How long can you have chlamydia before it causes damage female?

There is no clear timeline on how long it may take for this to occur - while one study suggests that after exposure to the bacteria, it can take a few weeks for PID to develop, the NHS estimates that 1 in 10 women with untreated chlamydia could go on to develop PID within a year.

How long can you have chlamydia before it causes damage?

Symptoms usually appear within one to three weeks after being infected and may be very mild. 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.

What happens if a woman has chlamydia for a year?

As time progresses and an untreated chlamydia infection continues to spread, serious and long-term consequences like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, infertility, or chronic pelvic pain may develop in individuals with female reproductive organs.

What happens if you leave chlamydia untreated for 2 months?

If left untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women, which can lead to chronic pain and infertility. In men, untreated chlamydia can cause pain and swelling in one or both testicles. If detected early, chlamydia may be treated with a single dose of antibiotics.

What happens if a woman has chlamydia for a long time?

What happens if chlamydia goes untreated? 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.

Sexual Health - Chlamydia (Female)

What happens if you have chlamydia for 6 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.

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.

What happens if you leave chlamydia untreated for 6 months?

If chlamydia is left untreated, it can spread to the womb and cause a serious condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This is a major cause of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women.

How long can I go with chlamydia untreated?

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.

How long does it take for PID to cause infertility?

PID can permanently scar and damage the fallopian tubes, causing blockage of the tubes. About 12% of women suffer enough tubal damage from one episode of PID to become infertile. After three episodes of PID, the infertility rate reaches 50%.

Can you have chlamydia for 5 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.

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.

Can you have chlamydia for years and test negative?

This is because the bacteria needs enough time to multiply within your body in order for it to reach a detectable level when taking a chlamydia test. For chlamydia this is often 14 days. If you test before that 14 days is over, you may test negative, but you could still pass the bacteria on following your test.

Can having chlamydia for 2 months make you infertile?

Chlamydia can also cause fallopian tube infection without any symptoms. PID and “silent” infection in the upper genital tract may cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues, which can lead to infertility.

How likely is it to be infertile from chlamydia?

Chlamydia. This is one of the most common STDs. On its own, the disease doesn't cause infertility, however 40% of women with chlamydia develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID affects the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, often leading the woman to become infertile.

Can you have chlamydia for months?

On the other hand, if you don't get tested or don't see a healthcare provider for treatment, chlamydia can live in the body for weeks, months, or even years without being detected. This can lead to long-term complications, including infertility.

Can chlamydia lie dormant for years?

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the UK. In 2018 alone, 49% of all new diagnoses of STDs were Chlamydia. A possible reason for this is that the Chlamydia can lay dormant for many years without the carrier knowing.

What are the long term effects of chlamydia?

Chlamydia Infection May Have Long-Term Health Consequences

Severe infection with pain and fever requiring a hospital stay. Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the upper reproductive tract. Scarring in the reproductive tract that causes infertility. Higher risk of ectopic pregnancy.

Can chlamydia go away on its own in females?

It is highly unlikely for chlamydia to go away on its own. Although the symptoms may subside temporarily, the infection may persist in the body in the absence of treatment (subclinical infection). It is important to seek diagnosis and timely treatment to get rid of the infection.

How long can you have chlamydia?

How long does chlamydia last? With treatment, chlamydia should go away within a week or two. It's important to take all antibiotics to fight the infection. Don't have sex during treatment, or you could get reinfected.

Can BV be mistaken for chlamydia?

Often, BV can be mistaken for other conditions, such as yeast infections or sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia. Often, BV (or STDs) do not have any symptoms at all, so it's imperative always to make a yearly gynecological appointment.

Can a UTI be mistaken for chlamydia?

The symptoms

Urinary tract infections and chlamydia can also cause pain in the lower abdomen or pelvic region. The main symptom that chlamydia does not share with UTIs is penile or vaginal discharge. A chlamydial infection can cause a yellowish, strong-smelling vaginal discharge or a watery, milky penile discharge.

What does chlamydia discharge look like female?

So, what does a chlamydia discharge look like? A chlamydia discharge is often yellow in color and has a strong odor. A symptom that frequently co-occurs with this discharge is painful urination that often has a burning sensation in the genital area.

How do I know if PID has caused damage?

If your doctor determines that you have pelvic inflammatory disease, they may run more tests and check your pelvic area for damage. PID can cause scarring on your fallopian tubes and permanent damage to your reproductive organs. Additional tests include: Pelvic ultrasound.

Can you have PID for years and not know?

Many people don't know they have pelvic inflammatory disease in its earlier stages. PID often doesn't show any symptoms, or the symptoms are so mild you don't feel them — especially when you first get the infection. The longer you have PID, the worse the symptoms tend to get.