How to Tell Your Partner You Have Chlamydia

How to Tell Your Partner You Have Chlamydia

Perhaps the only thing worse than finding out that you have an STD is breaking the news to your partner. Unfortunately, over a million people get chlamydia every year and are forced to have this tough conversation with their partner. There’s no way around it: telling your partner you have an STD is difficult. However, the more informed you are on the subject, the better. Here’s how to tell your partner you have chlamydia and everything else you need to know about this STD:

Chlamydia 101

It’s important to understand some fast facts about chlamydia before you talk to your partner. Chlamydia is an extremely common bacterial STD that affects both men and women. (In fact, it might be more common now than ever before.) One of the reasons chlamydia is so widespread is that it’s difficult to identify. If symptoms appear at all they’re usually mild. Many who have chlamydia never notice any symptoms whatsoever. Women with chlamydia may experience pain during urination or vaginal discharge. Similarly, men may also experience pain during urination, discharge from the penis, or rectal bleeding. Occasionally women with chlamydia may feel nauseous or suffer from abdominal pain. To close, it’s important to note that though chlamydia’s incubation period tends to last one-to-three weeks, it can remain asymptomatic for months.  

The Good News

Chlamydia is a widespread bacterial disease, and thankfully, it can cured quite simply. In most instances, a simple dose of antibiotics will be enough to eradicate the disease completely. (Keep in mind, you should always follow your doctor’s orders when it comes to STD medication. Just because symptoms have abated, it doesn’t necessarily mean the STD is gone –– so never cease a treatment plan before your doctor tells you to.) The hardest part of dealing with chlamydia is often mustering the courage to get tested for it. Once you’ve identified the problem, it’s typically quite straightforward to address.

The Bad News

While chlamydia is treatable, it’s still dangerous. If left untreated, chlamydia can cause cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and complications during pregnancy. Also, as we mentioned above, chlamydia can stay in your system for months at a time without exhibiting symptoms. That means if you’ve tested positive for chlamydia, you should contact any sexual partners over the past year and alert them. If you’ve had multiple partners, it’s impossible to know for sure how you contracted chlamydia. Uncomfortable as it may be to tell an ex you have an STD, it’s the right thing to do.