Chlamydia is one of the most frequently reported sexually transmitted infections and is spread by contact with infected sexual fluids. This article discusses chlamydia in throat, its causes, treatments, and more. Read on to learn all you need to know about chlamydia in throat.
Chlamydia in the throat
You could get chlamydia in your throat. However, it is improbable. To decipher how you can be infected by chlamydia in your throat, you have to think about how chlamydia is transmittable.
When the genitals, such as the vagina and penis, or the mucus membranes of a person, contact the bacterium that causes chlamydia, a person may be infected. At the mucus membranes and genitals, the chlamydia-causing bacterium multiplies.
The symptoms of chlamydia are vague, thereby making it hard to detect.
Unprotected vaginal and anal sex is the most typical way chlamydia can be spread.
Giving oral sex to a person that has contracted a genital chlamydia infection can result in having chlamydia in your throat.
Likewise, chlamydia-causing bacteria can be transmitted to your genitals if you get oral sex from a partner who already has the infection.
Chlamydia bacteria can infect the groin area, such as the rectum, vagina, or penis, more easily than the mouth.
The CDC reports chlamydia is not considered a significant form of throat infection, and you’re less likely to get throat chlamydia compared to the genital area.
Related: Chlamydia Conjunctivitis – Chlamydia in the Eye
Signs of chlamydia in the throat?
Chlamydia in the throat often causes no symptoms. Some people with throat infections may only have a sore or swollen throat and think it’s due to a common cold or flu virus.
Some of the common chlamydia symptoms in the throat include the following:
- Strep throat
- cavity problems
- pain in the mouth
- permanent sore of the mouth
- herpes
- White spots in the mouth
Additionally, chlamydia infects both genitals and throat area. So besides strep throat, symptoms of chlamydia in your genitals are also likely.
How is chlamydia diagnosed?
There are different ways for your doctor to screen for chlamydia in the throat. However, testing for chlamydial infection in the throat is not part of the regular STI testing.
Suppose you have a partner who has tested positive for chlamydia or a sore throat that doesn’t seem to ease. Then, you should consult your doctor about pharyngeal chlamydia screenings.
Typically, doctors use urine samples to test for the bacteria that causes chlamydia. However, this method doesn’t work for chlamydia in the throat.
To test for pharyngeal chlamydia, your doctor may swab your throat and send the sample to a laboratory for inspection. In turn, the laboratory tests the sample for the presence of the chlamydial bacteria.
It is crucial to note that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t officially approved a swab test for chlamydia testing. In addition, the throat carries a lot of bacteria, so it might be challenging to pinpoint chlamydia.
This means that when your doctor does a swab test for chlamydia in the throat, it’s probably in an off-label manner because the FDA hasn’t approved it for use yet. Nonetheless, some doctors believe swab tests are effective in detecting chlamydia.
Risk of chlamydia in the throat
Some risks are associated with chlamydia in the throat. For example, pharyngeal chlamydia can make people susceptible to other STIs, including HIV. The CDC buttresses that chlamydia in the throat might heighten the risk of contracting HIV.
In addition, chlamydia in the throat can make a person more vulnerable to other illnesses because their body’s immunity might weaken from challenging the chlamydial bacteria. As a result, conditions such as tooth loss, gum disease, dental pain, and mouth infections may occur.
If chlamydia is left untreated, it can increase the risk factors for the following adverse conditions:
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Preterm delivery for awaiting mothers
- inflammation of the upper genital tract
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Perihepatitisan
- Reactive arthritis
How is chlamydia in the throat treated?
Fortunately, chlamydia is curable and can be treated with antibiotics. For example, suppose you have chlamydia in the throat; your doctor would most likely prescribe the same antibiotics that treat genital chlamydia for your treatment.
It is crucial to consult your medical expert for appropriate treatment to avoid overdosing or recurrent infection. In addition, ensure to stay away from sex for at least 7 days if your doctor prescribes a single-use antibiotic to treat chlamydia.
However, if your treatment takes longer, you should finish all your dosage before having sex again.
How to prevent chlamydia in throat
The most reliable way to avoid oral chlamydia in the throat is to abstain from oral sex because this infection spreads through contact with sexual fluids. Abstinence is a surefire way to prevent oral chlamydia.
In addition, you can diminish your risk of getting infected by reducing the number of your sexual partners and using protection during sexual activities. Condoms and dental dams have proven effective in keeping the chlamydial bacteria out and reducing the risk of infection.
You should also avoid sexual contact if you have a sore in your mouth for your safety.
Read Also: What Are the Risks of Untreated Chlamydia?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Chlamydia can cause unrepairable damage to a woman’s reproductive health and infertility in men if not treated. In addition, untreated chlamydia can cause PID, leading to an ectopic pregnancy and other health complications.
While chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics, sometimes the damage to the reproductive system is irreversible.
Additionally, chlamydia can cause pain or inflammation of the testicles in men. This is why early treatment is recommended.
While sore throat can be one of the symptoms of chlamydial infection, the two bacterial infections are distinct because they typically affect different body areas. Chlamydia is spread through sexual activities, while strep throat is a bacterial infection that impacts the tonsils and throat.
Chlamydia is usually transmitted through sexual contact. This means casual contact like kissing, hugging, or sharing items cannot spread the infection. For example, you cannot get chlamydia from hugging, kissing, sharing towels or baths, toilet seats, or cutlery.
Genital chlamydia is one of the most frequently reported infections in the US. However, oral chlamydia is far less common.
According to a study in 2021, among 140 men who have sex with men, only 1.4% had chlamydia in the throat.
Fortunately, chlamydia throat infection is curable. Your healthcare professional will most likely prescribe an antibiotic treatment to eliminate the infection.
The same antibiotics recommended to treat genital chlamydia are also used to treat oral chlamydia.
