Chlamydia

It is difficult to know if you have chlamydia because it has almost no or few symptoms. However, when left untreated it can cause serious health problems. When chlamydia worsens, symptoms may include:

In men:

• Pain during urination

• Swelling around the genitals

• Pain around the testicles

• Itching and burning at the opening of the penis

• Small amounts of clear or cloudy discharge from the penis

In women:

• Painful menses with extreme cramps

• Feeling of pain while copulation

• Bleeding in between periods and after sex

• Fever and dizziness

• Painful urination

• Vaginal discharge that may seem abnormal and have an smell

• Itching or burning in or around the vagina​

If you experience any of the above symptoms, get yourself examined by the doctor.

If you learn that you partner has chlamydia, you should consult the doctor to get yourself tested. You may need to take medications as a safe measure.

Make an appointment with our expert doctors in Family Health or Women’s Health Care for women or Kidney and Bladder, Urology for men at The Aga Khan University Hospital.​
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Your time with your doctor maybe limited, so make sure to prepare for your visit beforehand. Here are some tips to help get you started. ​
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Screening and diagnosis of Chlamydia is fairly simple. There are two ways the doctor will be able to confirm a diagnosis:

• Urine sample test: Your doctor may request a special PCR test, known as Xpert CTNG, on urine for the detection of Chlamydia infection.
  
  

• Swab: For men, a slim swab will be inserted into the end of your penis to get a sample from the urethra. In some cases, your doctor may also swab the anus.

• Swab: For women, your doctor may want to conduct a culture or antigen testing by taking a swab of the discharge from your cervix.

It is advised that you and your partner get re-tested 3 months after completing the course of treatment.​

Chlamydia is easily treated with antibiotic medications. Symptoms may get better within a couple of days but the infection may take as long as 2 weeks to resolve. It is important that you are punctual in following the dosage as prescribed to fully recover from the infection.

You must not engage in sexual intercourse during treatment to avoid transferring the disease back and forth. ​

The Aga Khan University Hospital offers various support services to help with managing or recovering from the disease or condition. These include but are not limited to nutrition, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, specialized clinics and some patient support groups. Your doctor or nurse will advise you accordingly.
 
The Aga Khan University Hospital offers financial assistance to those who are in need and fulfil the eligibility criteria. For further information, you can contact the Patient Welfare Department. You can find the contact number of the Patient Welfare Department in the ‘Important Numbers’ section on the website homepage.
 
The financial counselling staff is available during office hours, at the main PBSD (Patient Business Services Department), to answer your financial queries on treatments’ costs and authorize admissions on partial deposit as per hospital policies allow. The financial counsellor in the emergency room is open 24/7. You can find the contact number of the Patient Business Services in the ‘Important Numbers’ section on the website homepage.​

Your doctor and or nurse will give you specific instructions about the prescribed medication. Please ensure that you take or use the prescribed medicine as advised. It can be dangerous to your health if you self-prescribe. Please inform the doctor or nurse beforehand if you have experienced any adverse reactions to any medications in the past. If you experience any symptoms of drug poisoning, overdose or severe reaction please contact the Pharmacy Service at The Aga Khan University Hospital immediately. You can find the contact number of the Pharmacy Services in the ‘Important Numbers’ section on the website homepage. ​