|
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a bacterium.
In women, infection by the bacterium is known as "Chlamydia" while
infection in men by the same organism is called nongonococcal
urethritis (NGU).
Chlamydia can be transmitted through vaginal, oral and anal sex.
Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics.
Testing involves collecting a small amount of fluid from an infected
site (cervix or penis) with a cotton swab.
Chlamydia is such a widespread disease, that it is often known as
the silent epidemic.
Caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, chlamydia is
the most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States
and although curable, is considered one of the most dangerous
sexually transmitted diseases (stds) among women because of the
far-reaching complications it can cause.
The reason chlamydia is so widespread, and dangerous, is because it
often goes unrecognized and therefore is left untreated.
Around 75% of women and 50% of men with chlamydia have no symptoms
of the disease once infected. This does not mean it will not cause
damage in later life, including sterility. It simply means that they
currently do not display symptoms (asymptomatic).
It is for this reason that regular testing is encouraged among
sexually active people, particularly those under the age of 24 years
of age.
Everyone who is sexually active, or who has been sexually active but
has not been screened for chlamydia.
As many as 1 in 10 adolescent girls tested for chlamydia are
infected, with teenage girls showing the highest rates of chlamydial
infection.
In states which collect age-specific data, 15 - 19 year-old girls
represent 46% of chlamydia infections and 20 - 24 year-old women,
33%.
Certain groups of people are more at risk of contracting chlamydia
than others, notably, those sexually active people under 24, mostly
because they tend to have multiple sexual partners and fail to use
barrier (condom) contraception 100% of the time.
You can get and spread chlamydia through unprotected vaginal and
anal sex. This means you should approach sexual relationships
responsibly: limit the number of your sex partners, use condoms, and
if you think you are infected, avoid any sexual contact until you
have been given the all-clear by your doctor or local std clinic.
You also need to make sure your partner is treated to avoid the risk
of re-infection.
Chlamydia can initially develop in several areas of the body:
 |
cervix
|
|
|
urethra
|
|
|
throat
|
|
|
mouth
|
|
|
rectum
|
Chlamydia may cause no symptoms at all at the time of infection.
This is one of the reasons it is labeled as one of the most
dangerous sexually transmitted diseases, and why it is the most
commonly reported infectious disease in the United States.
|
|
75%
of women and 50% of men show no symptoms.
|
Not everyone will experience every symptom outlined below but for
those who contract chlamydia and develop symptoms, they may
experience.
|
|
pain, stinging or burning feeling
during urination
|
|
|
unusual vaginal discharge
|
|
|
lower abdomen pain or cramping
|
|
|
pain or cramping during intercourse
|
|
|
low grade fever
|
|
|
bleeding between periods
|
|
|
unusual itching
|
|
|
pain, burning or stinging during
urination (usually mild)
|
|
|
pain or tenderness in the testicles
|
|
|
clear, or slightly colored discharge
from the urethra
|
|
|
unusual itching, particularly around
the opening of the end of the penis
|
|
|
low grade fever
|
In rare instances, chlamydia can infect the area in and around the
rectum, producing inflammation and the production of a clear, sticky
discharge from the rectum and, though not always, pain when going to
the toilet.
Treatment of chlamydia is very straightforward.
In some cases, a single dose of an antibiotic medicine such as
azithromycin (Zithromax ®) may be all that is required.
More typically, a 7 day course of antibiotics such as doxycycline (Periostat
®) or Erythromycin is sufficient to treat the condition.
It is of course, possible to become
re-infected, and therefore regular yearly screening and testing for
chlamydia if you are sexually active, will help detect the disease
and help prevent the development of future complications.
The complications and future considerations of chlamydial infection
are far-reaching and can be very severe, particularly if the
infection is left untreated.
This can often occur if chlamydia infection produces no symptoms and
therefore remains unrecognized, which is the case in the majority of
women (75%) and around 50% of men, unless they are screened and
tested for C.trachomatis.
|
|
Women who are pregnant may pass the
infection on to their babies or suffer other pregnancy related
complications.
|
|
|
Approx 3 million new cases of chlamydia infection are reported each year in the United States.
|
|
|
The majority of new cases are in
young adults in their teens and also the age group 19 - 24 years of
age (79%)
|
|
|
Infection by chlamydia trachomatis
is significantly associated with fertility problems in both men and
women
|
|
|
There is a high prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis co-infection with those who contract a
gonococcal infection (gonorrhea)
|
|
|
Women have a 3 - 5 fold increase in
the risk of contracting HIV, if exposed
|
The complications of untreated chlamydial infection can be
far-reaching, extensive, devastating and in rarer cases, fatal.
Women are much more likely to develop long-term complications, with
up to 40% of untreated chlamydia cases leading to Pelvic
Inflammatory Disease (PID).
Of the women who go on to develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID),
20%, or 1 in 5, will become infertile as a result.
|
|
Epididymitis - this is inflammation of the
epididymis, the tube that carries sperm from the testicle. It can
occur in one or both tubes and can result in extensive, very
painful, swelling.
|
|
|
Fertility problems
|
|
|
Sterility
|
|
|
Reiter's Syndrome, an autoimmune condition
where the joints are affected by arthritis
|
|
|
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) -
this is what is known as an ascending infection, meaning that it
will spread from the initial site of infection, usually the cervix,
and move upwards within the reproductive tract towards the uterus
and fallopian tubes (40% of women with untreated chlamydia infection
will develop pelvic inflammatory disease)
|
|
|
Ectopic pregnancy - this serious and
potentially fatal condition, is when an egg becomes fertilized and
attaches itself somewhere other than the uterus
|
|
|
Miscarriage
|
|
|
Premature detachment of the placenta
|
|
|
Premature birth
|
|
|
Tubal pregnancy, the leading cause
of first-trimester, pregnancy-related death in American women
|
|
|
Endometriosis - a condition which
results in the abnormal growth and function of endometrial tissue,
the mucous membrane lining the uterus which detaches during
menstruation
|
|
|
Infertility
|
|
|
Chronic pain of the pelvic region
|
|
|
Perihepatitis - an inflammation of
the tissue surrounding and encasing the liver
|
|
|
Reiter's Syndrome, an autoimmune
condition where the joints are affected by arthritis
|
To the fetus and newborn
chlamydia trachomatis can cause:
|
|
Premature birth
|
|
|
Eye disease - conjunctivitis in the
newborn (ophthalmia neonatorum)
|
|
|
Infections of the
 |
mouth and throat
|
|
|
genital tract
|
|
|
rectum
|
|
|
|
Pneumonia
|
|
|
In cases of severe infection by
chlamydia trachomatis, death can occur, most often from pneumonia
|
|
