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STDs (Expert Forum)
chlamydia and what more?
Answered by
University of Washington
Seattle - WA
This forum is for questions and support regarding STD issues such as: Chlamydia, Crabs (pubic lice scabies), Gonorrhea, Hepatitis (viral), Herpes, HPV, Molluscum Contagiosum, PID, Rectal Infections, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, Warts, Yeast Infection.All questions will be answered by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D. or Edward W Hook, MD.
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chlamydia and what more?
by SFHelp123, Nov 23, 2005 12:00AM
Let me walk you thru a timeline of events:
7/2004: I had unprotected sex
4/2005: I had no symptoms, but I wanted to be sure I was negative for STDs due to my unprotected sexual encounter in 7/2004. Blood test for HIV was non-reactive. Urine test for chlamydia and gonorrhea was negative
late 6/2005: Practiced protected sex with my girlfriend 3-4times/week.
7/2005: Gilfriend begins taking birth control
late 7/2005: Began having unprotected sex with my girlfriend 4-5times/week
7-9/2005: Gilfriend has spotting between her mensual cycle. Nothing else unusual. Said that she had experienced spotting in the past with various types of birth control.
mid 10/2005: Girlfriend experiences lots of pain during sex, says she experiences discharge. Girlfriend sees a doctor. Doctors diagnoses her with a yeast infection. Doctor has her take over the counter medicine. GF not tested for STDs. Yeast infection and pain disappears several days later. A day or so later, we have unprotected sex. The next day, I notice that my penis itches a bit. I also have pain during urination. I brush it off. Subtle itching continues to occur. I visit doctor two weeks later. I test positive for chlamydia. I'm prescriped four pills which I take that night. I notify GF the day I test positive. GF visits doctor. GF takes same medicine the following day. GF gets tested. GF Swab tests are negative for chlamydia and gonorrhea. GF Blood tests are non-reactive for HIV.
I get retested 7 days after I tested positive for chlamydia and after my one day of medication. My urine tests are negative for chlamydia and gonorrhea, blood tests and non-reactive for HIV, and negative for syphillis. We have unprotected sex again.
A week later, I still have more pronounced symptoms. Still itching on tip of penis and burning after urinating. Slight pain in testicles. I see doctor. Doctor suspects I have urethritis. Doctor prescripes 20 pills of 100mg doxycyline, which I take 2x/day for 10 days. Symptoms do not go away. In fact, I feel more pain in my testicles now. I also have stomach pain. GF experienced pain during sex a couple of days ago.
All of this leads me frustrated and confused. GF has not had sex since beginning of 2005. Our first sexual encounter was in june 2005. Is it possible for to have chlamydia and not show any symptoms for in her case 6+months, my case 12+months? How can I test positive and she negative when we had unprotected sex 30+ times since I was diagnosed? What is the false positive (and negative) for a chamydia urine test? Can you think of any other reason why I'm in pain.
I'm seeing a urologist this friday. Where should I go from here?
Keep up the great work =)
7/2004: I had unprotected sex
4/2005: I had no symptoms, but I wanted to be sure I was negative for STDs due to my unprotected sexual encounter in 7/2004. Blood test for HIV was non-reactive. Urine test for chlamydia and gonorrhea was negative
late 6/2005: Practiced protected sex with my girlfriend 3-4times/week.
7/2005: Gilfriend begins taking birth control
late 7/2005: Began having unprotected sex with my girlfriend 4-5times/week
7-9/2005: Gilfriend has spotting between her mensual cycle. Nothing else unusual. Said that she had experienced spotting in the past with various types of birth control.
mid 10/2005: Girlfriend experiences lots of pain during sex, says she experiences discharge. Girlfriend sees a doctor. Doctors diagnoses her with a yeast infection. Doctor has her take over the counter medicine. GF not tested for STDs. Yeast infection and pain disappears several days later. A day or so later, we have unprotected sex. The next day, I notice that my penis itches a bit. I also have pain during urination. I brush it off. Subtle itching continues to occur. I visit doctor two weeks later. I test positive for chlamydia. I'm prescriped four pills which I take that night. I notify GF the day I test positive. GF visits doctor. GF takes same medicine the following day. GF gets tested. GF Swab tests are negative for chlamydia and gonorrhea. GF Blood tests are non-reactive for HIV.
