not mean the infection is gone. Even with ease in symptoms, the infection may persist in the body. If you follow your chlamydia treatment correctly, the infection will go away.

Chlamydia can be caused by the incorrect use of treatment. Chlamydia will still be present in your body if you fail to clear up the infection properly. If you are unsure about whether your infection is gone, then it is advised that you speak to your GP or pharmacist.

Although chlamydia can be easy to treat, there are some long-term effects that can occur as a result of the infection. In the absence of regular testing, your lack of symptoms and awareness of the infection can cause some long-term health issues.

Women have an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. This is a pregnancy wherein the fertilised egg ends up implanted outside of the uterus.

Although it is rare, there have also been some cases where chlamydia has caused reactive arthritis. This condition causes inflammatory pain in the joints, particularly in your knees, ankles, and feet.

For men, although rare, there is an increased risk of epididymitis. This can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms such as:

• Swelling and redness in the scrotum
• Blood in semen 
• Pain in the pelvis

Chlamydia can usually be effectively treated with antibiotics. Over 95% of people are cured if they take their antibiotics correctly. There are two commonly prescribed antibiotics for chlamydia, doxycycline, and azithromycin.

Here at Cloud Pharmacy, we provide both doxycycline and azithromycin tablets that are available for you to order through our online pharmacy. Once a short online consultation has been completed and approved by one of our medical professionals, we will send the medication to you in an unmarked package.

Always remember to be vigilant when looking for antibiotics online and always opt for a UK-registered prescribing service like the one we offer.