chlamidya treatment - the low down and the not so scary truth

After being with my boyfriend for four months be began to have unprotected sex with our choice of contraception being the progesterone only pill (when tested I had high blood pressure and am slightly over weight however under 35). While we had a discussion about him getting tested as he had previously had sex with other people things don't always go to plan and we did it anyway. After maybe  a week I began to notice symptoms, not only my own but on my boyfriend too which I had previously just hadn't noticed. He began to itch more and things began to smell a little less fresh. He also complained that passing urine felt forced and uncomfortable. I noticed in my own body that I felt very nauseous and subsequent sex became painful and uncomfortable. There was always a small amount of bleeding after sex and between periods however that can be a normal bodily reaction to hormonal contraceptives. The smell is very foul and cannot go unnoticed. As a team we decided to get tested as chlamyida can be very dangerous in both men and women and can cause infertility if left untreated. We made appointments at our local sexual health clinic which is completely confidential and also free in my location in the UK therefore you can be reassured that nobody is going to find out. The people there are amazing and very friendly so you have nothing to be ashamed of - they've seen it all and lots worse before! For my test, I simply swabbed inside of my vagina and as close to my cervix as possible and that was it! Easy, simple and pain free. For my boyfriend it was a simple urine sample which he provided on the day. The samples are then tested for the most common STI's such as chlamyida and gonorrhea and the process takes about two weeks before the results come in. A basic text is sent back to you and asks you to call if the results are positive or will tell you that you tested negative. An appointment is then arranged to suit your life style and you return to the clinic. Appointments can sometimes be difficult to make however it is important to make sure you complete the treatment. When being treated they will give you two large blue tablets called azithromycin. This is the worst bit. For me this did not settle well with my body and caused extreme discomforting my lower stomach. It also affected my bowel movements and resulted in not being able to keep any food in. Although I didn't throw up it is important that you if you do within the first 3 hours of taking the medication then you return to the clinic as the treatment will be ineffective. The medication takes 48 hours to begin to work and then subsequently takes 4 days to defend the infection. Although this totals only 6 days it is not advised that you begin to have sex again (protected or not) till at least 7-9 days after you and your partner both receive treatment as traces of the infection can still remain in your bodily fluids.