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What is chlamydia?
In the U.S. an estimated 2.8 million Americans get chlamydia each year. Chlamydia is the most common STI in the UK. It affects both sexes, although young women are more at risk. How do you get chlamydia?
Recommended Books:
The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Chlamydia: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age What are the symptoms of chlamydia?Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease because 75 percent of infected women and at least half of infected men have no symptoms. Infection may only be diagnosed once chlamydia has led to complications - when treatment can sometimes be too late to stop permanent damage. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks of exposure. The infection first attacks the cervix and urethra. Early symptoms can include:
Later symptoms can include:
As symptoms do not always occur, the infection is often not diagnosed or treated until complications have occurred. If you go to a GP or family planning doctor with these symptoms, make sure you have a chlamydia test. You are entitled to ask for the chlamydia test if you aren't offered it. Men with symptoms might have a discharge from the penis and a burning sensation when urinating. Men might also have burning and itching around the opening of the penis or pain and swelling in the testicles, or both. The bacteria also can infect the throat from oral sexual contact with an infected partner. What health problems can result from untreated chlamydia?If untreated, chlamydia infection can cause serious reproductive and other health problems. Like the disease itself, the damage that chlamydia causes is often "silent." As chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease, those who are at risk may develop other infections such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV/AIDS. In women, the chlamydia bacteria often infect the cells of the cervix. If not treated, the infection can spread into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This happens in up to 40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia. PID can cause:
Untreated chlamydial infections can also cause inflammation of the bladder. In men having anal sex with a partner who has chlamydia, the bacteria can cause proctitis, which is an infection of the lining of the rectum. Untreated chlamydia in men typically causes infection of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the body. Infection sometimes spreads to the tube that carries sperm from the testis. This may cause pain, fever, and even infertility. In pregnant women, chlamydia infections may lead to premature delivery. Babies born to infected mothers can get infections in their eyes, called conjunctivitis or pinkeye, as well as pneumonia. Symptoms of conjunctivitis include discharge from the eyes and swollen eyelids, usually showing up within the first 10 days of life. Symptoms of pneumonia are a cough that steadily gets worse and congestion, usually showing up within three to six weeks of birth. Both of these health problems can be treated with antibiotics. How is chlamydia diagnosed?Only a doctor or nurse can diagnose chlamydia. There are laboratory tests to diagnose chlamydia. Some tests involve getting a sample from an infected site (cervix or penis) to be tested for the bacteria. Blood tests for chlamydia may show antibodies indicating past infection. A Pap test is not a test for chlamydia.
Who should get tested for chlamydia?Women should consider having a test for chlamydia if they:
What is the treatment for chlamydia?If you think you have chlamydia or are concerned about it, both you and your sex partner should see a doctor. Antibiotics are used to treat and cure chlamydia. It is one of the more common of the sexually transmitted diseases. Chlamydia are sensitive to antibiotics including erythromycin and the tetracyclines. A single dose of azithromycin or a week of doxycycline are the most commonly used treatments. All sex partners should also be treated to avoid reinfection. You should not have sex until you and your sex partner(s) have finished treatment. Erythromycin is a safe antibiotic to cure chlamydia during pregnancy. What should I do if I have chlamydia?Chlamydia is easily treated, but it’s important for you to seek testing as soon as you think you could be at risk. By seeking testing and getting treated, you are taking good care of your reproductive health. If you have chlamydia:
Doctors, local health departments, and STD and family planning clinics have information about STDs and can give you a test to find out if you have chlamydia. Don’t assume your doctor will automatically test you for chlamydia – you can take care of yourself, though, by asking about chlamydia and requesting a test. How can chlamydia be prevented?There are things you can do to lower your risk for getting chlamydia:
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