Chlamydia
What is chlamydia
and how common is it?
What
are the symptoms of chlamydia?
How is
chlamydial infection spread?
Can
chlamydia be readily diagnosed?
What are current and potential treatments or cures for chlamydia?
How can I
avoid chlamydial infection?
Also
See:
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
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What is chlamydia and how common is
it?
Chlamydial (‘kla-mid-ee-uhl")
infection is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. Symptoms of
chlamydia include abnormal genital discharge which appear within 1 to 3
weeks after exposure. However, half of infected women and 25 percent of
infected men may have no symptoms whatsoever. Chlamydia in women can cause
pelvic inflammatory disease and thus potential infertility, inflamed
rectum (proctitis), and inflammation of the lining of the eye
(conjunctivitis). Laboratory tests can confirm presence of chlamydial
infection and distinguish it from gonorrhea, another common and often
accompanying STD.
Chlamydia is the
leading sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States today,
with an estimated 4 million new cases occurring each year. A pregnant
woman may pass the infection to her newborn during delivery. Pelvic
inflammatory disease (PID), a serious complication of chlamydial
infection, has emerged as a major cause of infertility of women of
childbearing age. The annual cost of chlamydial infections and their
sequelae is estimated to exceed $2 billion.
What are the symptoms
of chlamydia?
Men and women with
chlamydial infections may experience abnormal genital discharge or pain
during urination. These early symptoms may be absent or very mild, but if
they occur, they will do so within 1 to 3 weeks of exposure. One of every
two women and one of every four infected men may have no symptoms at all.
As a result, the disease is often not diagnosed until complications
develop. In addition to pelvic inflammatory disease (see above), chlamydia
can cause an inflamed rectum and conjunctivitis (inflammation of the
lining of the eye). The bacteria have also been found in the throat as a
result of oral sexual contact with an infected partner.
How is chlamydial infection
spread?
Like other sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs), chlamydia is spread during sexual intercourse
via the exchange of bodily fluids through mucous membranes in the anus,
mouth, and genital areas. Because there are often no symptoms for
chlamydial infection, people who are infected may unknowingly pass the
bacteria to their sexual partners.
Can chlamydia be readily
diagnosed?
Chlamydia is easily
confused with gonorrhea because the symptoms of both diseases are similar,
and because they often occur together. Until recently, the only way to
diagnose chlamydia was to take a sample of secretions from a patient’s
genital area and culture the organism in special tissue culture in the
laboratory. While still the most definitive test, it is expensive and
technically difficult. Results can take up to 3 days. More recently,
however, several rapid tests that use sophisticated techniques and a dye
to detect bacterial proteins have been developed and are a readily
available test for chlamydial infection.
What are current and
potential treatments or cures for chlamydia?
Chlamydia is curable
with certain antibiotics like tetracyclin, erthyromicin, and azithromycin
(but not penicillin, as is the case for other STDs). It is very important
that a person with chlamydial infection take all of the prescribed
medication, even after symptoms disappear. To be sure that the infection
is cured, a follow-up visit to the doctor of clinic 1 to 2 weeks after
finishing the medication may be necessary. Current research is focusing on
the creation of rapid diagnostic tests and on the basic process of chlamydial infection.
How can I avoid chlamydial
infection?
The easiest and most
effective way to avoid chlamydial infections and other STDs is by
abstaining from sexual intercourse. If you do have sex, using condoms
(rubbers) or diaphragms during sexual intercourse may help reduce the
transmission of chlamydial bacteria. Many doctors recommend that all
persons who have more than one sex partner, especially women under 25, be
tested for chlamydial infection regularly, even in the absence of
symptoms.
from
The Office On Women's Health - US Department of Health and Human Services
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