Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacteria that make up the STD Chlamydia. Any kind of sexual activity can easily transmit Chlamydia and bring irreparable damage to the reproductive organs and urinary tract.
The symptoms may range from mild to none at all. Weeks and even months may pass by before an infected person will become aware of it and seek medical help. If there are symptoms it may take the form of profuse discharges from the genitalia, abdominal pain, and tingling or burning sensation when urinating.
Chlamydia is usually untreated because it is asymptomatic making it mostly undiagnosed which could cause more complications to the person infected with it. When it worsens it causes pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) that inflames the ovaries, cervix, uterus, vagina, and fallopian tubes leading to painful urination and sexual intercourse. The inflammation that happened to the reproductive organs could stop the sperm from meeting with the fertilized egg which causes infertility.
Men and women infected with Chlamydia may have almost the same asymptomatic symptoms. If ever it becomes visible it can cause discharges from the penis and pain during urination. If left untreated, it can produce epididymitis in men which inflame the testicles’ coiled tube that will make it painful as there is swelling which can also lead to infertility.
Shaking the hands or sitting on the seat that has been vacated or sharing a toilet seat by an infected person will not transmit the disease.
Once infected with Chlamydia, the infected person must inform his or her sexual partner or partners about the infection so they can be treated and contain the spread. Early detection and treatment can avoid some of the complications of the disease that can last a lifetime. The medical treatment for Chlamydia is antibiotics.
An infected person should undergo Chlamydia tests and be on the lookout during the first three months for any symptoms that could lead to re-infection. Re-infection of the disease may either happen if a new sexual partner has a similar infection or the current partner has not fully recovered from the infection.
The best way to deal with Chlamydia is to have a regular check-up with a doctor that specializes in sexually transmitted diseases. The earlier the disease is diagnosed and treated, the better chance it has to minimize the damage that it can do to your reproductive organs as well as to your partner. It will also help in containing the spread of the infection especially if the sexual activity involves multiple partners.
Chlamydia has been shown in statistics to be on the rise because of the asymptomatic nature of the disease. This has led to more infections since people infected with it are not even aware that they have the disease. By the time some symptoms manifest in the body, the disease has advanced further and a lot of people have also become infected with it.
The thing to remember always that safe sex should always be practiced. Abstinence would be the most effective, but since this could not always be possible, the next best thing is to use a condom as a protective barrier.