About Lyndsay Mercier Expertise I can answer mostly any question regarding STD transmission, symptoms, and outlook.
Experience I am currently trained and certified in Sexuality Peer Education and teach an STI course at Northern Michigan University.
Organizations I am the President of a student organization known as VOX:Voices for Planned Parenthood, which is an organization focused on sexual health and reproductive freedom.
Publications I have written an article regarding teen pregnancy for www.Teenwire.com, which is due to be published on June 24th.
Education/Credentials I am currently pursuing my BS in Psychology with a double minor of Sociology and Gender Studies.
Question Hi!! I have been with my current boyfriend for just over 5 years. He is the first and only person I have slept with, and he says he has only had one partner before me. Anyways, at the beginning of this year I tested positive for Chlamydia. I went in because I thought I had a yeast infection, but obviously it turned out to be something worse than that. I know I have been totally faithful, so it 100% had to have come from him. He however has never had any symptoms. He told me that he must have been a 'silent carrier' and that I must have contracted it during one of the 'active periods'. Tell me - am I just being naive about this?? I want to believe him and give him the benefit of the doubt, but i was tested a few years back for Chlamydia and the results were negative. I have also read that you show symptoms about 1-3 weeks after contracting the infection . Any advice and information would help. Like I said, I want to believe that he hasn't cheated, but I might be deluding myself. Thanks alot!
Answer Susane,
In the past five years you have been together, have you always had unprotected sex? The reason I ask is because you tested negative for chlamydia a few years ago, but now you have tested positive. This is certainly possible if a few years ago you were not having unprotected sex with him, and then started to after that point. It is also possible that you could have just been "lucky" and happened to dodge the bullet the first couple of years, but that is very unlikely if you were having unprotected sex on a regular basis.
He is right, however, that many people are "silent" carriers and never have any symptoms at all. In fact, almost 80 percent of women who get chlamydia never show any symptoms at all. Guys are much more likely to have symptoms, but not all guys. I just hope that he also has gotten treated for chlamydia at this point because if not, he will just keep giving it back to you again.
There is certainly a chance that he has been unfaithful, but it is also very possible that he is being totally honest with you. There is no sure way to know whether he is telling the truth or not. What I can tell you is that if you have been having sex with him without condoms for the past 5 years, and have only now tested positive for it, then it might be likely that he has cheated.
