Chlamydia; Key Q&A.What is chlamydia? Chlamydia infection is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis. The bacterium can be transmitted during sexual intercourse, or by oral-genital contact with an infected person. If so many people with chlamydia don't have symptoms, why is it necessary to get treated? Even though chlamydia infection often doesn't cause symptoms, it can still cause serious consequences for women, and for pregnant women and their infants. Also, the only way to stop the epidemic is by treating everyone infected, whether they have symptoms or not. How will chlamydia infection affect my chances of getting pregnant? It depends on several factors, such as how long you have been infected and whether the infection has migrated into your upper genital tract. Pelvic inflammatory disease pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infection of the female reproductive organs, usually resulting from infection with the bacteria that cause chlamydia or gonorrhea. , which is often caused by chlamydia infection, can lead to infertility. 4. Does having chlamydia put me at greater risk for other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)? Yes. Chlamydia infection increases your risk of HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. by producing more of the type of white blood cells White blood cells A group of several cell types that occur in the bloodstream and are essential for a properly functioning immune system. Mentioned in: Abscess Incision & Drainage, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Complement Deficiencies to which HIV attaches itself. STDs are often transmitted at the same time, so if you have acquired chlamydia, you may also be at risk for having other STDs. What are the side effects from chlamydia treatment? Chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics without causing significant side effects. Ask your health care professional about possible side effects, if any, specific to the medication prescribed for you. How is pelvic inflammatory disease treated? In most cases, the first line of treatment is oral antibiotics. More serious cases or special circumstances may require intravenous drugs and hospitalization. Why are more women diagnosed with chlamydia then men? One reason is that unless they have symptoms, most men are never tested for chlamydia. Women, on the other hand, although they are more likely not to have symptoms of the disease, do have annual exams and therefore more opportunities to be screened for infection. Can a pregnant woman pass chlamydia to her infant? Yes. The infection can be transmitted during birth and can cause eye and lung infection in a newborn. Fortunately, a pregnant woman can take medication that will cure chlamydia without harming her or her child. References Planned Parenthood. "Chlamydia: Questions and Answers." http://www.plannedparenthood.org. Revised March 2004. Accessed June 12, 2004. Fact Sheet: New CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation Treatment Guidelines Critical to Preventing Health Consequences of Sexually Transmitted Diseases." May 9, 2002. http://www.cdc.gov. Accessed June 12, 2004. "FDA Proposes New Warning for Over-the-Counter Contraceptive Drugs Containing Nonoxynol-9." FDA Talk Paper, January 16, 2003. http://www.fda.gov. Accessed March 2003. Facts & Answers about STDs: Chlamydia. " American Social Health Association. http://www.ashastd.org. Accessed October 2001. STD Surveillance 1999. National Profile. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2002). Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines 2002. MMWR MMWR Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report Epidemiology A news bulletin published by the CDC, which provides epidemiologic data–eg, statistics on the incidence of AIDS, rabies, rubella, STDs and other communicable diseases, causes of mortality–eg, , 2002, 51(No. RR-6). "Genital infections United States, 1995." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR. March 7, 1997. Vol. 46 (9). Connett, H. "What you need to know about chlamydia." STD Advisor, 1999; Vol. 2. Insert. "The Hidden Epidemic: Confronting Sexually Transmitted Diseases." Institute of Medicine. Washington, D.C. National Academy Press. 1997. "Chlamydia in the United States" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Fact Sheet. Updated Aug. 2001. http://www.cdc.gov. Accessed Sept. 2001. "Chlamydial Infection" National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. Fact Sheet. Updated Jan. 2001. http://www.niaid.nih.gov. Accessed Sept. 2001. Tarja A. et al. "Serotypes of Chlamydia trachomatis and Risk for Development of Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma squamous cell carcinoma n. A carcinoma that arises from squamous epithelium and is the most common form of skin cancer. Also called cancroid, epidermoid carcinoma. " JAMA 2001;285: 47-51. http://jama.ama-assn.org. "Lesbian Health" The National Women's Health Information Center. 1998. http://www.4woman.gov. Accessed Nov. 2002. Keywords: chlamydia, symptoms, pregnant, pregnant woman, pelvic inflammatory disease, stds, sexually transmitted disease sexually transmitted disease (STD) or venereal disease, term for infections acquired mainly through sexual contact. Five diseases were traditionally known as venereal diseases: gonorrhea, syphilis, and the less common granuloma inguinale, |
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