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Chlamydia

What is it?

Chlamydia is the most common sexually spread bacterial infection among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  You can get it in your penis, vagina or front hole, bum, throat and eye.

Note: Chlamydia can spread from breast feeding mother to her baby.  Babies can also get an eye infection (conjunctivitis) or a lung infection (pneumonia) from chlamydia.

How do you get it?

You can get chlamydia from vaginal or front hole sex, anal sex, oral sex and rimming bums. Using fingers or hands in the vagina or front hole or bum can also pass on chlamydia.

What are the signs?

Most people have no signs or symptoms at all. Even with no signs, chlamydia can be causing damage on the inside, mainly for women.

If you do have signs, they can include:

  • a stinging or burning sensation while peeing, or when you cum (ejaculating)
  • a difference in vaginal or front-hole discharge
  • a discharge from your penis or bum
  • itching and redness around the opening of your penis (urethra) or bum
  • Pain in your testicles (balls) or pelvic area
  • irregular vaginal or front-hole bleeding

Tests for Chlamydia

A doctor can test for chlamydia with a urine (pee) test and swabs of the throat, vagina or front hole and bum.

Treatment for Chlamydia

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics (drugs that kill certain germs). You should not have sex until 7 days after you have finished your antibiotics, and you should tell your previous sexual partners so they can get tested too. This protects your sexual partner(s) and also prevents you becoming reinfected.

Preventing Chlamydia

Using condoms and lube reduces the risk of getting or passing on chlamydia, but you can still get it or pass it on even when you use condoms. So getting tested regularly is really important.

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We acknowledge and pay respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work.

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