Can You Get Chlamydia From Smoking With Someone- FAQs

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Chlamydia is one of the most commonly contracted STIs worldwide. It’s a curable infection caused by chlamydia trachomatis, which attacks the body’s mucous membranes. However, since most women and about half of men with chlamydia don’t experience symptoms, many believe they can get infected through casual contact, such as smoking with someone.

Chlamydia is often called a “silent infection.” In addition, those who don’t fully understand the disease may think it can be transmitted through any casual contact with an infected person.

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Can You Get Chlamydia From Smoking with Someone?

The simple answer to whether you can get chlamydia from smoking with someone is no. Chlamydia is a sexually-transmitted infection, most common in younger people who are sexually active. It’s passed through anal, vaginal, or oral sex. Eye infections also happen when discharge carries the disease into a person’s eye during contact.

Chlamydia can be passed down from a mother to a newborn when the baby goes through an infected birth canal. As a result, the newborn may get eye infections, pneumonia, or other illnesses. In addition, untreated chlamydia in pregnant women may cause preterm delivery and the newborn’s ophthalmia neonatorum (conjunctivitis), leading to more health issues.

By the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chlamydia in women can lead to the following:

  • Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
  • Tubal factor infertility
  • Ectopic pregnancy
  • Chronic pelvic pain

For men with untreated chlamydia, the following are possible complications:

  • Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland)
  • Urethra scarring
  • Infertility
  • Epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymis)

Another reason some people may think that smoking with someone can spread chlamydia is that three types of chlamydia can infect humans.

Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is the STI, and Chlamydia pneumonia (C. pneumoniae) and Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci) are related to pneumonia.

These listed bacteria are in the same family but are entirely different organisms with different transmission methods. Moreover, pneumonia caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia psittaci is less common than pneumonia caused by other organisms.

According to some research, cigarette smoking has been linked to bacterial vaginosis (BV) and other genital infections that impact sexual health.

These infections include herpes simplex virus type 2, Chlamydia trachomatis, and human papillomavirus (HPV).

Montana State University researchers in 2014 confirmed that smoking is strongly associated with the composition of the vaginal microbiota.

“They reported that women whose vaginal microbiota lacked significant numbers of Lactobacillus spp were 25 times more likely to report current smoking than those with microbiota dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus (L crispatus). In addition, the researchers noted that most Lactobacillus spp are thought to provide broad-spectrum protection to pathogenic infections by reducing vaginal pH.”

Still, when we go back to the question, “Can you get chlamydia from smoking with someone?” the answer is no. Smoking doesn’t cause bacteria to spread, but it increases the incidence of genital chlamydia infection because of the chemicals found in cigarettes. These, in turn, weaken the immune system and make it less challenging for bacteria to spread.

Does Smoking Affect Chlamydia Treatment?

You can cure chlamydia with antibiotic treatment. The NHS states that 95% of infected people can be cured using antibiotics correctly. The two most commonly recommended antibiotics for chlamydia treatment are doxycycline and azithromycin, and doctors may prescribe other antibiotics for patients with allergies. In addition, pregnant or breastfeeding women may receive either erythromycin or amoxicillin.

Patients prescribed doxycycline should take them every day for a week. Those on azithromycin should take one dose, followed by 500 mg once daily for two days. Taking antibiotics have side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Some important points about chlamydia treatment include:

  • Patients must take all medications as their doctor directs, even if the symptoms disappear.
  • All partners should get tested and treated.
  • Infected patients shouldn’t have sex until treated and cured.
  • An individual may catch chlamydia again after treatment, so retesting is recommended if symptoms show.
  • Females have a high infection rate, so retesting is recommended three to four months after treatment.
  • A sexually active person may be infected with both chlamydia and gonorrhea, so treatment for both is recommended.

Generally, smoking doesn’t affect the treatment of chlamydia. However, it may weaken your immune system and heighten your risk of bacterial infections, which could delay healing. If you have been diagnosed with chlamydial infection, it’s best to avoid smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products until your condition has been cured.

Smoking cigarettes can also increase the risk of antibiotic side effects and worsen any existing health issues. If you’re a smoker and have been diagnosed with chlamydia, it’s best to speak with your doctor about quitting smoking and how it may affect your treatment.

Moreover, evidence suggests smokers are prescribed antibiotics more frequently than non-smokers. As a result, smokers may increase antibiotic resistance, which could be detrimental to public health. In general, quitting smoking is beneficial for your health, so quitting before you start treatment for chlamydia is ideal.

Can You Get Chlamydia From Smoking With Someone or After Someone?

Whether you share, handoff, or let someone borrow your cigarette, the answer is no. Chlamydia can only be transmitted through sexual contact, and it’s impossible to catch it from smoking with someone. It’s possible to catch chlamydia through oral sex, but it’s less likely because the bacteria that cause chlamydia target the genital area. Chlamydia isn’t transmitted through saliva, so even if a person has an active infection, sharing or passing a cigarette won’t spread it.

After smoking with someone, it’s possible to get other bacteria, such as those that cause pneumonia or bronchitis. People can spread these bacteria from person to person through droplets in the air. Therefore, if you smoke after someone with a respiratory infection, you can catch what they have.

Other diseases you can catch from smoking after someone include tuberculosis, influenza, and the common cold. The best way to avoid catching any of these illnesses is to not smoke after anyone and keep your distance from people who have respiratory infections. Yes, you may get saliva-borne diseases from sharing cigarettes, but chlamydia is not one of them.

