Can Chlamydia Come Back? 4 Ways Reinfection Is Possible

Question: Can Chlamydia come back?

Chlamydia, like other sexually transmitted infection – gonorrhea, trichomonas, syphilis, is contracted primarily from sexual intercourse (vaginal, anal or oral sex). If you’ve had intercourse or got in contact with the contaminated fluid from an infected person, it’s possible you’ll have chlamydia infection without knowing.

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What’s chlamydia and what are the symptoms?

The bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, is the organism which causes chlamydia infection. It can affect the eyes (resulting in conjunctivitis), the joints, the mouth and the genitals of males and females. Chlamydia discharge with severe discomfort while urinating may be an early sign of illness. You can read a simple overview on the NHS chlamydia information page. nhs.uk

It can also be contacted through the sharing of infected towels, although this is thought to be very rare and most infections are from sex or close genital contact. Pregnant women with poorly treated infection may transmit chlamydia to their babies during delivery.

Chlamydia can be a silent disease because you can get infected without showing any signs. About 30 – 70 percent of infected men and women will not have common symptoms at all.

However, this does not rule out complication of chlamydia infection in the long-term. If left for a long time without treatment, chlamydia may cause pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal pregnancy, and difficulty conceiving. These long-term problems are also highlighted in the World Health Organization chlamydia fact sheet.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the upward spread of chlamydia affecting the womb, abdominal area, and Fallopian tubes. PID could potentially cause permanent damage to the Fallopian tubes ultimately causing infertility and ectopic pregnancy. 

Short-term adverse effects of chlamydia in men include inflammation of the epididymis, with testes that are hurtful and swollen. This occurs very early after an infection and can contribute to infertility in men. nhs.uk

If you’ve had unprotected anal, oral, vaginal intercourse or got in real contact with someone genital fluid, you can have chlamydia.

With or without chlamydia symptoms, it is advised that both males and females who are sexually active and at risk get tested regularly (often yearly) for sexually transmitted infections including chlamydia infection. (This screening advice is based on guidelines such as the CDC chlamydia treatment guidelines.)

Read More: How Long Before Chlamydia Symptoms Will Appear

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Can chlamydia come back?

Yes. If you’ve had chlamydia symptoms and treated it by taking some antibiotics, either prescribed by your healthcare provider or you got on your own, you may still get chlamydia infection again.

Getting rid of chlamydia will not confer protection against possible future infections.

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What’re the symptoms to expect if I get reinfected with chlamydia?

If you are male, symptoms of chlamydia can be

• Pain while urinating

• Chlamydia urethral discharge that is cloudy and watery

• Infertility (usually after repeated or untreated infections)

• Chlamydia conjunctivitis (red eyes)

• Swollen testes

• Very painful testes

• Fever

• Sometimes pus-like urethral discharge

If you are female with a history of unprotected sexual intercourse, these are symptoms you will have

• Chlamydia discharge from vagina that is yellowish, whitish or sometimes may be greenish

• Low abdomen pain

• Fever

• Pain while urinating

• Spotting between your period

• Infertility (usually after repeated or untreated infections)

• History of ectopic pregnancy (possible complication of previous chlamydia)

• Pelvic inflammatory diseases (long-term complication of previous infections) nhs.uk

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Why does chlamydia keeps coming back?

If you start showing symptoms of chlamydia months after treatment, these are the possible causes of reinfection.

1. Your chlamydia was poorly treated or left untreated

It’s possible to have chlamydia infection with no symptoms of the disease. In some women and men, it could take weeks for chlamydia signs to appear. If you just started having symptoms, get tested for chlamydia at a clinic or with a reliable chlamydia test kit to know if it’s chlamydia or not.

Poorly treated chlamydia, either due to wrong antibiotics or not completing your doctor’s prescribed medications, may cause chlamydia to persist.

If you have chlamydia symptoms months after treatment, it is advisable to let your doctor know ASAP.

2. Having multiple sexual partners after treatment

After treatment, did you engage in unprotected intercourse with multiple sexual partners?

If you did, it’s likely your new symptoms are due to chlamydia or other sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea and trichomonas infection.

After chlamydia treatment, boosting your sexual health and minimizing the number of persons you have unprotected intercourse with, is vital to prevent reinfection.

3. Not testing your sexual partners if they have chlamydia

Since chlamydia is gotten through sex, if your partner is not tested, you can have chlamydia symptoms in no time. Your partner does not have to be symptomatic to transmit the bacteria to you.

4. Having sex too soon after or during treatment

If you have sex before you and your partner finish your antibiotics, you can pass the infection back and forth. Many services advise avoiding sex (even with condoms) for about 7 days after a one-dose treatment, or until you complete a 7-day course and your partner has also been treated. CDC+1

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Ways to prevent chlamydia from coming back?

If you’ve treated chlamydia, these are the steps you should take to prevent reinfection.

Abstinence

Abstinence from any sexual contact remains one of the safest ways to avoid chlamydia infection. If you should never have intercourse, you are extremely unlikely to have Chlamydia trachomatis infection.

Get your sexual partner (male or female) tested

Don’t just treat for chlamydia alone. You can contact the disease again. Request your partner test for chlamydia and other STIs, and get treated if positive. If you have chlamydia, there is a good chance he/she has chlamydia too.

Retest for chlamydia if you have a new partner

Within about three months after treatment or after a new sexual partner, you have to test for chlamydia again. (This repeat testing idea is also seen in CDC advice on retesting after treatment.) CDC+1

It’s beneficial to enlighten you male or female partners about chlamydia long-term risk and persuade them to get tested.

Use condoms consistently

Frequently, it’s very challenging to stay away from any form of sexual contact entirely. If you should have intercourse, the disciplined use of a condom is the best alternative.

Yearly get tested for chlamydia

It’s important to recheck for chlamydia after treatment or annually, especially if you are under 25 or at higher risk, as it may be present without any symptoms.