Healthy Sex is Zero Feet Away: Facts About Chlamydia

Getting an STI can be part of the health landscape for sexually active people, and knowing what STIs look and feel like is an important part of sexual health and healthy sex. For the Zero Feet Away sexual health campaign, Howard Brown Health is sharing facts about common Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in shame-free, sex-positive, everyday language. With the right tools, information, and access to care, everyone can enjoy the sex life they desire.

One common STI is Chlamydia (pronounced kluh-mid-ee-uh), which is a curable sexually transmitted infection that is contracted through oral, anal, and/or vaginal sex without a condom or dental dam. Some symptoms include abnormal discharge (fluid) from penis, anus, or vagina, a burning sensation while urinating, and/or rectal bleeding. However, sometimes chlamydia shows no symptoms, making it all too easy to pass it on without knowing. The best way to keep you and your partners safe is to get screened for STIs once a year. A screening for Chlamydia is a quick cotton swab or urine test.

Thankfully, there are several easy treatment options available, either 1 g of azithromycin in a single dose or 100 mg of Doxycycline for 7 days.

And that’s about it for Chlamydia! Now you know how to pronounce it, detect it, and cure it! With accessible sexual health screenings across Chicagoland and readily available STI information, we put sexual health right in your hands. Your sexual health is Zero Feet Away.

You can get quick HIV/STI screening and treatment at any of our sexual health walk-in clinics in Rogers Park, Englewood, and Uptown. It’s a quick, low-cost service, and there’s no appointment necessary. Learn more at howardbrown.org/walk-in-clinic