How long can a STD stay dormant without symptoms?

The time from exposure to when symptoms appear can range from a few days to as long as six months. In addition, some STIs may not cause symptoms at all. That means you may be infected but be unaware of it. That's why regular STI testing is essential.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on verywellhealth.com


Can you have an STD for years and not know it?

Symptoms can develop within a few days or weeks, but sometimes they do not appear until months or even years later. Often there are few or no symptoms and you may not know you have an STI. If there's any chance you have an STI, go to a sexual health clinic or GP for a free and confidential check-up.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on nhs.uk


Can STDs lay dormant for 5 years?

There are STDs that can lie dormant and you can continue to be asymptomatic for years. The most important STD to test for in this regard is HIV, which can lie dormant for many years. Anyone who has ever had unprotected sex should consider getting this blood test.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on parents.com


Can a dormant STD be detected?

Even though they are generally asymptomatic or dormant, they will still test positive for the STD. Most STDs that are in a dormant stage can be detected with a test. Even though the STD is asymptomatic doesn't mean that it is not present in your system or that it can not be spread through sexual contact.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mylabbox.com


How long can chlamydia lay dormant?

The majority of people who have chlamydia don't experience any symptoms at all. And even if you do have symptoms, they may not show up for anywhere from 1 week to 3 or more months after the infection's been transmitted to you through sexual intercourse.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


Top 4: CURABLE STD's and how to PREVENT them! (Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, Trichomoniasis)



Can you have chlamydia for 10 years?

How long can you have chlamydia for? An untreated chlamydia infection can persist for several years. Although this goes for both men and women, it is believed that men are less likely to carry the bacteria for several years. If you remain infected for a long time you have an increased risk of complications.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on onlinedoctor.superdrug.com


Can chlamydia be treated after 3 years?

Nope! Chlamydia is easily cured with antibiotics. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection (like strep throat or an ear infection), which means that once you've been treated and tested negative for it (to make sure the antibiotics worked), it's gone.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on plannedparenthood.org


Can you have chlamydia for years without knowing?

Chlamydia often has no symptoms, but it can cause serious health problems, even without symptoms. If symptoms occur, they may not appear until several weeks after having sex with a partner who has chlamydia.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cdc.gov


What STD stays in the body for life?

The other 4 are viral infections which are incurable: hepatitis B, herpes simplex virus (HSV or herpes), HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV). STIs are spread predominantly by sexual contact, including vaginal, anal and oral sex.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on who.int


How long can gonorrhea lay dormant?

The incubation period of gonorrhea (i.e. the time between contact and displaying symptoms) lies between two to five days. Patients who develop symptoms most commonly do so within this time frame but it is also possible for gonorrhea symptoms to occur within one month of the date of infection.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on onlinedoctor.superdrug.com


How common is it to have an STD without symptoms?

Many people have been reported to have silent STDs; STDs without symptoms. According to some studies, about 60 percent of patients suffering from any STD have no symptoms.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on familymedicineaustin.com


How did I get chlamydia if I didnt cheat?

Apart from being infected at birth you can not catch chlamydia without performing some form of sexual act. However, you don't have to have penetrative sex to get infected, it is enough if your genitals come in contact with an infected person's sexual fluids (for example if your genitals touch).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on onlinedoctor.superdrug.com


How did I get chlamydia and my partner didn t?

Heather Corinna replies: If you had a partner before him for oral, vaginal or anal sex, that could be who you got it from and your current partner managed not to contract it from you (now or yet), or contracted it so recently that he isn't testing positive yet.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on scarleteen.com


What happens if I had chlamydia for 2 years?

If not treated, chlamydia can lead to damage to the reproductive system. In women, chlamydial infection can spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), according to the CDC. PID can damage the fallopian tubes and uterus and cause chronic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on stanfordchildrens.org


What does chlamydia smell like?

Chlamydia discharge usually has a strong, foul smell. The odour of chlamydia discharge in women is sometimes said to be fishy, or similar to the smell of pus.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on chemistclick.co.uk


What happens if chlamydia goes untreated for a year?

If a person is not treated for chlamydia, complications may occur. Women frequently develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause infertility (not being able to get pregnant), chronic pelvic pain, tubal pregnancies, and the continued spread of the disease.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on health.ny.gov


Can chlamydia come back after 15 years?

Thankfully, it's also curable. But new research suggests that for some people, curing chlamydia doesn't prevent reinfection, even if they're not exposed to it again. Apparently the disease can live inside your gut, and reinfect you out of the blue.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on smithsonianmag.com


What happens if I've had chlamydia for 4 months?

People who have chlamydia for long periods without treatment risk becoming infertile or developing arthritis. For women, chlamydia can spread into the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease can lead to ectopic pregnancies, chronic pelvic pain and infertility.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pregnancybirthbaby.org.au


Is Dormant chlamydia contagious?

Can Chlamydia Lay Dormant And Be Passed On? Because chlamydia can be dormant for years without being symptomatic, infected persons may easily transmit the disease to sexual partners without knowing.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mylabbox.com


What is late stage chlamydia?

If chlamydia is left untreated, it can damage a woman's reproductive organs. The infection can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This happens in about 10 to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thebody.com


Can my partner give me chlamydia but he tested negative?

The short answer. Yes, it is possible to contract a STI from someone who tested negative (for the STIs that they were tested for)… if (and only if!) they were positive for an STI that they weren't tested for. Or if they were positive for an STI in a location that didn't get tested, such as in the mouth and throat.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on healthline.com


Is it possible to have chlamydia and not pass it to your partner?

Most people who have chlamydia don't know it. Often the disease has no symptoms. You can pass chlamydia to others without knowing it.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cdc.gov


Does my partner having chlamydia mean they cheated?

It's quite another to learn you have an STI while you're in a monogamous relationship. If you have been totally faithful, you may assume that your partner acquired the infection while being unfaithful. Though it's possible they may have been intimate with someone else, it's also possible they never cheated at all.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on verywellhealth.com


Is it possible to get an STD without cheating?

Only Three STIs Are Transmitted Sexually Every Time

That may be the case, of course, but it's also possible to contract several STIs without infidelity, and in some cases, without any sexual contact. Only three STIs are transmitted exclusively sexually: gonorrhea, syphilis, and genital warts.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on psychologytoday.com
Previous question
Is a bidet just for your butt?