When you do not use a condom during sexual activity and run the risk of an unplanned pregnancy, you are likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease, even if it is anally or orally, especially if you have several sexual partners.
Although gonorrhea and syphilis are the best known sexually transmitted diseases, chlamydia infection is more common, generally because it is not visible and does not usually present symptoms, which allows it to spread and continue to advance in the body without the person. Note, causing severe sequelae in many cases, mainly in the sexual organs.
Given the general ignorance about this disease, it is not surprising that you ask yourself, can I contact a pregnant if I have chlamydia as soon as you get infected? On this occasion, FastlyHealwants to inform you about the subject, and you should know that it is a curable infection, that if it is detected in time, it does not represent problems in the health of your body.
Table of Contents
What is chlamydia, and how is it transmitted?
Bacteria of the genus Chlamydia, mainly C. trachomatis, cause the disease known as chlamydia. Its transmission mechanism is sexual, whether you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex with a person infected by said bacteria, including if there is no ejaculation during intercourse. You can also get it from sharing sex toys during sex.
On the other hand, if chlamydia is acquired during pregnancy, there is a 20% to 50% chance of developing the infection by passing through the cervix and coming into contact with the bacteria through blood and vaginal fluids.
Main symptoms of chlamydia
In many cases of chlamydia infection, symptoms are absent or often unnoticed in both men and women, even if it has spread to other areas such as the uterus; However, this does not mean that it is less dangerous. On the contrary, it is more difficult to detect it in time. When there is symptomatology, it usually appears within the first three weeks after infection.
When a woman has been infected with chlamydia:
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Burning when urinating
- Pain and bleeding during intercourse
- Bleeding between menstrual periods
- Pain in the lower abdomen and back
- Fever
- Sickness.
On the other hand, in men, there is usually:
- Abnormal discharge from the penis
- Accompanied by burning when urinating
- Itching in the glans, mainly around the urethral opening
- That one or both testicles are swollen, and there is pain.
If exposure to the bacteria is through oral sex, it can colonize and infect the throat, causing pain when swallowing and fever. If it is due to anal sex or the vaginal infection has spread to the rectum, there could be discharge, pain in the rectum, and bleeding.
What are the risks if I have chlamydia?
If not treated in time, a chlamydia infection can cause severe damage to the reproductive organs. If you are a man, the most common complication is that the infection spreads from the urethra through the entire canal to the epididymis, the structure in which sperm are stored and mature, causing pain and fever. Although this condition can cause infertility, there are few reports of this sequela in men, so you should always use contraception if you have sex after treating chlamydia.
On the other hand, if you are a woman and suffer from this disease, you probably wonder, can I get pregnant if I have chlamydia? The answer will depend on how soon it has been seen by a professional or if you had already presented it and were not under treatment.
When chlamydia is detected and fought in time, it is cured, so it is not a problem to have children at some point in your life. However, suppose you do not go to a doctor. In that case, you will probably develop a pelvic inflammatory disease. The infection progresses from the cervix to the uterus, then to the fallopian tubes, and finally to the ovaries, damaging them totally or partially. Therefore, they lose their functions, among them granting the appropriate conditions for pregnancy, making it impossible for you to have children naturally. Still, you can resort to in vitro fertilization if your ovaries work.
When the sequelae are partial and you intend to become pregnant, it generally results in an ectopic pregnancy. The fertilized egg has been implanted and has begun its development outside the womb. This happens when chlamydia causes damage or obstruction in the fallopian tubes, causing the eggs to be trapped. This type of pregnancy is high risk for the mother, with a high potential for death.
If, on the other hand, you have chlamydia during pregnancy, in addition to the complications mentioned above, there is a risk that the infection breaks the uterine membrane and you have a premature delivery, infecting the baby at the time of delivery. After the transmission of the bacteria, the newborn may present neonatal conjunctivitis and infantile pneumonia, mainly, although it is also possible that it affects the genital tract. However, sequelae can be avoided if treated immediately by a specialist.
Treatment to eliminate chlamydia
It’s essential to see your doctor if you suspect that you or the person you’ve recently had sex with has chlamydia. Since the damage caused by chlamydia is usually not reversible, the sooner you receive treatment, the better it will be without adverse effects.
Chlamydia Diagnosis
The specialist will first ask you some questions about your sexual life and then request a urinalysis for a correct diagnosis. It is also possible that a cervical exudate is necessary, in the case of women, or of the urethra, in men. It can also be done in the rectum, throat, or infected area if deemed appropriate.
Treatment
Because a bacterial infection causes this pathology, the treatment for chlamydia is based on antibiotics, mainly from the group of tetracyclines, penicillins, or macrolides. Still, the doctor will be the only one to indicate the appropriate one for your condition and the dose and duration of treatment, which can be two weeks, and during this time, you should not have sexual intercourse of any kind. Also, your sexual partner or partners must follow the same treatment, or you run the risk of reinfection later.
Treatment of the infected baby
If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, the treatment is the same, and the bacteria can be eliminated before the baby is born. Still, suppose the baby has already been infected. In that case, it will also be treated with antibiotics and some other medicine, for example, if it has already caused complications in the newborn’s system.
Once you have received the medication for chlamydia, the doctor will surely tell you to return in a few weeks for another analysis; it may even be necessary to follow up for months since this pathology tends to reappear if it has not been eliminated.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Can, I get pregnant if I have chlamydia? We recommend that you enter our category of Female reproductive system.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.