Chlamydia Symptoms (Signs) in Men and Women!

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The “STDs” or “Sexually transmitted diseases” are on the rise -- according to a CDC report. And did you know that Chlamydia is the most commonly reported -- it is the no one of STDs. Anyone (either men or women) can get it. The Chlamydia symptoms either in men or women typically don’t develop quickly, even in many cases the disease may cause no signs. If the signs of the disease do occur, they may appear within 1 to 3 weeks or more after the infection. You may also like to read Chlamydia treatment!

That’s why many people with it don’t realize when they have it and therefore the disease can spread not too difficultly from an infected individual to another (particularly through a sexual intercourse).

What is Chlamydia?

As mentioned before, today it is one of the most common STDs. According to the medical dictionary on WebMD, Chlamydia is a vernacular term used to describe /refer to any kind or member of the genus Chlamydia.

Though it can occur in all age groups (both male and female), but it is more common in young adults (particularly for young women). The following are some risk factors of Chlamydia (conditions or factors that put you at higher risk of having Chlamydia):

1. You are under the age of 24.
2. Have multiple sex partners, particularly without using condom. However, once again sexually intercourse is the most common cause to spread the disease from one individual to another.
3. Have a history of prior STD.

How to prevent it?

There are some preventive steps to reduce your risk of having this disease, these include:

1. If you in doubt to your condition, it is much better to temporarily avoid sexual contact until you get a clearly diagnosis from your doctor. Fortunately, this disease is easy to treat once you realize that you have it! But if left untreated, there is a chance for the disease to generate or cause other serious health problems.
2. Practice sexual abstinence! It is so recommended to restrict your sexual contact to 1 uninfected partner.
3. Take regular screening tests, especially for individuals who have multiple partners (even if they are not experiencing any symptom). Ask a doctor to get to know how often to get these screening tests.
4. For women, it is much better to avoid douching or other certain factors /activities that can affect or disturb the balance of good bacteria in the vagina.
5. And don’t forget to use a condom, particularly if men who have more than one sex partner!

Chlamydia symptoms in men

As written before, men with Chlamydia may not have any signs. There is about a half of all cases of Chlamydia in men are reported without signs or symptoms -- according to a report from CDC (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

If the signs do occur, they may include:

1. Burning or itching, particularly in the opening of the penis.
2. A discharge from the penis.
3. When urinating, patient may feel a certain pain or burning sensation.
4. Testicular pain (around the patient’s testicles, he may feel pain & swelling). But this symptom is usually less common than other symptoms.
5. Abdominal pain, particularly in the lower abdominal.

You may also be interested to read yeast infections in men and erectile dysfunction in young men!

Chlamydia symptoms in women

If about 50 percent of cases of Chlamydia in men are followed without symptoms -- there are about 75 percent of cases of this disease in women are also reported without symptoms. These suggest that the early diagnosis of this disease without an appropriate test is not easy.

If the signs occur, the symptoms of this disease in women may include:

1. Abnormal vaginal discharge with/without an odor!
2. Lower stomach (abdominal) pain. Sometimes it may be followed with fever or/and nausea.
3. Something wrong with the patient’s periods, like painful menstruation and bleeding between the periods.
4. Burning /itching around the vagina. This uncomfortable sensation may also occur from inside the vagina.
5. Pain during sexual intercourse and when urinating.
6. Low back pain (less common).

For Chlamydia in women, cervix & urine canal (urethra) are usually the first area where the bacteria infect. Then the infection may also spread to rectum (especially if left untreated).

Moreover, both in men and in women -- the infection of Chlamydia may also occur in the throats (due to oral sex activity) and in the rectum (due to anal intercourse).

How to diagnose this disease?

The big question is how to determine whether or not you have Chlamydia? To get a clearly diagnosis, it is so recommended to see a doctor. There are several methods /tests to diagnose this disease, such as NAAT, DFA (Direct fluorescent antibody test), ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), DNA probe test, and Chlamydia culture -- ask a doctor for more in-depth information!

Furthermore, there is now also available a Chlamydia home test kit that you purchase on line, but it is usually less accurate if compared with an appropriate test that you will get when you see a doctor. 

If you prefer using DIY (do-it-yourself) home testing, choose one from a research-based program instead of one that is offered for only profit oriented (from profit-sites without having a good standard lab). Even you can order free a good test kits through research-based programs. Just visit Google or Bing, and then type a keyword such as ‘free Chlamydia home test” and then you will get many choices what you are looking for!

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Reference: WebMD