Chlamydia

 
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that is not always as well-known as some of the others but it is very common in the United States. It’s a bacterial infection that is estimated to affect about five percent of the adult population and about ten percent of the adolescent females. It’s caused by the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis and it’s possible for this disease to do damage to the reproductive organs in women.

This disease can be transmitted in two different ways. It can be spread by having sexual relations with an infected person or through giving birth. When an infected mother is giving birth to her baby, the child can be infected when they pass through the birth canal. An infant infected with Chlamydia can get pneumonia or eye infections that are very serious.

Chlamydia symptoms normally appear within one to three weeks after you have come in contact with the disease. The symptoms are listed below.

• Women – May have bleeding between their menstrual cycle and after having sex. Pain in the lower abdominals, burning sensation when urinating and a discharge from the vagina.
• Men – May have a discharge from the penis, pain and burning sensation when urinating and inflammation in the duct located in the testicles accompanied by pain and tenderness.

It’s possible for a person to have this condition and not show any symptoms at all and it’s for this reason that it’s called the “silent” disease. It most common in young adults, African Americans, people living in urban areas and people with lower financial and social status. However, anyone that is sexually active can be infected with this disease and the more partners you have the more risk you run.

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. Normally, the patient will be prescribed a single dose of Zithromax in pill form or a week supply of doxycycline taken twice a day. Approximately ninety-five percent of patients are cured after the first treatment. If this disease is not treated it can cause other health problems and do permanent damage to the reproductive organs.

To prevent coming in contact with Chlamydia, it’s vital that you avoid having sex with anyone that is considered high risk. Always use latex condoms and if you come in contact with this disease, your partner needs to be tested and treated as well to prevent you from being re-infected.

The best way to prevent coming in contact with this disease is to stay in a long-term relationship with one partner whom you know to be free of STDs or to abstain from sexual relations completely. If you are considering having sex with a new partner it would not be unreasonable to ask them to see a doctor and be checked for STDs first. Of course, you must be willing to do the same.