Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that can be contracted through having unprotected oral, anal, or genital sex with an infected person. This STI is common and, a good number of new cases are reported every year.
Chlamydia is caused by bacteria, so treatment is usually with antibiotics while having protected sex can help prevent anyone from being infected. The symptoms of chlamydia do not always show up on time; this makes a lot of infected people unaware that they have chlamydia. Symptoms of chlamydia can take anywhere between 3 weeks to a month after being infected for the symptoms to become noticeable.
You can know if you have chlamydia by carrying out a test during an STI screening in London. This article would help you know how long it would take before chlamydia can be detected by a test, the symptoms in people with penis or vulva, and what to do when you notice these symptoms.
Tests for chlamydia
The following tests can be used to diagnose Chlamydia in London Sexual Health Clinic.
- Urine test
For a urine test for chlamydia, you would be required to urinate into a cup. The cup would be sent to a laboratory where the urine will be analysed for the presence of the chlamydia bacteria.
- Blood test
Your doctor or a phlebotomist would draw some of your blood and send it to a laboratory where the scientist will check for the presence of antibodies in the bloodstream, which is specific for chlamydia infection.
- Swab
Your doctor would use a stick with round cotton on its edge to take a small sample of the infected tissue or fluid. The collected sample will be sent to the lab where it will be cultured to see what bacteria would grow from the sample.
How long before a test shows chlamydia?
The duration before a test shows chlamydia depends on the kind of investigation and your health insurance plan.
- Urine tests take about 2 – 5 days to show a positive or negative result.
- The result of a blood test can be available within a few minutes if the blood is analysed on-site but, if it has to be sent to an off-site lab, the result may take up to a week to be ready.
- The result of a swab test is usually available within 2 – 3 days.
What duration does it take to notice chlamydia in people with vulva?
In people with vulva, the symptoms of chlamydia take about 1 – 3 weeks to show up. Sometimes, the symptoms may take up to a few months to show up because the bacteria have an incubation period which affects how long it would take for the bacteria to multiply and become infectious.
The incubation period of the bacteria depends on the following factors.
- Your degree of exposure to the bacteria
- The part of the body the bacteria entered such as genitals, anus or mouth
- How quickly the bacteria reproduce
- How well your immune system fights against the bacteria
What duration does it take to notice chlamydia in people with a penis?
There is no significant difference between the time taken for chlamydia to show up in people with penis and those with a vulva. The only difference is how often the symptoms show up in people of different sexes.
About 90% of those with a vulva do not experience symptoms of chlamydia while about 70% of people with penis never experience the symptoms.
What duration does it take to notice chlamydia in the throat?
Having symptoms of chlamydia in the mouth is as a result of having oral sex with someone infected.
Throat symptoms are not common, but it takes a week, in some cases months, or longer to notice the symptoms. Tests for chlamydia are not always done on the throat because the infection rarely occurs there so, if you think you have been exposed to the bacteria through oral sex, ask your doctor for a throat swab.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptoms for people with penis include
- Pain in the testes
- Pain while passing urine
- Unusual itchiness or burning sensation in the urethra
- Swelling around the testes from the epididymitis
- Abnormally cloudy or clear discharge from the penis
Common symptoms for people with a vagina are
- Pain around the rectum or anus
- Pain while passing urine
- Abnormally cloudy or clear discharge from the vagina
- Pain or discomfort when having sex
- Bleeding after sex
- Pain in the abdomen or around the hips
- Unusual bleeding between periods
Treatments
Chlamydia can be treated by taking antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor would likely prescribe any of the following antibiotics for chlamydia infection.
- Azithromycin (Zithromax): it is also called Z-Pak and taken as a single dose
- Doxycycline (Oracea): it is taken two times a day for a week
- Erythromycin (Erygel): it is taken as four daily pills for a week
- Levofloxacin (Levaquin): it is taken once a day for a week
- Ofloxacin (Floxin): taken two times daily for a week
Antibiotics may not be effective if you do not complete your prescribed dosage so, ensure you follow your dosage instructions strictly to avoid a reoccurrence of the infection. If you do not complete your dosage, the bacteria may become resistant to the medication making the infection difficult to treat.
Taking of antibiotics may need to be done for up to 2 weeks or until your doctor tells you that the Chlamydia infection is fully treated. Make sure you do not have sex during treatment to prevent further transmission of the bacteria.
Home remedies for chlamydia symptoms
It is possible to experience painful or discomforting symptoms while on treatment so, you can try out these home remedies to manage the pain and other symptoms.
- Pain medications like ibuprofen (Advil) to reduce the pain
- Turmeric mixed with curcumin to reduce inflammation
- Goldenseal to reduce inflammation
- Cold pack to help reduce swelling and inflammation
- Echinacea to boost your immune system
These home remedies cannot be used as a substitute for antibiotics. Use these remedies when taking antibiotics to help manage your symptoms. You can also try probiotics supplements from myvluxe.com
Summary
Chlamydia can be easily treated and does not lead to severe complications if it is treated on time. However, symptoms do not show up in most people, so you are advised to carry out regular STI testing at a Private Sexual Health Clinic in London. Call Sexual Health Clinic today on 020 34751653 to book an appointment for your chlamydia testing.
Author Bio :
I am a writer by profession from London, the UK. Since I am very concern about health, I love to gather knowledge about the symptoms, percussion and treatment of all kinds of diseases by doing researching on the internet and interviewing experienced doctors. My goal is to bring all that valuable information together in my writing and make people health conscious through them.
