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Coping with chlamydia

Are you clued up about your sexual health? For 19-year-old Sarah, her routine visits to the sexual health clinic revealed the horrible reality that she had caught chlamydia and helped her to deal with it quickly and sensibly.

On a routine check-up for STIs at the genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic I was given the equipment to carry out a simple swipe test, where you insert a swab into your vagina to collect sample vaginal cells. I got the results the same day and it was confirmed that I had chlamydia.

I always go for check-ups at the GUM clinic every six to 12 months, especially if I have a new partner, so I didn't feel fazed by the intimate examinations. I did feel really upset and angry that I'd managed to get an STI in the first place, though. I thought I could trust the person who I caught if from. We had used a condom together while having sex, but it had split. I was shocked that he wasn't more vigilant about his own sexual health. Of course, at the time I got in contact with him to let him know I had chlamydia and that he should get himself checked out too.

"I felt really upset and angry that I'd managed to get an STI. I thought I could trust the person who I caught it from."

I was given a course of antibiotics and asked to return to the clinic three weeks later. When I returned I had to put my legs in stirrups and had an internal examination carried out by the medical staff. These examinations are often uncomfortable - but necessary - to make sure the antibiotics have worked. I was given the all clear, which was an immense relief.

Safer sex has always been a big thing for me so it was very unfortunate the condom split. I intend to be even more cautious when I sleep with someone now. In a sexual situation, it really is impossible to know for sure who you can trust. The whole experience has left me a bit cynical and made me appreciate that however much you may trust a partner, they may not always be looking out for you. I've put this down to an unpleasant experience that I've been able to learn from. Fortunately, the infection was caught early so I'm now in good health, but often there are no visible symptoms for chlamydia, so without that routine check-up it could have gone unnoticed.

It's no good sitting there and worrying if you suspect you have an STI. My advice is to go to your nearest clinic and get yourself checked out and regardless of the results, practice safer sex and get any new partner to have a test for all STIs. I don't even consider sleeping with someone new nowadays unless they get the all clear and want to pursue a physical relationship where just the two of us are involved exclusively. Any other set-up just isn't worth the potential risk to my health.


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