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Chlamydia

Basic Information

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States. The U.S. Public Health Service estimates 3 to 5 million new cases per year; however, since reporting this disease is not required in most states, a verifiable figure remains elusive. It is known that the occurrence of Chlamydia is a worldwide problem and that it does not discriminate--it affects gay and straight, women and men, black and white, Protestant, Catholic, Jew and Muslim alike. In the last twenty years, Chlamydia has been commonly seen and recognized and believed to be on the increase in the U.S.

Chlamydia is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. It inflames the vagina and urethra and reproductive organs and, if left untreated in women, can result in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Often asymptomatic, Chlamydia can have severe and debilitating effects for both women and men.

It is contracted through unprotected oral, anal or vaginal intercourse with an infected partner. You may be at risk for becoming infected if you or your partner are sexually active outside of a monogamous relationship. If this is the case, the proper use of latex condoms will substantially reduce your risk factor for becoming infected with Chlamydia.

Symptoms

Chlamydia is also known as the "quiet", because its symptoms are not always obvious. In fact most women with urethral infections have no symptoms at all and the presence of the disease is not detected until it has spread throughout the female body. It must be stressed that Chlamydia can be harbored in the body for a long time--unknowingly--and thus becomes a threat to each new sexual partner of the infected person.

Men infected with Chlamydia often have the following symptoms:

  • a watery, milky discharge from the penis
  • a burning, itching sensation around the urethra often felt during or immediately after sex
  • redness at the top of the penis

Again, there are usually no symptoms in women, especially during the early stages of the disease. In later stages women may experience:

  • vaginal discharge
  • vaginal redness

In addition both women and men may sometimes experience:

  • pain when urinating
  • abdominal pain
  • sore throat--often perceived as a simple case of tonsillitis or "scratchy throat"
  • fever

Treatment

Testing for Chlamydia is usually very simple but should always be done by your health care provider on clinical grounds--that is your health care provider should evaluate your symptoms and medical history in person when diagnosing this disease. Your health care provider will be aware that the likelihood exists that if you have one STD (sexually transmitted disease) you may have others as well. Cell culture--when available--is a usually reliable, sensitive method of diagnosis, but nonculture methods of diagnosis are less effective and can lead to false positive tests in women.

Treatment is also simple. The prescribed antibiotics should be taken for a two week period. (Be aware that you should not take some medications with milk or dairy products ) Do not attempt to cure yourself by substituting antibiotics prescribed for other illnesses or take antibiotics prescribed for others. You must complete the entire antibiotic treatment prescribed for you.

If you are diagnosed with this disease it is important that you notify your sexual partners so that they may seek treatment. And be certain that you do not engage in further sexual activity until you have followed up with your health care provider to determine that you are no longer infectious.

Treatment should always be administered by your health care provider. If you feel you have contracted chlamydia you should seek treatment promptly. The consequence of postponing treatment can be debilitating. If untreated, women are definitely at risk for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). In fact, chlamydia is believed to be the cause of half the million cases of PID diagnosed annually in the U.S.

The symptoms of PID are:

  • cramps between menstrual periods
  • fever and chills
  • vaginal bleeding between periods or after intercourse
  • pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse
  • pain during urination
  • nausea
  • vaginal discharge
  • unusual vaginal discharge
  • chronic vaginal infections
  • vaginal itching

PID can cause infertility and/or sterility in women (due to chronic infections of the fallopian tubes) and can even cause pneumonia in a newborn infant if infection persists in pregnancy. This is why immediate treatment is necessary.

A case of chlamydia in a child is usually due to sexual abuse by an infected adult. Often the offender is a relative of the child's. The child diagnosed with chlamydia as well as her or His siblings must be further investigated for the presence of other STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).As well a full team approach needs to be utilized consisting of the health care provider, social services, law enforcement, and the judicial system . The goal must always be to not only prevent re-infection but further abuse.

If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, your health care provider will want to check for the presence of other sexually transmitted diseases. For instance in 45% of cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia is thought to be present as well. With chlamydia infection, nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is even more likely to be present than gonorrhea. Your health care provider might find it necessary to test you for syphilis, hepatitis B and herpes as well.

Also, if you are diagnosed with chlamydia, a discussion about HIV testing and counseling is very important and indicated. When a person has at least one sexually transmitted disease, studies have shown that the risk for HIV transmission is much more likely. This is thought to be due to the body's altered defense mechanism when it is infected with an STD. Also, if the cervix is infected by chlamydia it can increase the risk of acquiring HIV.

Should you even suspect that you have a sexually transmitted disease, please see your health care provider promptly.

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