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Chlamydia is currently the most common STI. It is estimated that one in 10 girls test positive for chlamydia.
Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common infections to be passed through sexual activity. The infection is caused by a virus-like microbe that can only reproduce once it has found its way into your body cells. Because it is so small, it is often undetectable using a light microscope and so specific tests to look for Chlamydia proteins and other genetic material have to be employed.
Chlamydia is passed on during sex, and is a major cause of infertility in women among whom it is frequently symptomless. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the USA. In men the chlamydia bacteria can infect the male genital organ (urethra), anus, or eye. Chlamydia is spread from person to person through sexual contact, either through the vaginal or anus. This infection is a bacterium.
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Symptoms
In women, if symptoms show, they can often appear 'non-specific'. Cystitis, mild pain in the lower abdomen and a change in vaginal discharge can often be signs of the infection. If left untreated, this can give rise to pelvic pain, pain during sexual intercourse and bleeding between periods. Chlamydia can also spread to the womb and cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. This is one of the major causes of infertility, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.
For men, symptoms can manifest themselves as penile discharge and the possibility of swollen testicles. If left untreated, there is the risk of conditions that can impair fertility, such as epididymitis. There is also the risk, although rare, of Reiter's syndrome, which affects the joints and eyes with painful inflammation.
If left untreated, you run the risk of passing the infection onto future sexual partners, as well as suffering yourself.
Test And Treatment
The test itself is simple and painless. Usually it will consist of a urine sample or a vaginal swab. These samples then undergo specific tests to provide your results. With as many as 1 in 10 15 to 25 year-olds carrying the infection, the NHS has undertaken to test as many people from this age-group as possible, meaning that the Chlamydia tests are free of charge.
Treatment of Chlamydia is also simple and painless. If Chlamydia is diagnosed, the treatment takes the form of a course of antibiotics, such as oxytetracycline or azithromycin. During the treatment, you will normally be asked to abstain from sexual intercourse, until the antibiotics have neutralised the infection and you are given the 'all clear'. This is to prevent you spreading the infection and, ultimately, re-infecting yourself.
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