Although many might consider it impractical, the only surefire way to avoid catching chlamydia is to never have sexual intercourse of any kind. This sexually transmitted disease (STD) is spread through all types of intercourse, including oral and anal sex. Since most people probably won’t avoid sex entirely, it’s important to understand the ways to reduce the likelihood of catching chlamydia. These include always using condoms for all parts of sexual intercourse, having a monogamous sex partner, and avoiding sexual engagement with anyone who might have the STD. Regular testing is important, too.
Chlamydia can be present in the throat or anus. Unfortunately, people don’t always view contact with these areas as a risk for catching chlamydia. This is very unsafe thinking. Unless two individuals know themselves to be completely disease free, oral/genital and anal/genital contact should be performed with appropriate covering.
Female or male condoms, which are never used at the same time for standard intercourse, greatly reduce the chances of catching chlamydia. They provide a needed barrier between someone else’s chlamydia infection and you, by eliminating skin-to-skin contact. This effectively lowers the chances of contracting most STDs.
A monogamous sexual relationship is another way to avoid catching chlamydia, provided both people in that relationship are faithful. If either partner has been previously been sexually active, STD screenings should take place before sexual activity. With this screening, partners can be relatively certain they won’t be sharing chlamydia or other STDs with each other.
It’s well established that having multiple sex partners elevates the risk of catching chlamydia. This practice positively correlates to a higher chance of getting the disease. The proven correlation suggests that people will be more likely to avoid catching chlamydia if they reduce their number of partners. In the end, individuals must decide if elevating the risk of STDs is a reasonable price for multiple sexual engagements.
Some risk may be reduced by avoiding sex with infected partners. It’s important to note infection status can only be determined through chlamydia testing, since the disease can be asymptomatic. Additionally, remaining disease-free after a test means agreeing upon monogamy for the extent of a sexual relationship.
As HIV awareness rose in the late 20th century, it influenced many couples to get STD testing prior to engaging in intercourse. This way, partners knew they entered the relationship with a clean slate. Alternately, they got needed treatment, prior to participating in sex.
This practice has fallen off sharply, but resuming it would make good sense. It’s only useful, though, if the relationship remains monogamous. Having non-monogamous sexual relationships introduces the chance of catching chlamydia again. If this occurs, partners should retest to avoid the illness. Sexual relations should be halted if either partner has the STD, and the uninfected partner should get tested if he or she was exposed to it.
