Chlamydia

FACT:

• Chlamydia is caused by a bacteria.
• Chlamydia is very common, in fact, it was the most common bacterial STD in the United States in 2006, with over 1 million cases being reported.
• Chamlydia often has very mild, or "silent" symptoms, which means most people that have it do not know it, because they have no noticable symtoms.
• Chlamydia can caused irreversable damage to a woman's reporductive organs, and can cause an unpleasant discharge for men. It can also cause eye infections, as well as skin lesions.
• If left untreated, Chlamydia can cause serious damage to organs and can cause infertility and sterility.
• Chamlydia is treatable/curable.
• You can get Chlamydia more than once. Even if you have had it before, you can still become reinfected if your partner is not treated.

How Do You Get Chlamydia?

You can become infected with Chlamydia bacteria through risky sexual behaviors. The more partners you have, the more at risk you become. Even if you, yourself have had only one sexual partner, your partner may still be infected, if he or she has had multiple partners.

 Remember, having a sexual partner means having ANY sexual contact, not just intercourse.

It is important to remember that being sexually active is not a term reserved only for those who have had sexual intercourse, that includes ANY sexual contact (any skin to skin or mouth to skin contact with another person's genitals).

• Any kind of sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, oral sex and "petting".
• From mother to baby during childbirth.

What are the Symptoms of Chlamydia?

The symptoms of Chlamydia are often mild, or "silent" (no symptoms), so many people do not know they are infected.

3/4 of women and 1/2 of men never show any noticable symptoms.

If symptoms do occur, it is usually 1 week to a month after exposure and can including all or some of the following symptoms:

• WOMEN: Abnormal vaginal discharge, burning during urination, lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, painful intercourse, bleeding in between menstrual periods.
• MEN: Discharge from penis, burning during urination, burning or itching around the opening of the penis, pain and swelling of testicles.
• ANAL INTERCOURSE: Men and.or Women who participate in anal intercourse my experience itching, burning and /or a discharge from the rectum, rectal pain, rectal bleeding.
• ORAL SEX: Chlamydia bacteria can line the throats of men or women engaging in oral sex.

Getting Tested

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends that all women, especially under the age of 25, who are sexually active, and not in a monogamous, long lasting, single partner relationship, be tested at least yearly for Chlamydia infections.

These tests are simple and quick and can be done at any testing center confidentially, as well as at your gynocologist's office and your family physician's office.

What do I do if I have Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is easily treatable and curable with antibiotics, through either a single dose or a week long prescription. All partners that you have had sexula contact with should be tested and treated. You should abstain from any sexual contact until all partners have been treated, or you risk re-infection.

The only way to ensure that you do not get infected or re-infected with Chlamydia is through abstinence until you are in a monogamous marriage relationship, where both partners have been tested for Chlamydia,and treated, if positive.

For more info on Chalmydia, visit:

Center for Disease Control