What is Chlamydia and its symptoms?

Sexually transmitted infections are what you might call the “hidden stigmas” of society. Chlamydia is a common STI, but the symptoms are not easily noticeable for both men and women. Chlamydia is often called the ‘silent epidemic’ because it’s so common and yet so overlooked.

If you think you could have been exposed, it’s essential to get tested right away. Get tested even if you don’t experience symptoms, which can include lower abdominal pain or other signs such as unusual discharge from the penis or vagina .

STI’s affect women in a profound way. While men can transmit STI’s to their partners, the way treatments are distributed suggests a double standard. Women not only have different STI risk factors than men, but also face much higher consequences from contracting chlamydia.

And when left untreated, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is an inflammation of the reproductive organs, and it affects about one in 10 women who get chlamydia.

The good news is that chlamydia itself is extremely treatable, so if you catch it before it does any damage, you can be completely cured. The key is knowing you even have it, which is tricky because the disease often presents without symptoms — that is why getting tested regularly for STDs is so important.

Symptoms:

Abnormal vaginal fluids:

A smelly, yellow-green color can be an indication of an infection like chlamydia, but it could be a sign of other infections as well. (It could also be normal.) So again, getting tested is crucial.

Burning and inflammation in lower abdomen while urinating:

If yeast is causing your pain or discomfort, you may experience a burning sensation or actual pain when urinating. You may also feel like you need to go often and that it’s urgent. All of these are classic yeast infection symptoms and may also be a cause of chlamydia.

Bleeding, pain and abnormal fluids coming from rectam:

If you have chlamydia in the rectum, it can lead to pain, discharge, and bleeding. It’s important to get it checked out right away if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

Lower abdominal pain:

If chlamydia has gone undetected and untreated for a while, you may experience lower abdominal pain.

Pain while intercourse or bleeding after sex:

Chlamydia can cause cervicitis, or inflammation of the cervix, making it extra-sensitive during sexual intercourse. With Chlamydia, it can take up to 4 weeks for you to notice any symptoms, so it’s important to get tested or treated right away. If you test or treat in the first 3 days after sex, then the chances of treating and killing the Chlamydia is much higher than if you wait longer.

Chlamydia can be easily treated if diagnosed. if you feel any of the above symptoms make sure to get diagnosed as soon as possible.