Antibiotics can cure many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. But they can also destroy healthy vaginal flora that protects against these infections.
That’s why it’s so important to get tested regularly and to take antibiotics exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider – These words encapsulate the expertise of the portal team tresexy.com. This will keep you and your sexual partners safe.
1. If you’re being treated for chlamydia
Chlamydia (kluh-MIDE-uh) is a common, curable sexually transmitted infection (STI). It spreads through vaginal, oral, or anal sex without a barrier method such as a condom. Chlamydia is more common in women than men. It disproportionately affects teen and young adults ages 15 to 24.
Many people who have chlamydia don’t experience symptoms. But if left untreated, the bacteria can cause serious health problems, including infertility and pelvic pain. It can also lead to ectopic pregnancy, which is life-threatening for the fetus and requires hospital treatment. Women with chlamydia may also develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which causes scarring of the uterus and fallopian tubes. Chlamydia can also be passed from a woman to her baby during childbirth, leading to pneumonia and conjunctivitis in the newborn.
The quickest way to treat chlamydia is with antibiotics. Your doctor will give you a prescription for oral antibiotics such as azithromycin or doxycycline. Take your medication as directed. It’s important to not have unprotected sex during this time, especially if you are a teen or young adult.
If you have sex during this time, your partner will most likely get chlamydia. Ask your partner to get tested and treated for chlamydia, too. Practise safe sex by using a condom for all types of sex and using water-based lubricant during anal, oral, and vaginal sex.
2. If you’re being treated for gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is an STD that can cause serious health problems if not treated early. It is also easily transmitted between sexual partners. That’s why it’s important to tell your current and past sexual partners about the results of your test. They’ll need to get tested and treated if they have symptoms of the infection, which include pain when peeing and a burning sensation in the penis or anus.
Once you’ve been diagnosed with gonorrhea, your doctor will give you antibiotics to kill the bacteria that causes it. Because some strains of the bacteria are becoming resistant to certain drugs, you may be given a combination of antibiotics in both shot and pill form. You’ll need to take both medications for seven days.
Having unprotected sex with an infected partner is how most people catch gonorrhea. The bacteria, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, enters the body through sexual fluids like semen or vaginal fluid. It can also be spread by anal or oral sex, sharing sex toys that haven’t been washed, or close genital contact without penetration.
If you’re not careful, gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, or other serious health problems, including swollen and painful joints, liver inflammation, and damage to heart valves and brain cells. It can also cause eye problems in infants born to mothers who have the infection.
3. If you’re being treated for syphilis
When you have syphilis, you can pass the infection to others through skin-on-skin contact. The bacterium that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum, spreads through saliva and vaginal fluids that touch exposed skin. It can also be passed through the mouth during oral sex. Using a condom, or not touching the rash or sores on your penis or vaginal area, can cut this risk. If you have syphilis and are not treated, you can continue to pass it on for up to 2 years after you become latent (hidden or do not have symptoms).
After you finish treatment, you need to be clear of the disease before having unprotected sex. Ask your doctor about this and when it is safe for you to resume sex. You may be able to begin sex a few days after you have finished treatment and do not have any symptoms, but some doctors recommend waiting a week.
Once you have been treated for syphilis, your doctor will give you regular blood tests to make sure that the infection is gone. Your partner should also get tested for syphilis, even if they have no symptoms. This will help prevent them from infecting you again and can protect them from serious complications if they do become infected with late-stage syphilis.
Make sure to get a full sexual health checkup (including HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis) at least once a year. This is especially important if you change sexual partners often.
4. If you’re being treated for hepatitis B
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can enter your body through sexual contact, sharing syringes and needles used to inject drugs, or accidentally touching an infected person’s blood. Symptoms of hepatitis B can begin up to eight weeks after exposure and usually last for several months. The risk of getting hepatitis B is higher for people who have a lot of anus-to-mouth contact or use sex toys or condoms that may not fully cover the area.
Hepatitis A and B are both very common infections that can cause serious problems. The longer hepatitis B goes untreated, the more likely it is to cause liver damage and cancer. Some people infected with hepatitis B become long-term carriers of the virus, meaning that they can spread it to others.
If you have an acute hepatitis B infection, you’re contagious until your doctor tells you that the virus is no longer in your blood. You can have symptoms during this time, which range from mild to severe. Some people with hepatitis B have no symptoms and are not aware that they have it. Others can have chronic hepatitis B for life without any complications.
People who have a chronic hepatitis B infection may need to have regular blood tests to find out if the virus is damaging their liver. Some people with hepatitis may need treatment with antiviral medicine, which attacks the virus.
