Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. It can infect both men and women and is spread through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected partner. Chlamydia often has no symptoms, so many people don’t realize they are infected. However, if left untreated, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems. So what happens if you have chlamydia and don’t get treated for a month? Here is an overview of the potential consequences:
It Can Spread to Other Parts of the Reproductive System
In women, if chlamydia infects the cervix (opening of the uterus), it can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes. This can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is an infection of the reproductive organs. PID can lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside of the uterus).
In men, chlamydia can spread from the urethra to the epididymis, causing pain and swelling. It can also spread to the prostate gland.
So after a month of being untreated, chlamydia has more time to move into these other areas of the reproductive system and cause damage.
It Can Lead to Infertility
As mentioned above, in women chlamydia can damage the fallopian tubes, uterus and surrounding structures if left untreated. This damage can lead to infertility or make it harder to get pregnant.
One study found that after 1 year of being infected with chlamydia, 6% of women developed infertility. After 2 years, the infertility rate rose to 16%.
So the longer chlamydia goes untreated, the greater the risk of permanent damage impacting fertility.
It Can Cause Reactive Arthritis
About 15-40% of men and women with untreated chlamydia infections may develop reactive arthritis. This is joint pain and inflammation caused by infection elsewhere in the body. It often affects the knees, ankles, and feet.
Reactive arthritis usually goes away on its own, but symptoms may come and go over several months. Having chlamydia for a month or longer raises the risk of developing this condition.
It Can Increase the Risk of Ectopic Pregnancy
As discussed previously, chlamydia can damage a woman’s reproductive organs over time. This damage to the fallopian tubes increases the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.
This is when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. Ectopic pregnancies are not viable and can cause serious complications like hemorrhage if not identified and treated early.
Letting chlamydia go untreated for a month further escalates the likelihood of ectopic pregnancy if a woman gets pregnant.
It Can Cause Scarring and Blockages
Chlamydia causes inflammation, which can damage the fallopian tubes and lead to scarring. After a month or longer, the infection has more opportunity to cause tissue damage.
The scarring can then cause the fallopian tubes to partially or fully close. This blockage prevents sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg. It’s one of the ways chlamydia infection leads to infertility.
It Can Increase the Risk of Cervical Cancer
There is some evidence linking chlamydia infection to a higher risk of cervical cancer in women. One study found women infected with chlamydia for a year or longer had almost 3 times greater risk of cervical cancer.
The reasons are not fully understood, but inflammation and cellular changes from chlamydia may play a role. Having an untreated chlamydia infection for a month raises cervical cancer risk further.
It Can Spread to the Throat and Rectum
While less common, chlamydia can infect the throat and rectum from oral or anal sex with an infected partner. Sore throat and rectal pain, discharge or bleeding may occur.
After a month, throat and rectum infections have more opportunity to cause tissue damage and spreading to nearby lymph nodes. They are also at greater risk of persisting longer.
It Can Increase the Risk of Contracting HIV
Having chlamydia makes you 3-5 times more likely to contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, if exposed.
Why? Well, chlamydia causes inflammation and damage to genital tissues. This allows HIV to more easily enter the body if exposed during sex. The longer chlamydia goes untreated, the greater the chance of facilitating HIV transmission.
Symptoms
Many people with chlamydia don’t experience any symptoms, especially in the beginning. Symptoms may take 1-3 weeks after exposure to appear.
Here are the potential symptoms of untreated chlamydia after a month:
Women
– Abnormal vaginal discharge that may be watery, cloudy or yellow
– Burning/pain during urination
– Pain during sexual intercourse
– Vaginal bleeding between periods
– Lower abdominal pain, low back pain
– Nausea
– Fever
– Painful periods
– Bleeding after sexual intercourse
Men
– Burning/pain during urination
– Abnormal urethral discharge
– Burning/itching around opening of penis
– Pain/swelling in testicles
– Fever
– Discomfort during sexual intercourse
Throat Infections
– Sore throat
– Fever
– Swollen lymph nodes in neck
Rectal Infections
– Rectal pain
– Discharge
– Bleeding
– Discomfort during bowel movements
Keep in mind many people still have no signs or symptoms for months after being infected. Symptoms in women also may come and go. Without testing, chlamydia can unknowingly be passed back and forth between partners.
Complications
Here is an overview of the potential complications that can occur with an untreated chlamydia infection lasting a month or longer:
Women
– Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): Up to 40% of women with untreated chlamydia develop PID, an infection of the uterus, ovaries and/or fallopian tubes. PID can cause infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and increase risk of ectopic pregnancy.
– Cervical infection: Can spread into uterus and fallopian tubes. Linked to infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and miscarriage.
– Ectopic pregnancy: Up to 10% of women with chlamydia will have an ectopic pregnancy due to tubal damage. Can be life-threatening.
– Infertility: About 10-15% of women with untreated chlamydia become infertile. Can be due to damage to ovaries, blockage of fallopian tubes.
– Reactive arthritis: Inflammation of joints that develops several weeks after infection. Causes joint pain, eye inflammation, or urethritis. Usually goes away but can recur.
– Increased risk of HIV: Chlamydia infection increases susceptibility to HIV up to 5 fold.
– Increased risk of cervical cancer: Some research links chlamydia to higher risk of cervical cancer via inflammation and cell changes.
Men
– Epididymitis: Infection of epididymis causes testicular pain, swelling. Can lead to infertility if untreated.
