transmissibility of chlamydia

First, thanks for the work you do in answering these very important questions for so many people. Here is mine;

About 4 to 5 years ago my wife of fifteen years(to date)said the gyno diagnosed her with chlamydia. I had no clue what chlamydia was so she explained it to me in a very matter of fact way and said that it could have come from other ways (other than sex). I have never had any reason to not trust her so I did not pursue it any further. She took medication and I did not. I have never been unfaithful to my wife.

Fast forward to today and things have occured in our relationship (separation) that cause me to revisit things such as these. I began to consider how this might have happened in our relationship since A. I have never been unfaithful B. She was diagnosed after we had been married ten years C. We had two children together during that ten year period.

Soooo, I just tested (urine) for chlamydia/ghonnerea (five years after her diagnosis) and the test came back negative. I am puzzled by the fact that I do not have the disease. She swears that she has been faithful and I am inclined to beleive her but I must deal with facts.

Here are my questions; Could she have had this disease since before we were married and it not turn up for ten years during the course of two pregnancies and regular gyno visits? Could it have not been transmitted to me after 15 years?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Your wife obviously was given misinformation about chlamydia--or she misled you, whether intentionally or not.  Genital chlamydial infection is only transmitted sexually.

There are many reasons why your test might be negative.  Most bacterial infections clear up on their own; with chlamydia, spontaneous cure usually happens within a year, sometimes up to r years.  So you might have been infected at one time, but not now.  Or perhaps between then and now you received antibiotics for something else; for example, a lot of the drugs you might have been given for, say, bronchitis also would have cleared up a chlamydial infection.  Another possibility is that her test result was wrong; in order to judge this, I would have to know exactly the basis of her gynecologist's diagnosis of your wife's infection.

The least likely possibility is that your wife was infected for 15 years and never transmitted it to you.

I hope this helps.  Good luck--   HHH, MD

[swberry]

I should add that she has tested positive for chlamydia twice. swberry.

[leanita]

I am 18 years old and i had clamydia (chlamydia) and i want to know if i could get pregnant? I dont know for how long I had it? but my doctor told me that i dont have it any more, but i think i still have it becuase i cant get pregnant. I asked my docto

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

New problems should be posted in a new thread; do that and I will respond.  Your question is important and my answer somewhat complex, and other users will benefit.  "Comments" aren't seen by all users and the topics are not searchable.

HHH, MD

[hunny613]

A related discussion, Infertile/Pregnant was started.