Mykindaplace

Sexual health

Hi! I'm Petra Boynton.

I'm a sex researcher with over 10 years experience. My PhD is on porn (truly!), assessing the effects of sex in the media. I train health professionals to talk about sex, and advise a number of organisations like the Family Planning Association, and BBC World Service on sex coverage. I've a regular telephone sex phone in on the BBC, and write several columns on sex and relationships.

Your Question

Hi Dr Petra
Recently iv just found out i caught chmydia from my boyfriend. im not sexualy active with no other boy for the past two years apart from my boyfriend. iv asked him if he has had sex with anyone else and he keeps telling me no! is there any other way i could have caught this or does this mean he really has been sleeping around behind my back?
thank you!!!

Dr Petra's Response

Chlamydia is one of those infections you can have for ages and not know about it. That's what makes it so scary since it often doesn't show any symptoms but can cause harm to your reproductive organs so it makes it difficult or impossible to get pregnant in the future. Luckily you've noticed the symptoms and have been treated so you don't need to worry about that.

However, because chlamydia can hang about for so long it could be that a previous partner (someone you slept with before your boyfriend) gave you chlamydia and you didn't notice until recently. Or it could be your boyfriend slept with someone before you and he didn't know he'd got chlamydia. Both of those situations are as likely as him cheating - specially since he said he hasn't been.

So I'd suggest saying that you understand it could be that either of you unluckily got chlamydia from a previous partner and ensure both of you don't have the infection now. Hopefully he is as trustworthy as he says but if you do have any doubts you may want to continue using condoms to keep yourself protected. Remember these are free from your GP or reproductive health clinic (family planning clinic).