Chlamydia is a STD (sexually transmitted disease) that is sexually transmitted. You can become infected with chlamydia through oral, anal, or vaginal sex with an individual who has the infection. A male can also pass chlamydia on to his partner through unprotected intercourse. If you have been diagnosed with chlamydia in the past and have been treated, you could possibly get re-infected even if you have treated previously. Some people are more susceptible to getting chlamydia than others, so if you have been diagnosed with this disease in the past and have treated successfully, your chances of contracting it again are low.
Chlamydia symptoms typically don’t show up until six weeks to a year after being infected. These symptoms include an uncomfortable and burning sensation when urinating, a foul-smelling urine, and a grayish-white appearance to the urethra or anus-the most common symptom is a foul odor. The infection is not always detectable during normal sexual activity; only in the most serious cases, does it become apparent. It is not known why some people aren’t asymptomatic.
The first step to getting symptoms of chlamydia is being tested for the infection. A simple test can be done at the doctor’s office or at home, and then a culture can be taken to determine if the infection is caught in time. Most people are tested right away, but if the symptoms don’t clear up on their own or if you think you might have chlamydia, you should go in and get a chlamydia test at home.
One way to determine if you do not have chlamydia is by noticing if there is a whitish-black discharge coming from the testicles, scrotum, or anus. The color of the discharge can help with your diagnosis; however, this type of discharge is not always indicative of chlamydia. In fact, it could be the result of a number of different infections. Your doctor will do a semen analysis to see if the discharge comes from an infection in the semen.
The next way to get chlamydia is to come into contact with an infected person. This is usually easy to do because there are often multiple people in a sexual relationship, and they are likely to catch the infection from each other. Most people are not exposed to the disease through regular intercourse, but they may become infected through sexual activity. You can also be exposed to the disease through anal sex or oral sex, and the same is true of injection drug use.
If you believe that you might have chlamydia, it is important to see your doctor so that he or she can perform a full physical exam and diagnosis. If the testing shows that you have chlamydia, your doctor will prescribe several treatment options. The first treatment option is called Combination Therapy. This treatment involves taking several medications that will make your immune system strong enough to fight off any future attacks. It will not, however, cure you of your infection. In several weeks, the medicine will be able to help you get rid of any symptoms that you experience, including the painful intercourse and discharge that you might experience.