Though LGV is common in parts of Africa and Asia, in the UK LGV has only really been diagnosed in gay men. Between October 2004 and July 2005 there were 140 cases of LGV in the UK and 80% of the men who had it were also HIV positive. Nearly all the men who have had LGV in the UK are white.
If you do catch it, a few days to 3 weeks after you catch it you might notice a sore on your penis, in your anus on in your mouth. Some people don't get a sore and even those who do get a sore might not notice it. Some people notice a burning when urinating.
10 days to a month later, stage 2 LGV makes your glands swell. If you have LGV on your penis, the glands in your groin will probably swell. If you have LGV in your anus, you might get an inflamed anus and develop ulcers and abscesses. You may notice blood and puss when you defecate. If you have LGV in your mouth, the glands in your throat could swell, as might the glands in your arm pits.
If you don' get LGV treated, it can go on to cause serious damage. The glands around your groin may swell to such an extent that they burst through the skin and leak. Your penis and testicles may swell ferociously. Long lasting damage might occur in your anus. In essence, you need to get LGV treated.
Unprotected anal sex and fisting without latex gloves are the most common ways of getting LGV. Similarly, fisting more than one person with the same glove could result in the spread of LGV.
LGV is a form of Chlamydia - a nasty one at that - so to test for LGV a doctor typically takes an anal swab. If this initial swab tests positive for Chlamydia then additional tests will need to be carried out.
Antibiotics are the treatment for LGV.