Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are reviled and feared, irrespective of the culture, history or social background of an area. The reason for this is simply the kind of damage that such diseases can cause in a person. While the majority of sexually transmitted diseases are easy to diagnose, there are some that are extremely difficult to spot. These types of sexually transmitted diseases can result in the patient being unaware of them till some serious damage has already occurred. Chlamydia is one such disease. Consider the following:
What is Chlamydia?
Chlamydia is one of the more common sexually transmitted diseases. However, as explained above, the real danger of Chlamydia is not the fact that it is common. Instead, it is the fact that it is very hard to spot in the patient. Resultantly, this sexual disease can also be termed as one of the most under-reported diseases in the world. The disease is named after the agent which causes it i.e. a bacterium known as Chlamydia Trachormatis. The disease can affect both men and women and can result in serious repercussions if not treated.
How does a person get Chlamydia?
As is the case with all types of sexually transmitted diseases, Chlamydia can be contracted by an adult through sexual activities like vaginal, oral or anal sex. Furthermore, a pregnant mother can also end up giving the disease to her child. The chances of a person contracting Chlamydia increase with the number of active sexual partners. Resultantly, the more number of lovers a person has, the more susceptible he or she would be to this disease.
What are the symptoms or signs of Chlamydia?
As mentioned earlier, the biggest problem with Chlamydia is that it is hard to spot for a person. This means that people tend to not realize that they are suffering from Chlamydia up until it is too late because there are rarely any overt symptoms. This is also the reason why Chlamydia is often called a ‘silent disease’. Even though there are no overt and prominent symptoms of Chlamydia, there are still some signs that can hint at the disease. For example, women suffering from this disease at an early stage may go through slightly abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation during urination. However, if the disease has moved on to latter stages then some symptoms that may show up include lower abdominal pain, nausea, intercourse related pains, non menstrual bleeding and fever. If the patient is a man then the only symptoms he may have are abnormal penile discharge or a burning sensation during urination.
How is Chlamydia treated?
Chlamydia needs to be diagnosed and treated early because of the damage it can cause silently, especially in women. The disease, if left untreated, can result in failure of the reproductive system and even fatal pregnancies. If detected, Chlamydia can be treated quite easily with antibiotics like azithromycin and doxycycline. It is also worth noting that the contracting of Chlamydia can result in a marked increase in the chances of a person contracting an HIV infection.