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All medications from licensed pharmacies
GPhC reg. no. 1120610
All medications from licensed pharmacies
GPhC reg. no. 1120610
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United Kingdom today. It is caused by a bacterium and can infect both men and women. If chlamydia is left untreated it can cause serious and permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive organs. It is passed on from one person to another through unprotected sex.
The majority of people who have been infected with chlamydia do not realise that they have it. This is because that often you can have chlamydia and have no symptoms. 50% cent of men who have chlamydia and between 70 and 80% of women do not get any symptoms. This is why is vital to get tested on a regular basis is you (or your partner) have more than one sexual partner.
Symptoms of chlamydia include pain when you urinate, discharge from the penis, the vagina or the rectum, or in a woman, unexpected bleeding, that is to say between periods or after sex.
It is easy to test for chlamydia. It can be done either with a urine test or a swab test. It is not always necessary to be examined by a nurse or a doctor. You can have a free and confidential test at any sexual health clinic, a GUM clinic or at your GP’s surgery. It is also possible to buy chlamydia tests to use in the privacy of your own home. Many people find this the most convenient way to be tested.
Chlamydia can be easily treated with antibiotics. If, however, it remains undetected and untreated it can spread to other parts of the body and lead to serious chronic health problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease and in the most severe cases infertility.
