[Question #10657] Chlamydia timeline

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21 months ago
Hi doctors … I have seen a lot of questions on chlamydia lately and I would like to get your advice… roughly 6 months ago I gave a blow job to a friend, about two weeks later, my boyfriend and I got back together. I never told him about my experience, but now I am rattled with anxiety that I acquired chlamydia in my throat and passed it on to him. We have regular oral and vaginal sex -1-3 times month. I took a urine test in august from lab corp and it was negative and a month later I had a gyn appt. I didn’t have any STD testing done at that time since my urine was negative, but she said my pelvic exam was normal. 

Could you let me know the statistical possibility that I acquired a chlamydia infection in my throat… what the statistical probability of me transmitting said infection from my throat to his penis …. Possibly of him having asymptomatic chlamydia for 5 months… and me testing negative on urine with a normal pelvic exam? 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
21 months ago
Welcome to our Forum.  Thanks for your questions.  I'll be glad to provide some information that I hope you will find helpful.

Chlamydia is certainly a common STI and can be present without symptoms.  For reasons that are not well understood however, there is something biologically about Chlamydia that makes it unlikely to infect the throat.  Thus even if your casual partner happened to have chlamydia (which is statistically unlikely- most people do not have chlamydia), the chances that it would infect your throat when you performed oral sex is very low.  Finally, chlamydia does tend to cure itself with the passage of time so, given that your exposure was about 6 months ago, in the unlikely circumstance that you have chlamydia, you would have probably cured yourself of it by now. 

Your negative chlamydia test in August is further evidence that you were not infected.  If you had been infected in the throat, you probably would have infected your BF when you performed oral sex on him and he would have given it to you.

 Putting all of these things together, the chance that you acquired chlamydia, that you still have it, or that you would have given it to your BF is less, and probably substantially less than 1%.  I would encourage you not to worry and to do your best to move forward.  

If any part of this explanation is unclear or there are further questions about your risk for chlamydia, please use your up to two follow-ups for clarification.  EWH
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21 months ago
Thank you for the reply- I understand intellectually the chances are small… however after 6 months I have recently had some lower abdomen/pelvic pain accompanied by a feeling of squeezing my ovaries with a slight blood tinged discharge.  Does my normal pelvic exam further prove I was not infected? If I had been infected would my cervix show visible signs of inflammation? I understand you are not a gynecologist.   If either of the men happened to be infected, would one of them likely show symptoms? I have read that some chlamydia infections are 50% asymptomatic, but I have also seen were Dr. Hunter has recently stated 70-90% are symptomatic. 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
21 months ago
Well, over 50% of chlamydial infections in women are asymptomatic. Admin the figure is not quite so high, but certainly as many is 40% of men with a Chlamydia will be asymptomatic.

Your negative test in August is strong evidence that you are not infected. Lower abdominal pain can have many possible causes, including as a complication of chlamydial infection. A blood tinged. Vaginal discharge may also be a symptom of some thing going on. The right way to be a valuated for your lower abdominal pain and your concerns is to see your gynecologist and request evaluation, including testing.  My best guess is that your symptoms are due to something other other than chlamydia, but I would urge you not to take a chance, and to work to identify what is causing your difficulties. EWH.
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21 months ago
Thanks- I have reached out and waiting for a reply from my doc.  I am just terrified of contracting an Sti… I have always prided myself in being safe, and I had this misstep. I have tested with urine about 3 times and they have all been negative. Just for my piece of mind would you be confident that i would have most likely transmitted an infection or contracted an infection with sex 12 times in 6 months? 
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
21 months ago
I'm glad to hear that you have contacted your doctor.

STIs are not a matter of blame.  They happen.  People who acquire STIs do not do so on purpose and people who transmit them to others do not do so knowingly.  It most often occurs when persons do not know they are infected or even at risk.  The important thing for you is not to be sidetracked by the unwarranted stigma associated with STIs and get yourself evaluated.  

It is more likely than not that if you had acquired an STI from your misstep, you would have transmitted to or contracted the infection from your partner by now.

It remains unlikely that you have any STI.  

We provide up to three responses to each client's questions.  This is my 3rd response so this thread will be closed later. Please don't worry.  EWH
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21 months ago
Thanks for the reply have a good holiday
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
21 months ago
Thank you.  I wish yo the best.  EWH---