Chlamydia, it’s a word that strikes fear into the heart of every person young and old. Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and among sexually active teens it’s become an epidemic across the globe. In fact in the West alone, millions catch the infection each year and it’s a disease that knows no boundaries of gender, class, age or race.

Chlamydia Symptoms

Chlamydia Symptoms can be hardly noticeable that’s why it’s called the ‘silent infection’ but some symptoms can show up.

For women these include:

• pain when passing urine
• a change in discharge
• pain in the lower pelvis
• during intercourse pain or bleeding
• bleeding after intercourse
• bleeding between periods or heavier periods.

Chlamydia if left untreated can also cause serious harm to a woman’s fertility. If the infection spreads to the womb it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease a very painful condition to live with.

Pelvic inflammatory disease can lead to infertility in women and if the woman does get pregnant the chances of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy are raised. Around 10-15% of women become infertile as a result of pelvic inflammatory disease each year.

For men, chlamydia symptoms range from:

• pain in the testicles.
• a thin, transparent discharge from their penis
• pain when passing urine.

In both men and women however symptoms however can be very mild and can disappear within weeks or even days sometimes the infection has to be very severe for signs to show up.

Chlamydia Consequences

The consequences of catching chlamydia and leaving it untreated can be serious. A mother can pass the infection onto her unborn child and the child’s immune system will be affected as a consequence.

The chlamydia infection can also travel to the eyes through contact with the hands. In many poorer countries the infection in the eyes can cause blindness, this spread of the infection is called trachoma.

Swelling and inflammation of the lymph glands in the genitals and open sores in that area can also occur in cases that have become more severe. These sores can lead to further infections and an increased chance of catching the HIV virus also.

Screening Programs

Most healthcare providers provide free testing and screening programs in an effort to stop the ‘silent epidemic.’

A swab in the genital area is taken and then checked for the infection. If a woman is pregnant doctors will routinely check for chlamydia to prevent complications and harm to the baby being caused by the infection.

Chlamydia Treatments

The most effective treatment for chlamydia is to use antibiotics. The course of antibiotics needs to be completed even if a patient feels well and it’s wise to avoid alcohol with antibiotics as it lessens their effect.

Past and current partners need to be told that there’s a possibility they could be infected also.

Chlamydia Prevention

The recent chastity movement in the United States has been born from the desire amongst other things to stop the STI epidemic in the country.

Abstinence or only having sex within a committed, long term relationship is advocated in these movements which are gaining more and more ground among the young with their message of true love and long term commitment.

It’s also worth remembering that chlamydia can be caught without penetration and from any genital or oral contact. Condoms are recommended by many to prevent the spread of the infection but many studies have shown clinical evidence of the same rates of infection in those who used condoms and those who did not because of the unreliability of many condoms to protect against the bacterial infection and to have faults in them during normal use.

A vaccine against the disease is under development and a gel that will kill the bacteria before sex is also in the developmental stages.

Chlamydia is an infection that’s spreading more and more in our societies and public awareness is growing which can only be a good thing where the common good is concerned.

Gonorrhea

What is gonorrhea? Gonorrhea can be defined as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) which is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This bacterium grows and multiplies in the warm and moist areas of the cervix, fallopian tubes, in the urethra and in the anus where they can multiply comfortably because of the favorable conditions in those body parts. Gonorrhea affects both men and women. It can be transmitted through sexual contact which include sexual intercourse, use of sexual toys, kissing and oral genital contact. A woman may also transmit gonorrhea to her newborn during vaginal childbirth.

Signs and symptoms of Gonorrhea

The signs and symptoms of gonorrhea are evident in men if they start experiencing pain when urinating two to five days after infection. It appears as a sharp pain at the head of the penis when you are trying to urinate. Another symptom is the yellow, white, or green discharge from the penis which has a bad smell, and causes pain in the urethra. In rare cases a man may have swollen testicles after infection with gonorrhea.
The signs and symptoms in women may not be all that visible but they may include a painful or burning sensation when urinating. They may also have vaginal discharge that may take the form of a yellow or white discharge. There may also be symptoms of vaginal bleeding between periods.
There are also symptoms that are evident in both women and men like the rectal infection, bleeding, anal itching, soreness and discharge. Some men also notice symptoms of erectile dysfunction when the infection is at its peak.

Effects of gonorrhea

In women, it may bring about pelvic inflammatory diseases, if it becomes widespread and moves to the fallopian tubes. Gonorrhea can also lead to meningitis, and an eye infection that can result in blindness to the new born baby during pregnancy.
In men, it spreads to the epididymis causing pain and swelling to the testicles, and this may lead to infertility. In both men and women it can affect body parts including throat, eyes, joints and the skin.

Gonorrhea prevention

The most effective way to prevent any sexually transmitted disease is by abstaining from sexual intercourse. Being truthful to one partner that has been tested and is free from infection is also another way to prevent this sexually transmitted disease. Another way to prevent gonorrhea is by using condoms on any occasion you are having sexual intercourse with your partner.

Gonorrhea Treatment

There area few known methods of treating gonorrhea but the use of antibiotics is by far the most commonly used treatment. These treatments are easy and essential as they can be administered in tablet, liquid or injection form. You should get prescription from the doctors for the antibiotics and make sure to take the complete dose as prescribed. The medication given by the doctor will stop the infection and you should not engage in unprotected sex unless you are fully cured. If you are allergic to antibiotics then you should notify the doctor so as to cause no complications. At times symptoms may continue even after receiving treatment and you are advised to return to the doctor for more advanced treatment.