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Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or paranoia?
Hi there,
I've had both unprotected oral and vaginal sex in the past. Over the last few years, I've been experiencing scrotal pain. My doctor did a physical and my prostate was normal, but I've been on and off cipro for the past couple of years, as the pain has never really gone away.
I've gotten a new girlfriend, and since we've been together, she's been experiencing UTI's and spotting between periods (the spotting is new). She does however, have PCOS.
We've also been trying to have a baby, so I've done the the fertility tests (urine, sperm samples, etc). I've also had an ultrasound done that found a subclinical varicocele, but was told that is not the cause of the pain.
My questions are:
- can chlamydia cause scrotal pain? As I said, my prostate is normal, and my ultrasound never found any indication of epididymitis either.
- would any of the tests I had done (semen analysis, urine samples) detected chlamydia or gonorrhoea?
- I've never had symptoms for any STI's, so I never got tested. I'm aware that chlamydia can be asymptomatic though - could I have been carrying chlamydia for the past few years, and then given it to my new girlfriend causing her UTI's and now spotting? I know that PCOS isn't an STI - I'm assuming (hoping) that PCOS is the cause of her issues.
Thank you for reading - I'm just at a loss from where my pain and her UTI's are coming from.
I've had both unprotected oral and vaginal sex in the past. Over the last few years, I've been experiencing scrotal pain. My doctor did a physical and my prostate was normal, but I've been on and off cipro for the past couple of years, as the pain has never really gone away.
I've gotten a new girlfriend, and since we've been together, she's been experiencing UTI's and spotting between periods (the spotting is new). She does however, have PCOS.
We've also been trying to have a baby, so I've done the the fertility tests (urine, sperm samples, etc). I've also had an ultrasound done that found a subclinical varicocele, but was told that is not the cause of the pain.
My questions are:
- can chlamydia cause scrotal pain? As I said, my prostate is normal, and my ultrasound never found any indication of epididymitis either.
- would any of the tests I had done (semen analysis, urine samples) detected chlamydia or gonorrhoea?
- I've never had symptoms for any STI's, so I never got tested. I'm aware that chlamydia can be asymptomatic though - could I have been carrying chlamydia for the past few years, and then given it to my new girlfriend causing her UTI's and now spotting? I know that PCOS isn't an STI - I'm assuming (hoping) that PCOS is the cause of her issues.
Thank you for reading - I'm just at a loss from where my pain and her UTI's are coming from.
Thank you very much for your patience, knowledge and advice. Cheers.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry, but we've gone as far as practical on this thread. You are way overthinking all this. In my 40 years in the STD business, I have NEVER seen any patient in whom any STD explained the sorts of problems you have described, especially after so many years. Please accept my reasoned, science-based reassurance and the simple and unequivocal fact that you have no STD, probably never did, and no symptoms you have now, may have in the future, or any sex partner symptoms, have anything at all to do with the distant past sexual exposures. My advice is that you just suck it up, live with your symptoms, and go on with your life.
That will end this thread.
That will end this thread.
Thank you again for your response; it's greatly appreciated.
Having surfed these forums since my last post, I'm starting to feel as though I may have developed Chronic Pelvic pain somewhere along the way (I suffer from anxiety too which I read may be a cause). However, I still can't help but wonder if I did contract chlamydia after my encounter, left it untreated and allowed it to develop into something serious. I read your response to this thread:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Lots-of-Chlamydia-confusion/show/1442637
You had said that chlamydia can clear up on it's own – if that did happen, could it still not lead to other complications, such as the PID described in the above thread? I did receive a scrotal ultrasound that found just the subclinical varicocele, but I never had a pelvic one done. Would a scrotal ultrasound still detected PID, or something that could have developed from untreated chlamydia ?
I'Ve been trying to put the STD though out of my head, I'm just frustrated with the pain I've been in.
Having surfed these forums since my last post, I'm starting to feel as though I may have developed Chronic Pelvic pain somewhere along the way (I suffer from anxiety too which I read may be a cause). However, I still can't help but wonder if I did contract chlamydia after my encounter, left it untreated and allowed it to develop into something serious. I read your response to this thread:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/Lots-of-Chlamydia-confusion/show/1442637
You had said that chlamydia can clear up on it's own – if that did happen, could it still not lead to other complications, such as the PID described in the above thread? I did receive a scrotal ultrasound that found just the subclinical varicocele, but I never had a pelvic one done. Would a scrotal ultrasound still detected PID, or something that could have developed from untreated chlamydia ?
I'Ve been trying to put the STD though out of my head, I'm just frustrated with the pain I've been in.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The large majority of bacterial infections clear without treatment. In the pre-antibiotic era, what do you think happened to all those people who got strep throat, pneumonia, gonorrhea, impetigo, and urinary tract infections when no antibiotics were available? They were cleared by the immune system.
