According to CDC, Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease reported in the US. Almost four million people were infected with chlamydia in 2018. Many more were estimated as most people do not report Chlamydia because it can asymptomatic, meaning to have no or very minimal symptoms. It is also estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active women in the age of 14-24 years has Chlamydia.

What is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia belongs to a class of sexually transmitted diseases (like HIV, Gonorhhea) which attacks on the rectum, genitals and the throat . It is the most common STD transmitted by bacteria. Chlamydia Trachomatis is the most common culprit here. Although, we can’t callit the culprit, it is just doing its job. A pregnant woman can pass it to the foetus.

It can permanently damage the female reproductive system nulling the chanes of pregnancies. It can also give birth to ectopic pregnanicies (when the egg attaches itself anywhere outside the uterus).

How does Chlamydia spread?

As said earlier, the most common way to get Chlamydia is to have sexual intercourse without proper precautions (like not using the condoms. However, this is not the only case. If you’re getting oral sex from a person infected with Chlamydia in the mouth and throat, then you can also get the infection.

You can also get the infection if you’re giving oral sex to a person with chlamydia infected genitals. Other that these, rimming (oral-anal) contact can also cause Chlamydia.

What are the symptoms of Chlamydia?

Chlamydia can be asymptomatic too, which results in people not getting tested for it and spreading it through sexual encounters. Although there no vaccines to treat Chlamydia, Chlamydia medications can help with the symptoms. Some common symptoms of Chlamydia are:

When symptoms do occur, they usually take 2 to 3 weeks to appear but it can take as long as six weeks. Common symptoms vary depending on where the infection is:

●  Infections of the genitals can cause an unusual fluid (or discharge) to come out of the vagina or the penis, and pain when urinating (peeing).

●  Rectal infections can cause discharge or bleeding from the anus and pain in the anus.

●  Throat or mouth infections can cause a sore throat.

If it is not treated, chlamydia may lead to infertility, abdominal pain or pregnancy complications.

How to treat Chlamydia?

As mentioned earlier, there are no vaccines for chlamydia. So, you can’t get a shot and stay infection-free all your life. However, there are Chlamydia medicines which you can take to lower the spread of infections and other symptoms.

Chlamydia can be treated in two ways, the first one is a single dose and the second one is a course of aitbiotics. Your doctor will suggest you which way to go, so it is absolutely necessary to get tested right away if you feel you have Chlamydia.

If you’re given a single dose you should refrain from having sex for atleast seven days. If you’re doing an antibiotic course, you should refrain from sex until the course gets over.

What happens if you don’t treat Chlamydia?

The symptoms of Chlamydia can be different for men and women. Usually, Chlamydia pills can easily treat the infection. However, some people are ignorant about the infection or even try to treat it by themselves. In men, Chlamydia rarely does any real damage. The infections can spread up to the vas deferens which carries the sperm and bring out fever and pain. Chlamydia related conditions when men cannot have babies is really rare.

However, this is totally opposite in women. Chlamydia pills and doses, if not taken, can spread the infection to the fallopian tubes and the uterus leading to pelvic inflamatory disease. PID can cause permanent pelvic pain, inability to get pregnant, and even ectopic pregnancies.

Conclusion

Chlamydia is pretty common in teenagers and people in their twenties. It is also very common to talk about it in public. You can also discuss this with your partners and family. Wearing condoms is the safest way to deal with this infection. And if you have it, please go to the doctor.