Chlamydia is the most common and most easily spread STI, it can be treated easily at an earlier phase but if allowed to spread it can cause lots of serious problems like long lasting pelvic pain in women leading to infertility or life threatening tubal or ectopic pregnancies. It may also cause infertility, a burning sensation while passing urine and swelling of the testicles. Here are a few safety tips to keep yourself protected from this STI:
Confirm that your Partner doesn’t carry this STI:
Before any sort of sexual intercourse or developing a sexual relationship, one should always talk to their partner and confirm if they are STI free. One can carry this infection but look completely healthy and fine, so it is essential that one discusses everything before developing a sexual relationship. Talking always helps to clear things out and marks the start of a healthy relationship.
Always check the STI status of your partner
Practice Safe Sex:
The best way to be sure that you don’t catch an STI or Chlamydia is to make sure that you practice safe sex. The risk of catching Chlamydia increases by double if one has more than one sexual partner or often prefers the company of different sexual partners. It is essential that one always keeps a condom with themselves and practices safe sex. It is true! Using a condom can reduce the risk of catching an STI.
Vaginal or anal tubs/ female condoms can also be purchased from selected medical stores; these are thin layers of latex that go inside the vaginal cervix or the anus to build a protective layer against the STI. Using protection means that there is a miniscule chance of catching Chlamydia and one is almost eliminating the possibility.
Regular Check Ups:
If one is sexually active and most probably under the age of twenty five, then a regular checkup at the local STD clinic is highly recommended. An annual STI test helps one maintain a healthy portfolio and one can stay informed on their health. If you have had STI treatment in the past then a checkup is recommended three months after the initial treatment. If one has had sexual intercourse with another person while being infected by an STI, it is most probable that the other person might be carrying the STI too. It is essential to inform that person and have them scheduled for the test.
Most people resent this test because they think it is going to involve complicated procedures but this test is very easy and completely painful. It usually comprises of a simple urine test or a swab test. During a swab test, a cotton swab is used to collect a sample from the vaginal cervix or the anus and then the specimen is sent to a lab for STI testing.
Keep your Partner Informed:
It is essential that one keeps their partner informed if they later find out they have an STI or Chlamydia. If one has had a sexual intercourse with someone while being infected, it is a stringent possibility that that person might be carrying this infection and if that person goes off to have intercourse with another person, the infection might spread further on. So, in a scenario like this, one should inform their partner at the earliest opportunity.
Conclusion:
If you are sexually active, it is your responsibility to keep yourself safe from to the risks of Chlamydia because it can later cause you serious diseases like HIV if it is not treated. Always practice safe sex and keep your partner informed about your health condition and be informed about theirs.