Chlamydia is one of the most commonly sexually transmitted diseases in the United States today. In 1997, 526,653 cases of Chlamydia were reported in the U. S.
It infects the penis, vagina, cervix,, urethra, or the eye. Chlamydia is the name of different kinds of bacteria. Certain kinds cause different illnesses. Chlamydia Trachoma causes blindness in the eye.
Chlamydia is spread through the vagina orual. In some cases, the disease can spread from the woman to her fetus when she is pregnant. Chlamydia rarely has any symptoms. Most females or males do not show any symptoms and are unaware that they are infected by this disease. However, when symptoms do occur, they can begin in five to ten days after the person has been infected.
The symptoms vary slightly in men and women. Women commonly experience bleeding between menstrual periods, vaginal bleeding after sexual, and painful ion. Some long-term symptoms include Perihepatitis, which is an infection around the liver. Men commonly experience pus or a slight milky discharge from the penis, a burning feeling while ing, or swollen testicles.
These symptoms are very similar to those of gonorrhea. Chlamydia can also cause bleeding or itching from the rectum in both sexes. Chlamydia is very common today. Over three million men and women become infected every year.
The disease is most commonly spread through men and women under the age of twenty-five. As many as 1 in 10 adolescent girls that are tested for this deadly disease, are infected. Girls 15-19 make up 46% of people infected. Statistics have shown that for every person that has herpes, there are six that have Chlamydia. Chlamydia is regarded as a very serious and dangerous threat today.
Chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can block fallopian tubes. This can make many women sterile. If fertilized eggs develop in the fallopian tubes when a woman is infected with PID then there is a very high chance that she will die even if she undergoes emergency surgery, which is usually the case. About 40% of women who are infected with Chlamydia and are untreated, will develop PID. Chlamydia also makes men sterile if it spreads from the urethra to the testicles.
This is called epididymitis, an inflammation of the testicles. Symptoms of this include fever and extreme pain in the scrotum. Reiter’s syndrome is a result of Chlamydia and usually in younger men. Men with the Reiter’s syndrome often develop arthritis, which disables one out of every three men who develop this syndrome. Chlamydia can also cause proctitis, which is an inflamed rectum. A certain strain of Chlamydia can cause a very rare STD, which is called lymphogranuloma venereum.
This is commonly called LGV and is identified by swelling and inflammation of the lymph nodes in the groin. If this is not treated, there may be lasting effects. This disease is most commonly in 3rd world countries but also in the United States, where it is most commonly found in homosexual men. Chlamydia is a serious risk to children too.
20 to 50 percent of children that are born by women with Chlamydia will be infected as well. Over 180,000 babies are born each year with eye infections that are a result of Chlamydia. New babies have a 50-50 chance of developing conjunctivitis. Symptoms of infection can occur within four weeks of birth. Chlamydia also causes very heavy bleeding before the actual delivery, which causes miscarriage, stillborn, or premature delivery.
Fortunately nine out of ten pregnant women with Chlamydia are treated successfully. Chlamydia can be diagnosed in three ways. First, the examination of cervix and cervical discharge. Second, tests of cells from the penis, urethra or cervix.
Third, an examination of urine samples. At first, it was difficult to distinguish between Gonorrhea and Chlamydia because they are very similar in their symptoms and often occur together. However, now scientists use certain techniques and a dye to find the bacterial proteins. This is slightly less accurate then other tests, but is less expensive and more rapid. Chlamydia is simple to treat.
Both sexual partners need to be treated at the same time. Antibiotics kill off chlamydia bacteria. There are two major antibiotics that are used today, Doxycycline and azithromycin. The difference between these two antibiotics is that azithromycin is taken in one dose, while doxycycline is taken over a span of seven days. Doxycycline is sometimes preferred over azithromycin because it is cheaper. These are not the only medicines prescribed to patients.
Erythromycin is often given to pregnant women with Chlamydia and it treats infants that suffer from eye infections or pneumonia as a result of Chlamydia. PID is also often treated with certain medicines. Surgery is sometimes necessary. There are some things that one must know if they are being treated for Chlamydia or other STD’s for that matter. One who is infected with Chlamydia should take all the medicine that was prescribed.
Do not be fooled if the symptoms disappear. It is possible that the bacteria are still in your system. You must schedule check-up’s to make sure that the disease is completely gone from your body before youual again. Another very important thing to remember is that you must make sure that your sexual partner is treated as well so that you do not reinfect each other. People who are most likely to get the disease are those who have a large number of sexual partners. Having a great deal of sexual partners is dangerous because one can never be sure that they haven’t had sexual with someone who has the disease.
People who don’t use condoms are very likely as well. People who have had a history in which they had other sexual diseases, they are more likely to get Chlamydia then someone who has never been infected with a sexual disease. People with Chlamydia can avoid spreading this deadly disease by informing the people theywith that they have the infection. Another way is to notual intercourse with anyone until the disease is completely treated. Using condoms every time is one of the most effective ways of not spreading Chlamydia.
In order to avoid being infected there are three ways to make sure you are not or will not become another victim of Chlamydia. Wear a condom every time youual, go to routine check-ups to see if you have been infected, or abstain from sexual. These are the three most effective ways to make sure if you do not receive this STD. Another way to lower the risk of being infected by Chlamydia is to not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. These cause people to make stupid decisions, especially life altering ones.
There are some myths or misconceptions that go around about how one becomes infected. One of the most common misconceptions is that people on birth control are more susceptible to Chlamydia then others. It is true that taking birth control may alter the cervix to make it slightly more open to being infected by Chlamydia. However, women who do use birth control, have a lower risk of developing PID from Chlamydia then those who do not use birth control.
Many ask, “What is being done to address the problem?” In 1993, Congress appropriated money to start a sexually transmitted disease prevention program. This program helps with family planning, health care programs, and health laboratories. However, because of minimal resources, the program only exists now as demonstration projects. Some programs still need to be started and are needed dearly.
Surveys have shown that more then 200,000 women that go to STD clinics do not have access to screening and treatment. Nationwide, there is dire need of programs to test for infection and treatment for this disease. Such programs have to be able to test and treat both women and men.
