Is chlamydia curable?……. is the first question many people ask themselves when they have been diagnosed with the condition. This is a natural question to ask especially, if they have no idea what the disease is about and the complications that can arise if chlamydia is left untreated.
There is a lot of misinformation out their about the disease that people have the right to be concerned when they have been told they’ve been infected. Fortunately, chlamydia is not as lethal as other serious sexually transmitted diseases (STDS) such as Aids. However, serious and long term complications can result if the condition is not treated as soon as possible. The good news is that chlamydia is one of those sexually transmitted diseases that are curable.
What Exactly is Chlamydia?
Chlamydia is caused by a bacterial infection called chlamydia trachomatis. The bacteria infects specific areas of the body. These include the pelvic area, anus, the female vagina and the males urethra. The infection can also spread to the eyes and throat.
Chlamydia Is On The Increase
Of all sexually transmitted diseases chlamydia is the most common. According to the World Health Organisation,
“Various studies have estimated that there are four to five million new cases of chlamydial infection each year in the USA alone. Among urban adolescent females, the incidence rate can be as high as 30%. The annual costs of treating and caring for patients with PID might be as high as US$10 billion.”
How Chlamydia Spreads
The most common way to become infected with chlamydia is through unprotected sexual intercourse. Infection can happen through vaginal, anal or oral sexual acts. Chlamydia can also spread by close or intimate touching. As well as the genital organs infection can spread to the eyes if touched by a contaminated finger. Infection can also spread to an infant from an infected mother.
The highest risk group are people who are sexually active and having unprotected sexual intercourse with different partners. Catching chlamydia is numbers game. The more sex you have with different partners the more exposed you will be to becoming infected.
Chlamydia is not choosey who it infects as both heterosexual men and women and homosexual men and women are at equal risk if they partake in regular unprotected sex with several partners.
Young teenage females who are sexually active are at high risk of being infected by chlamydia. This can be due to cervix,which is the entrance to the uterus, not being fully developed.
The Silent Disease
One of the main difficulties in detecting chlamydia are the symptoms. Over 70% of women and 50% of men do not even experience any symptoms for this reason it is often referred to as the silent disease. However, abdominal pains and vaginal discharge are common chlamyldial symptoms in women.
With chlamydia in men the symptoms are often associated with a white discharge from the penis, a burning sensation when urinating or swollen testicles.
When left untreated chlamydia can result in more serious complications that can lead to infertility in both men and women. The disease can effect both female and male reproductive organs. In women a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
PID effects the uterus, and the fallopian tubes which carry the eggs to the to the uterus. A common symptom of this condition is chromic pelvic pain. It is a complication as a result of either chlamydia or gonorrhea.
How To Treat Chlamydia
Chlamydia is easily cured with a course of prescribed antibiotics. There are several antibiotics used in the treatment of chlamydia however, the most commonly prescribed antibiotics by qualified doctors and physicians are azithromycin and doxycycline.
It is recommended that people who have the condition abstain from sex while they are taking the antibiotics. It is also recommended that both men and women get retested three months after the beginning of their treatment. It also important that the partner is tested to determine if they are infected and need treatment.
Chlamydia testing is recommended for young women under the ages of 25 who are sexually active, pregnant women or women who have new or more than one sexual partner. The most effective chlamydia prevention is to stop having sex or at least use a condom when having intercourse. This will help reduce the risk of chlamydial infections as well as other stds that include herpes and AIDS.
So, just to reiterate in relation to the question is chlamydia curable,the answer is yes.
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