Things you must know about Chlamydia (infographics)

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the UK, accounting for almost half of all STI diagnoses in 2014 according to Public Health England figures. It is usually associated with people under 25, making age a risk factor, however it can be caught by anyone. It can be treated and will cause no problems if caught early. However, if left untreated it can have an effect on your health.

What are the symptoms of chlamydia?

A large percentage of people with chlamydia will not encouter any obvious symptoms – 50% of men and 70-80% of women. However many do experience some signs of chlamydia and could recognise one or more of the following symptoms.

Women:

• an increase or change in vaginal discharge
• pain passing urine
• lower abdominal pain
• pain during sex
• bleeding in between periods

Men:

• discharge from the end of the penis
• pain, tingling or stinging when passing urine

Natural progression of Chlamydia

If left untreated, in both those with and without symptoms, the results can be serious. This is especially for women who could develop:

• pain in the lower abdomen due to PID (pelvic inflammatory disease)
• infertility (difficulty becoming pregnant)
• ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in the fallopian tube)

The potential implications of chlamydia in men are often underestimated. If untreated it can cause damage to the DNA of sperm and scarring to the reproductive tract, which can lead to infertility.

How do I catch chlamydia?

Chlamydia trachomatis is usually passed from one person to another during unprotected sex. It is also possible to catch it from sex toys if not correctly washed, or covered in a new condom each time they are used.

SHOULD YOU TEST FOR MORE THAN CHLAMYDIA?

If you just want to make sure that you don’t have Chlamydia, then a postal / Lab chlamydia test would be appropriate for you.

If you are confused about your symptoms and not sure which test to go for then our END THE WORRY screen is a better choice, in which we test for the most common 10 different infections, including Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV, Hepatitis B & more, so we can correctly identify the root cause.

It is impossible to know the underlying cause of your symptoms without being tested. Do not attempt to guess which bacteria is present as many produce similar symptoms.

A discreet Test kit is dispatched simply at your given address.The sample is forwarded to the laboratory using our self-addressed envelope. Results are sent via a text message.