Treatment for Chlamydia
Treatment for chlamydia may involve the following:
MedicationsLifestyle changesFor chlamydia, it is important that you and your partner both be treated and wait at least seven days before you have sex again.
All of the medication must be taken as directed; this is critical to curing your infection.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed a form of partner-treating known as expedited partner therapy (EPT) if your partner will not likely seek treatment. If your state and doctor support EPT, you may be given a prescription to give to your partner. They can then be treated without needing to seek medical attention. Where it is allowed, EPT can help reduce the spread of chlamydia.
If you still have symptoms after the medication is finished, you may need to be tested again. Even if your symptoms disappear, you are encouraged to return three months after treatment to be retested.
It is standard practice to test for multiple STDs when identifying one infection. It is also standard practice to treat for chlamydia when
gonorrhea
is identified.
References
Chlamydia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/default.htm. Updated April 30, 2013. Accessed May 16, 2013.
Chlamydia genital infection. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php. Updated March 13, 2013. Accessed May 16, 2013.
Chlamydia fact sheet. US Department of Health and Human Services Women's Health website. Available at:
hhttp://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/chlamydia.cfm. Updated July 8, 2011. Accessed May 16, 2013.
Miller KE. Diagnosis and treatment of chlamydia trachomatis infection. Am Fam Physician. 2006;73:1411-1416.
Workowski KA, Berman S, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2010.
MMWR.
2010;59(No. RR-12):1-110.