Hi everyone. I found out yesterday that I had chlamydia. My (now) husband, who is in the USMC, and I started dating in December 2005. Prior to this, I had been with 2 men, and used a condom every time (I know that condoms aren't 100%).

My husband has not been tested yet, but claims that he was automatically tested before deployment (March 2005) and after deployment (March 2006).

I thought I had been tested every year, because I have had an annual pap for the last 7 years, but to my dismay, I was informed that you had to specifically ask for the test. I was last tested and found negative in November 2003.

I'm sure it is possible that I contracted it between November 2003 and December 2005, but I can't discount the fact that my husband isn't 100% sure that he had been tested.

I have been faithful to him, and know that he has been faithful to me as well (without a doubt).

So, my question is: Will the USMC automatically test for chlamydia, or do you have to request it (like in my case)? I did look through his medical records, and saw that he had been tested for HIV in December 2004 (a year before we met) and was negative.

I appreciate any response! Thank you!

Hi Stormygirl,

I saw your post on Saturday and I haven't responded because I'm not entirely certain of the answer. I do know that all soldiers are tested for STI's before deployment but I don't know how they are tested. Chlamydia can be diagnosed through a urine test or by taking a specimen from the infected area.

And, as you know, all testing is not alike. You mention that you've had Pap tests but later found out that Paps are not tests for STIs.

Another important thing to remember is most women and some men do not experience symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after infection.

One more question: Was your partner teated for this at the same time as you? Once treated, a person can become reinfected if they are exposed to chlamydia again. So the infected person should not have sex until she or he and any sexual partners have been treated and cured.

I'll be here to try to answer more of your questions as needed. Our information is that treatment failure is possible, but infections detected after treatment with one of the recommended treatments (doxycycline or azithromycin) more commonly occur because of reinfection rather than treatment failure.

Dharma

_________________
ASHA Moderator