– Reactive arthritis: Inflammation of joints that causes joint pain, eye inflammation, or urethritis. Usually goes away but can come back.
– Urethritis: Infection of urethra causes painful urination and abnormal discharge from penis.
– Prostatitis: Infection and inflammation of the prostate gland causes fever, pain in penis, testicles, abdomen.
– Infertility: Untreated chlamydia may reduce male fertility but link is unclear. Probably due to epididymitis and urethritis.
– Increased risk of HIV: Chlamydia infection increases susceptibility to HIV by up to 5 times.
Diagnosis
Chlamydia testing is the only way to diagnose an infection, as symptoms may not be present. Annual chlamydia screening is recommended for:
– Sexually active women under 25 years old
– Older women with risk factors like new or multiple sex partners
– All pregnant women
– Men who have sex with men (MSM)
The following tests can diagnose chlamydia:
Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs)
– Detects bacterial DNA. Most sensitive test.
– Performed on urine sample or vaginal, cervical, urethral, or rectal swabs.
– Results within 1-7 days.
DNA Probe Test
– Identifies genetic material of Chlamydia trachomatis.
– Performed on urine or fluid samples.
– Results within 2-3 days. Less sensitive than NAATs.
Rapid Chlamydia Tests
– Can provide results within 30 minutes.
– Less sensitive than NAATs, so positive results need confirmation.
– Performed on vaginal, cervical, urethral, or rectal swabs.
Cell culture
– Growing chlamydia in tissue culture medium to identify infection.
– Highly specific but less sensitive, expensive, and slow (3-7 days for results).
Once diagnosed, chlamydia is easily treated with oral antibiotics like azithromycin or doxycycline. Partners should also be tested and treated to avoid reinfection.
Prevention
Here are some tips to prevent chlamydia infection:
– Use condoms correctly every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. This protects against chlamydia and other STDs.
– Limit your number of sex partners and avoid sex with people who have multiple partners. This reduces STD exposure risk.
– Ask your partners to get tested for STDs like chlamydia before having sex. This ensures you both don’t unknowingly transmit infections.
– Get tested regularly if sexually active, especially if under 25. Have partners tested too.
– Take antibiotics properly if diagnosed and abstain from sex for 1 week after treatment. Make sure partners are treated too.
– Never douche. This pushes bacteria further up in the genital tract and increases infection risk.
– Avoid unprotected sex during treatment for another STD as this increases chlamydia risk.
Treatment
Chlamydia is curable and treatment involves taking oral antibiotics to eliminate the infection. Here are the treatment options:
Azithromycin:
– Taken as 1-2 pills in one single dose. Most common treatment.
– Cures 97% of infections.
– Sometimes causes nausea, diarrhea.
Doxycycline:
– Taken 2 times a day for 7 days.
– Cures 96% of infections.
– Can’t take if pregnant. Causes sun sensitivity.
Erythromycin:
– Taken 4 times a day for 7 days.
– Causes stomach upset. Less preferred option.
– Not recommended in pregnant women.
Levofloxacin or ofloxacin:
– Taken once daily for 7 days.
– Given when other antibiotics can’t be taken or have failed.
– Cures 95% of infections.
Partners should also be tested and treated at the same time to prevent passing the infection back and forth. Avoid sex for 1 week after taking antibiotics.
Some key points about treatment:
– Take the full antibiotic course, even if symptoms resolve. This ensures the infection is cured.
– Retest 3 months after treatment to check the infection has resolved.
– Flu-like symptoms may occur shortly after starting treatment, but usually resolve in a few days.
– Reducing alcohol intake and increasing water consumption can help reduce side effects.
– Seek medical care if symptoms don’t improve within 1-2 weeks of finishing treatment.
Follow Up
If you’ve had chlamydia for a month or longer, follow up care is important:
– Get retested after 3 months after finishing treatment, and then yearly if at ongoing risk. This ensures the infection has resolved.
– Talk to your doctor about potential complications. You may need additional testing to check for PID, urethritis, cervical infection, etc. based on symptoms and exam.
– See a fertility specialist if trying to conceive. Untreated chlamydia for a month or more can impact fertility.
– Get regular STI screening. Have partners tested too. Being exposed again risks complications like PID.
– Take care of your health. Eat well, exercise, don’t smoke, limit alcohol intake. This supports healing.
– Seek counseling if you are dealing with negative emotions. Chlamydia may affect self-esteem and relationships.
The longer chlamydia goes undiagnosed and untreated, the higher the risk of serious complications. That’s why testing and follow up are so important, especially if infected for a month or more. With proper treatment and care, most people recover fully.
Conclusion
In summary, having untreated chlamydia for a period of one month or longer can lead to many potential consequences:
– It can spread further throughout the reproductive system in both men and women, causing conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease, epididymitis and prostatitis.
– It raises the risks of infertility, cervical cancer, HIV transmission, and life-threatening ectopic pregnancy.
– It can cause reactive arthritis, rectal and throat infections, as well as scarring and blockages in the reproductive organs.
The good news is, chlamydia is curable, and an early diagnosis can prevent lasting damage. Getting screened regularly, using protection during sex, and completing treatment are key to staying healthy.
If you test positive, take your antibiotics properly, get any partners treated, and follow up as recommended by your doctor. With appropriate care, most people recover fully after having chlamydia for a month or longer. The importance is catching it in time before permanent injury can occur.