Chlamydia - Be Careful and Know the Facts

All the doctors want any sexually active patient to know and understand that one of the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) is chlamydia. It occurs in about 4 million estimated patients per year. The second most common is gonorrhea, which occurs in approximately 350,000 patients per year. Gonorrhea usually travels with him more than 80% of the time. However, this may or may not travel with gonorrhea.

Chlamydia is known as the "silent disease" because in about 90% of cases, infected people do not know that there was an infection. Signs of infection can occur one to three days after sexual contact with an infected person. If left untreated, it can gradually take the entire female reproductive system, causing scarring the fallopian tubes, ectopic pregnancy, infertility and chronic pelvic pain. Infection usually gets into the fallopian tube of about 40% of women with him .. In men, infection can cause sperm tubules of the testicles, causing swelling called epididymitis. Infection can occur in the throat or anal area, depending on the extent of sexual abuse. The newborn can get infected through the birth canal or cause serious eye infections or pneumonia dangerous. Remember - doctors need to treat STD's, and confidentiality concerns with

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Given the prevalence of infection, and even some health insurance companies, which determined that screening sexually active women for the disease is to cover the necessary preventive measures. Screening focused on patients because they have the most serious complications. Men are usually treated on a case by case basis, or a history of contact with an infected person. Testing is done either urethral swabs, swabs of the cervix in women, or urine testing. bacteria can be grown in the laboratory for identification, and there are tests that use antibodies to look for fragments of disease germs.

It is recommended that all sexually active women under age 25 have a test done once a year. All pregnant women should be tested. Older women should have the test if they re sexual activity, having more than one sexual partner, as opposed condom use, or at the discretion of the doctor because of symptoms. Department of Health receives a confidential report on cases and helps keep track of contacts for treatment hope to limit the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

clinical signs are usually quite subtle. May women have some vaginal or urinary discomfort, some vaginal discharge or bleeding, or a little discomfort after a subsequent sexual activity. When a doctor examines her, he can see the inflammation of the cervix with some whitish discharge in the cervical opening. In men, there May be some burning urination, redness of the inside opening of the penis, and sometimes cloudy or white watery discharge from the penis or the end of the red tip of the penis. The physician must be very cautious in the presence of STD in the active patient population.

treatment, if diagnosed early, it is relatively easy. One can take one dose of a four antibiotic pills or antibiotics twice daily for 10-14 days. The patient should abstain from sexual activity during treatment, and to sexual contacts are treated. Unfortunately, the infection does not provide immunity. It has repeatedly can cause infection. Thus, permanent safe sexual practices, limiting sexual partners, and retesting are required.

There are many reasons why this STD should be treated. As mentioned, this is relatively easy to treat infections can wreak havoc on the female reproductive system. This can ultimately lead to chronic pain and infertility. This can damage the male reproductive system, but with less frequency. Babies born through an infected birth canal may have conjunctivitis infection sometimes causes blindness of the eye. child born through an infected birth canal can get down the lung infection, which causes severe pneumonia. This can cause lymphogranuloma venereum, a painful infection of the groin lymphnodes. In young people, it can become a rheumatic disease causing joint pain, urethral discharge, and chronic inflammation of the eye. This can cause proctitis - inflammation of the rectum, which can become chronic

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Many young women off the annual pelvic exams, rationalizing that the disease of genital system can only occur in older women. Nothing could be further from the truth. Prompt treatment of STD infection will prevent many health problems later. Women with this infection are five times more likely to contract HIV. tubal damage can be permanent and irreversible .. tubal pregnancy can be life threatening. Consistently have your annual pelvic exam. Looking for a quick treatment if you are exposed or think you have developed an STD. Practice safe sex, and try to maintain a stable monogamous sexual relationship, if you are sexually active. Teenagers and young people should receive the teachings and instructions on how and all STD's. Always consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

Douglas Beatty MD
Doctors Medical Center