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Since Chlamydia is spread through sexual contact, its spread can be prevented through the use of condoms. If left untreated the bacteria can scar the fallopian tubes and cause sterility in women. Chlamydia can infect the tubes and lining of the uterus. This is called PID and is a serious infection that could require surgery to cure. In men it can infect some of the tubes of the testicles and cause a condition called epididymitis that if left untreated could require surgical therapy and leave you sterile and/or unable to make the hormone testosterone. Testosterone is what makes you a male. Chlamydia is a commonly sexually transmitted disease. It is insidious and can be asymptomatic in both men and women. There is another similarly named bacteria that causes pneumonia and infections of the respiratory system. It is not sexually transmitted and should not be confused with C. tracomatis.
Signs and symptoms that should make you suspect an infection are
1. Burning on urination
2. Vaginal Discharge
3. Pain in low abdomen of women
4. Trouble becoming pregnant
5. Irregular and heavier menstrual periods
6. Urethral discharge in men
7. Pain in the testicles of men
The diagnosis of chlamydia is simple. Women can be screened for infection by taking a swab of mucus from the cervix. Men with discharge from the penis can be screened in a similar way or can give a urine sample and be screened in that way also. Urine screening in men can reliably indicate that a man is not infected.
If you have symptoms and your tests indicate you have Chlamydia trachomatis, you will require antibiotic therapy. The antibiotics that will cure a Chlamydia trachomatis infection are Azithromycin, Doxycycline, or erythromycin. Azythromycin commonly is used in a dose of 1000 mg taken once. If the infection is complicated it can require two or three antibiotics for 10-14 days. If you are diagnosed and treated for Chalmydia, you should abstain from sex for 7-10 days due to contagiousness.
If you know for a fact that your partner is infected with Chlamydia, you should avoid any sexual contact with him or her until you are sure that they have received the proper medical treatment and are free of the disease. In most cases sexual partners with be re-infected because the partner was not treated for the disease. Use a condom. It is always advisable to use a condom if you know that you are going to be sexually active, especially if you are a young adult between the ages of eighteen to twenty five, because statistics show that it is most likely young adults between these ages who are most likely to contract this disease.
Avoid having sexual relations with more that one partner in any given period, it is best if you have one long term relationship rather than have multiple sexual partners. This not only leads to the possibility of you contracting Chlamydia, but you may also be exposing yourself to other sexually transmitted diseases and it is a very unhealthy lifestyle. You should not have sexual intercourse with strangers you have just met, no “one night stands” with someone you might meet at a party. This sort of life style is considered sexually dangerous and should not be entertained at any cost.
Because Chlamydia is transmitted through vaginal and anal sex and sometimes through oral sex or hand to eye contact, although this is very rare, you should if possible always wash your hands thoroughly after using the washroom especially in public places and shaking hands with strangers. It is a good idea to have some of those sanitary wipes handy in the event you are not anywhere near a wash room. Try not to touch your eyes after shaking hands, especially with strangers, because you do not know if the other person’s hands are clean, or whether they have just visited the washroom, and did not wash their hands.
The main risk factors of contracting Chlamydia are in people who have multiple sex partners and whose partners have multiple sex partners, people who do not use condoms during oral or vaginal sexual intercourse or people with a long history of sexual transmitted diseases. Also women who use birth control pills run a higher risk of contracting Chlamydia, but they are less likely to develop PID. Statistics show that people under the age of twenty-five run the highest risk of contracting this disease, so people of this age should be extra careful in their sexual activities and always use a condom; it is the safest sex possible. Personal hygiene can play an important role in the prevention of this disease.
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