What Is Chlamydia Symptoms and Treatment

What Is Chlamydia Symptoms and Treatment

Let's talk Chlamydia! Learn about Symptoms Of Chlamydia in Men or Women. Chlamydia Treatment and Tests!

Welcome to my channel where we discuss everything Healthcare and Medical!

▶ In this video:

00:00 Intro

00:55 What Is Chlamydia How Do You Get It?

01:57 Symptoms Of Chlamydia In Men Or Women?

03:15 Chlamydia Test?

05:05 Chlamydia Treatment?

07:04 Chlamydia Complications?

08:05 When To Seek Medical Advice For Chlamydia?

08:43 Conclusion

09:00 Bloopers

WHAT IS CHLAMYDIA:

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in. Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the UK. It is caused by bacteria which can spread easily through unprotected sex, or even just by contact with infected semen or vaginal fluid.

You can also get it by having genital contact with an infected partner’s genitals - even if there is no penetration. Bear in mind that the risk of contracting an STI is greatly reduced by using a barrier method of contraception during sex, for example, a condom.

It may surprise you to find that sharing sex toys that haven’t been washed or protected with a new condom each time they are used is another way that chlamydia can be passed on, as well as infected genital fluid getting into your eye. Sadly, if you are pregnant and have chlamydia, it can also be passed on to your baby.

The good news is that chlamydia cannot be passed on through hugging, kissing, sharing towels, swimming pools, toilet seats or even sharing cutlery. 

MAIN SYMPTOMS OF CHLAMYDIA IN MEN OR WOMEN:

I’ll go through the symptoms of chlamydia in just a second, but the dangerous thing about it is that about 70% of women, and about 50% of men have no symptoms at all… which makes it easy to pass on without even realising. This is one of the reasons why using protection during sex is crucial in reducing your risk of being infected, as well as taking regular STI tests, which I’ll come onto later.

There are quite a few symptoms which could be indicative of chlamydia. You could experience pain during peeing (urination), unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or from the bottom, or even just itchiness or discomfort in the bottom. 

In women (or people with vaginas), there could be abdominal pain, bleeding after sex, bleeding in between your usual cycle, or your periods could be heavier than usual.

In men (people with external gonads), in addition to pain during peeing, there could be pain and swelling in the testicles.

CHLAMYDIA TESTING:

In terms of testing, you could go and see a healthcare professional at a sexual health clinic, or even at your GP surgery if you’re able to get an appointment. In the UK, these options would all be free.

However, you don’t always need to see a doctor or nurse to check if you have chlamydia, as depending on where you live and how old you are, you may be able to order free STI testing kits online. If you’re eligible, the kit will be sent to you containing instructions and everything you need to do the test, which you then return for processing in a lab.

In England, if you're a woman (person with a vagina) under 25 years old, you may be offered a test as part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme. The aim of the program is to reduce the risk of harm from untreated chlamydia. Women are offered tests because we know that the complications of untreated chlamydia occur more frequently in women, which I discuss in the video.

It’s recommends that if you're a woman (person with a vagina), sexually active and under 25 in England, you should have a chlamydia test once a year, and whenever you have sex with new or casual partners. 

If you're a man, sexually active and under 25 in England, it's recommended that you have a chlamydia test once a year if you are not using condoms with new or casual partners.

Visit the NHS page on Chlamydia to find a test centre: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chlamydia/diagnosis/

DISCLAIMER: 

This video is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Abraham The Pharmacist has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. Always consult a doctor or other healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.