Frequent urination is a symptom of chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Many people who contract this infection may not realize they have it because symptoms are often mild or absent. Understanding potential signs, including urination changes, is important for timely diagnosis and treatment, preventing further complications.
How Chlamydia Affects Urination
Chlamydia can lead to frequent urination due to inflammation and irritation within the urinary tract. The infection commonly targets the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body, leading to urethritis. This inflammation of the urethral lining can make the bladder feel fuller than it is, prompting a more frequent and urgent need to urinate.
In some cases, the infection can also irritate the bladder, producing symptoms similar to a bladder infection, such as discomfort or a burning sensation during urination. This irritation contributes to increased urinary frequency and urgency.
Other Chlamydia Symptoms
While changes in urination can occur, chlamydia is often referred to as a “silent infection” because many individuals experience no symptoms at all. When symptoms appear, they vary between men and women and often develop weeks after infection, contributing to unrecognized spread.
In women, common symptoms may include an abnormal vaginal discharge, bleeding between menstrual periods or after sexual intercourse, and pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis. For men, signs can involve a watery or cloudy discharge from the penis, a burning sensation during urination, and sometimes pain or swelling in one or both testicles. Both men and women can also experience rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding if the infection affects the rectum, or a sore throat from oral exposure.
Getting Tested and Treated
If chlamydia is suspected, getting tested is a straightforward process. Healthcare providers typically use a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), which is highly accurate at detecting the bacteria’s genetic material. Testing often involves a “first-catch” urine sample or swabs from affected areas like the cervix, vagina, urethra, throat, or rectum.
Chlamydia is a curable infection, typically treated with antibiotics. The most common antibiotic regimens involve a single dose of azithromycin or a seven-day course of doxycycline. It is important to take all prescribed medication, even if symptoms improve or disappear, to ensure the infection is fully cleared. Those undergoing treatment should abstain from sexual activity for at least seven days after completing medication to prevent reinfection and spread. Sexual partners from the past 60 days should also be notified, tested, and treated to break the transmission cycle.
Preventing Chlamydia and Its Effects
Preventing chlamydia involves practicing safe sex, primarily through the consistent and correct use of condoms during all types of sexual activity, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Regular STI screening is also important, especially for sexually active individuals, as many chlamydia infections are asymptomatic. Annual testing is often recommended for sexually active women aged 25 and younger, and for older women and men with new or multiple sexual partners.
Left untreated, chlamydia can lead to serious health complications. In women, it can ascend to the upper reproductive tract, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which may result in chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. In men, untreated chlamydia can lead to epididymitis, an inflammation of the coiled tube at the back of the testicles, which can cause pain and, in rare cases, infertility. Untreated chlamydia can also increase susceptibility to other STIs, including HIV.