I get retested 7 days after I tested positive for chlamydia and after my one day of medication. My urine tests are negative for chlamydia and gonorrhea, blood tests and non-reactive for HIV, and negative for syphillis. We have unprotected sex again.
A week later, I still have more pronounced symptoms. Still itching on tip of penis and burning after urinating. Slight pain in testicles. I see doctor. Doctor suspects I have urethritis. Doctor prescripes 20 pills of 100mg doxycyline, which I take 2x/day for 10 days. Symptoms do not go away. In fact, I feel more pain in my testicles now. I also have stomach pain. GF experienced pain during sex a couple of days ago.
All of this leads me frustrated and confused. GF has not had sex since beginning of 2005. Our first sexual encounter was in june 2005. Is it possible for to have chlamydia and not show any symptoms for in her case 6+months, my case 12+months? How can I test positive and she negative when we had unprotected sex 30+ times since I was diagnosed? What is the false positive (and negative) for a chamydia urine test? Can you think of any other reason why I'm in pain.
I'm seeing a urologist this friday. Where should I go from here?
Keep up the great work =)
Doctor's Answer
by H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., Nov 23, 2005 12:00AM
, Nov 23, 2005 12:00AM
It is very common for women to carry chlamydia for 6+ months, often a year, and rarely up to 4 years. So the odds are that your partner brought chlamydia into your relationship and you acquired your infection from her. People with chronic chlamydial infection eventually clear it up on their own, so her negative test--even though you developed a positive test--is understandable. (I suspect your partner's symptoms were indeed due to yeast, and that her chlamydial infection was asymptomatic.) You don't say your partner was treated for chlamydia, but I asssume she was; that is essential.
Your current symptoms sound like you could indeed have persistent nonchlamydial, nongonococcal urethritis (NGU). However, I'm not at all certain; true urethritis almost always would improve with doxycycline. If there is no abnormal discharge, and if urinalysis does not show eleveted white blood cells, then it is likely that no further therapy is required. Symptoms alone do not necessarily indicate continuing infection; just as a sprained ankle may hurt from time to time for months after complete healing, genital discomfort often follows STDs without meaning anything important. Your current symptoms also are consistent with anxiety-generated sensitivity to otherwise normal body sensations.
I'm not sure seeing a urologist is a great idea. Without intending to demean an entire specialty, most urologists are not well trained in STD. An alternative is to just sit tight for a couple of weeks; be sure your partner was treated for chlamydia (if not, she should be treated now, while you are taking doxycycline--even if her most recent test is negative). To play it extra safe, avoid sex (e.g., stick with hand jobs) or use condoms consistently for the next few weeks. I'll bet that over time, all your symptoms fade and all will be back to normal.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
Your current symptoms sound like you could indeed have persistent nonchlamydial, nongonococcal urethritis (NGU). However, I'm not at all certain; true urethritis almost always would improve with doxycycline. If there is no abnormal discharge, and if urinalysis does not show eleveted white blood cells, then it is likely that no further therapy is required. Symptoms alone do not necessarily indicate continuing infection; just as a sprained ankle may hurt from time to time for months after complete healing, genital discomfort often follows STDs without meaning anything important. Your current symptoms also are consistent with anxiety-generated sensitivity to otherwise normal body sensations.
I'm not sure seeing a urologist is a great idea. Without intending to demean an entire specialty, most urologists are not well trained in STD. An alternative is to just sit tight for a couple of weeks; be sure your partner was treated for chlamydia (if not, she should be treated now, while you are taking doxycycline--even if her most recent test is negative). To play it extra safe, avoid sex (e.g., stick with hand jobs) or use condoms consistently for the next few weeks. I'll bet that over time, all your symptoms fade and all will be back to normal.
Good luck-- HHH, MD
So, maybe you contracted her yeast infection. I gave my husband one once, although he only had itching and redness, none of your other symptoms - and I'd think a doctor would recognize that anyway. Hopefully Dr. Handsfield will reply soon; it'll be interesting to read what he thinks.
However, there's