How long can chlamydia be dormant:
Chlamydia is one of the most common diseases that can be spread through sexual contact. Statistics from the CDC show that about 4 million people in the US get chlamydia every year. Young adults are most likely to get the infection. More than 60% of new infections occur in people aged 15 to 24. Chlamydia is passed from person to person through oral sex and sexual contact. Anyone who has sexual relations can contract and spread Chlamydia.
Can chlamydia be dormant?
Most of the time, people with chlamydia don’t have any symptoms, which means that they don’t know they have it. Chlamydia can stay dormant for a long time, so many people may not know they have a low-grade infection. According to research from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, more than 70% of women and 50% of men with chlamydia don’t have any symptoms.
How long can chlamydia sleep?
Because many people with chlamydia don’t have any symptoms, it can be hard to find it without routine or regular testing. People sometimes call chlamydia a “silent STD” because it can stay inactive for a long time. Studies show that about 10% of men and up to 30% of women with a confirmed infection will start to feel sick, but the time it takes for this to happen varies.
Some people will start to feel sick within a few weeks, while others may not feel sick for years. When chlamydia is dormant, it causes a mild infection. This usually means that the person won’t have any symptoms until they have a flare-up, which leads to an infection with symptoms.
If chlamydia has gone to sleep, can it still be found?
Sexually transmitted diseases that are dormant don’t show symptoms, but that doesn’t mean tests can’t find them. Anyone who is sexually active should get STI tests and screenings on a regular basis to find and stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. If a person with chlamydia gets a swab, urine, or blood test, the infection will be found even if they don’t have any symptoms and the infection is considered to be dormant. Most of the time, tests can find chlamydia within one to two weeks of exposure.
How long do symptoms of chlamydia usually take to show?
Men and women with chlamydia have different signs. If someone with chlamydia gets sick, it can take a long time before they notice symptoms. This is called the incubation period, and it depends on many things. These things are:
- The quantity of bacteria the individual was exposed to
- The body part that was exposed to the bacteria, for example, the genitals, throat, or anus
- The speed of bacterial reproduction
- The individual’s immune response
For men
There isn’t a big difference between how long it takes men and women to show signs. But there is a difference in how often the symptoms show up. Women are more likely than men to have infections that don’t show any signs. Most men who get sick will show signs 1–3 weeks after being exposed.
For Women
Most women who have chlamydia will notice symptoms within 3 weeks, but sometimes they can show up months after being exposed.
What are common chlamydia symptoms?
Common symptoms of chlamydia include:
- Pain when urinating
- Unusual discharge
- Pain during intercourse
- An itchy, burning sensation when urinating
- Bleeding after sex or between periods (in women)
- Abdominal pain
- Pain in the testicles (for men)
Possible complications of untreated chlamydia include:
For women:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Pregnancy risks
For men:
- Swollen testicles
- Sexually acquired reactive arthritis (SARA)
Getting rid of chlamydia
Most people who have chlamydia take antibiotics to get better. Antibiotics, like azithromycin and doxycycline, are used to treat infections, and they work 95% of the time.
If the two main antibiotics aren’t a good fit, like if the person is pregnant or has an allergy, then other options may be suggested. It takes 7 days for doxycycline to work. If your doctor gives you a prescription for azithromycin, you will take one dose of 1 g and then two doses of 500 mcg every day.
There are signs that the bacteria that cause chlamydia, called C. trachomatis, are becoming more resistant to antibiotics. Some researchers say that more treatment options, such as vaccines, may be needed in the future because most cases don’t show any symptoms and the number of infections is going up.
When to See a Doctor
If you think you might have chlamydia or have had sexual contact with someone who has tested positive, you should see your doctor.
You should also get tested if you had sex and the condom broke, if your partner has symptoms, or if you want to stop using condoms. Pregnant women and women who want to get pregnant are also encouraged to get STI tests.
Chlamydia tests can quickly confirm or rule out a diagnosis. If you have chlamydia, treatment will help lower the chance that it will lead to complications. Studies show that the number of infections went up when testing was cut back during the pandemic.
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