How Likely Is It to Get Chlamydia From Sharing a Cigarette?

The risk of catching chlamydia from sharing a cigarette is very low. Chlamydia is only transmitted through sexual contact, and it’s not possible to spread it through saliva or cigarette smoke. Therefore, while sharing cigarettes or cigarette smoking, in general, is not recommended, you can rest assured that it won’t give you chlamydia if you do so.

Catching chlamydia can only happen if you do the following:

  • Have unprotected sexual intercourse
  • Share or use someone else’s sex toys without a new condom
  • Engage in oral or anal sex without a barrier.

Chlamydia can also be transmitted from one person to the other, even if the penis or tongue doesn’t go into the anus or vagina. The infection thrives in semen, pre-cum, and vaginal fluids and infects the vagina, penis, vagina, anus, cervix, urethra, eyes, and throat.

When to See a Doctor

People infected with chlamydia often don’t have symptoms. Many feel completely fine even weeks after getting infected, so most think they don’t need to see a doctor or get tested for STDs or sexually transmitted infections. However, chlamydia has symptoms. And if there are symptoms, they’re similar to the symptoms of gonorrhea and usually develop within one to three weeks after the exposure. So it’s best to let your doctor know and do a chlamydia test if you experience the following:

  • Proctitis (inflamed rectum)
  • Urethritis (inflamed urethra)
  • Conjunctivitis (inflamed eyelid)
  • Soreness and redness in the throat or mouth
  • Vaginal discharge
  • Pain or burning sensation when urinating
  • Pus (thick yellow-white fluid)
  • Watery or milky discharge from the penis
  • Pain or swelling of the testicle

If chlamydia spreads to the fallopian tubes, women will experience the following:

  • Lower abdominal and lower back pain
  • Pain during intercourse
  • Bleeding between menstrual periods
  • Nausea or fever

As long as you practice safe and protected sex and get tested regularly, you should be able to avoid chlamydia. But generally, sexually active people should get tested for chlamydia and other STIs and STDs at least once a year. Seeing a doctor is also recommended if you have new or multiple sexual partners.

Moreover, seeing a doctor doesn’t only have to be about getting tested for STIs or STDs; it’s also a good idea to talk about birth control methods and how to reduce the risk of getting any STDs, including chlamydia.

Chlamydia is prevalent and usually doesn’t have symptoms, so it’s essential to get tested if you think you may be infected. However, one doesn’t have to wait for symptoms to appear before seeing a doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

STDs can only be transmitted through sexual contact, so the short answer is no. You can’t get an STD from sharing a vape or joint with someone.

Generally, smoking doesn’t have a direct effect on the treatment of chlamydia. However, smoking can affect your overall health and cause other medical conditions that can affect recovery.

Chlamydia treatment involves antibiotics, so it’s crucial to finish the course of medication even if you feel better. In general, smoking doesn’t go well with antibiotics and other treatments, so if you smoke and get chlamydia treatment, it’s best to quit smoking or reduce your intake. Antibiotics target bacteria and smoking can weaken the body’s ability to fight off infections. 

If you touch the semen or pre-cum of a person infected with chlamydia and touch your eyes, mouth, or genitals after, you might catch chlamydia. Though it’s possible to catch chlamydia through oral sex, it’s less likely because the bacteria that cause chlamydia target the genital area. 

Sharing cigarettes can cause diseases, but not chlamydia. Generally, tobacco smoke contains many chemicals that are toxic to the body, causing cancer, heart and lung diseases, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sharing cigarettes may increase the risk of other diseases, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. People may also catch saliva-borne infections and diseases like tuberculosis, influenza, and common colds. 

Like sharing cigarettes, vaping can’t transmit a disease like chlamydia. But there are other health risks associated with vaping, and sharing vapes may spread saliva-borne infections or illnesses. However, vaping can’t directly transmit diseases. The risk associated with vaping is only about breathing the same heavy metals and ultrafine particles as the person vaping in the same area.

Key Takeaways

It’s common for people to worry about catching an STI or STD, especially with minimal education on the topic. Understanding how STI or STD transmission works is essential to staying safe and healthy. Ultimately, sexually active people must practice safe sex and regularly get tested for STIs and STDs.

Seeing the doctor before symptoms appear is recommended, especially for people with new or multiple partners. It’s integral in ensuring that you’re not infected and that you’re not infecting other people as well.

So, can you get chlamydia from smoking with someone? Chlamydia is one of the most prevalent STIs. However, it doesn’t change the fact that you can only catch it through sexual contact. Therefore, sharing cigarettes, pipes, or vapes won’t transmit chlamydia or any other STI/STD. However, it’s still important to be mindful of other health risks of sharing these items.

Learning about the prevention, symptoms, and treatment of chlamydia is essential for keeping yourself safe. If you have any questions or concerns, it’s always best to talk to a doctor or healthcare provider. Knowledge is power, and understanding how chlamydia works can help you and your partners stay safe and healthy.

The content on Doctor Alexa’s blog is reviewed by Advanced practice registered nurses or pharmacist and is intended for educational purposes only. This information should not be relied upon as professional medical counsel. Be sure to always consult with your physician about the dangers and benefits of any medication, treatment or procedure.

You shouldn’t wait to see the doctor for simple health needs.