Of course this doesn't mean these infections don't need treatment. Although 90% of people recovered from bacterial pneumonia, 10% died; and there's a big difference between being ill for a week versus 6 weeks. Antibiotic treatment also prevents complications that were far more common before the 1940s.
Anyway, natural clearance by the immune system is the norm for the large majority of bacterial infections. There are exceptions -- syphilis and TB, to name two very important ones. But aside from syphilis, all bacterial STDs are naturally eradicated.
Of course this doesn't mean these infections don't need treatment. Although 90% of people recovered from bacterial pneumonia, 10% died; and there's a big difference between being ill for a week versus 6 weeks. Antibiotic treatment also prevents complications that were far more common before the 1940s.
Anyway, natural clearance by the immune system is the norm for the large majority of bacterial infections. There are exceptions -- syphilis and TB, to name two very important ones. But aside from syphilis, all bacterial STDs are naturally eradicated.
Thank you so much for your answer and reassurance. I have a quick follow-up question based on your comments.
You stated that "NGU, chlamydia, and gonorrhea all clear up on their own, without treatment,". You're the doctor, so I trust your word, but I've never heard that before. What I have read though is that if those infections are left untreated, that they can cause permanent damage in regards to fertility and PID in women.
May I ask what leads you to think that these infections don't actually need treatment and that they don't lead to damaging results if left untreated?
Thanks again, your response means a lot.
You stated that "NGU, chlamydia, and gonorrhea all clear up on their own, without treatment,". You're the doctor, so I trust your word, but I've never heard that before. What I have read though is that if those infections are left untreated, that they can cause permanent damage in regards to fertility and PID in women.
May I ask what leads you to think that these infections don't actually need treatment and that they don't lead to damaging results if left untreated?
Thanks again, your response means a lot.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome back to the forum.
From your exposure and symptoms, there is no reason to suppose you ever had NGU, chlamydia, or any other STD. But if you did, it is long gone. NGU, chlamydia, and gonorrhea all clear up on their own, without treatment, probably always within 6 months. And your current symptoms are not at all suggestive of any of these STDs.
To your specific questions:
1,2) I have no way of knowing whether your semen sample was tested for chlamydia or other STDs. You could ask your doctor about it. Routine semen analysis would not pick it up. But this is irrelevant anyway, for the reasons just discussed above.
3) I never heard the abbreviation PCOS -- but on googling it, I imagine you are speaking of polycystic ovary syndrome, which has absolutely nothing to do with STDs or sexual habits, lifestyle, and partnerships. And many women have recurrent UTIs (it has been an issue in some close family members of m own). No STDs predispose to frequent UTIs. Your wife's PCOS and UTIs have absolutely nothing to do with any STD, or with your (or her) distant past sexual experiences.
As for your own symptoms, STDs are never the cause of chronic pelvic, testicular, prostate, or urinary tract pain. And I'll point out that not all pain means disease. Millions of people live with chronic pain of various sorts, often without obvious cause -- back, joints, abdomen, headaches, etc. The genitals are no different. This sounds to me like something you can and should just learn to live with. I am confident you have nothing that will ever harm you, your wife, your child if and when you successfull conceive, or anyone else. Of course continue to work with your own doctor(s) if you remain concerned about it -- but don't keep barking up the STD tree. It will get you nowhere.
I hope this has helped. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
From your exposure and symptoms, there is no reason to suppose you ever had NGU, chlamydia, or any other STD. But if you did, it is long gone. NGU, chlamydia, and gonorrhea all clear up on their own, without treatment, probably always within 6 months. And your current symptoms are not at all suggestive of any of these STDs.
To your specific questions:
1,2) I have no way of knowing whether your semen sample was tested for chlamydia or other STDs. You could ask your doctor about it. Routine semen analysis would not pick it up. But this is irrelevant anyway, for the reasons just discussed above.
3) I never heard the abbreviation PCOS -- but on googling it, I imagine you are speaking of polycystic ovary syndrome, which has absolutely nothing to do with STDs or sexual habits, lifestyle, and partnerships. And many women have recurrent UTIs (it has been an issue in some close family members of m own). No STDs predispose to frequent UTIs. Your wife's PCOS and UTIs have absolutely nothing to do with any STD, or with your (or her) distant past sexual experiences.
As for your own symptoms, STDs are never the cause of chronic pelvic, testicular, prostate, or urinary tract pain. And I'll point out that not all pain means disease. Millions of people live with chronic pain of various sorts, often without obvious cause -- back, joints, abdomen, headaches, etc. The genitals are no different. This sounds to me like something you can and should just learn to live with. I am confident you have nothing that will ever harm you, your wife, your child if and when you successfull conceive, or anyone else. Of course continue to work with your own doctor(s) if you remain concerned about it -- but don't keep barking up the STD tree. It will get you nowhere.
I hope this has helped. Best wishes-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
