Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are among
the most common infectious diseases in the United States today, affecting more than 13 million men and women annually. Among
the more than 20 STDs that have now been identified, chlamydia is the most frequently reported, with an estimated 4 million
new cases each year. In Illinois, there were 32,870 cases of chlamydia reported in 1999. Most of these cases--74 percent--occurred
among persons 15- to 24-years-old.
What is chlamydia?
Chlamydial infections are caused by a bacterium,
Chlamydia trachomatis, and are transmitted during vaginal, oral or anal sexual contact with an infected partner.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases estimates that the cost of chlamydial infections and subsequent
complications exceeds $2 billion annually.
What are the symptoms?
If symptoms appear at all, it is usually one
to four weeks after exposure. Women report vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding between periods, abdominal pain that is sometimes
accompanied by fever and nausea, and burning or pain during urination. Men with the infection report burning or pain during
urination and a discharge from the penis.
About half of infected women and about one-quarter
of infected men, however, may have no symptoms at all. This is one reason chlamydia is dangerous: Asymptomatic individuals
do not seek treatment and therefore can pass the infection on to others. Untreated individuals also can develop complications
from the infection.
What kinds of
complications can the infection cause?
In women, chlamydia can result in pelvic inflammatory
disease (PID), a serious complication that has emerged as a major cause of infertility and ectopic pregnancy among women of
childbearing age. The infection also may be passed by a pregnant woman to her newborn baby during delivery, resulting in neonatal
eye infection or pneumonia. In men, chlamydial infections can lead to pain or swelling in the scrotum. This can be a sign
of epididymitis, an inflammation of a part of the male reproductive system located in the testicles. Both PID and epididymitis
can result in infertility.
Other complications include proctitis (inflamed
rectum) and conjunctivitis (inflammation of the lining of the eye). A particular strain of chlamydia causes another STD called
lymphogranuloma venereum, which is characterized by prominent swelling and inflammation of the lymph nodes in the groin.
Because of the symptoms associated with chlamydia,
infected individuals have a three- to five-fold increase in the risk of acquiring HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) if exposed
to the virus during sexual intercourse.
How is chlamydia
diagnosed?
Until recently, the only way to diagnose chlamydial
infection was to take a sample of secretions from the patient's genital area and attempt to grow the organism in a specialized
tissue culture in the laboratory. Although this is considered the most definitive test, it is expensive and technically difficult
and test results are not available for up to three days.
Several new tests for diagnosing chlamydia
have been developed recently. These tests are less expensive and the results are available within two to three days. These
new tests detect genetic material from chlamydia and are very accurate. Urine, as well as genital secretions, can be collected
as a speciman for these new test methods.
How is chlamydia
treated?
Chlamydial infections are treated with a seven-day
course of antibiotics, usually doxycycline or erythromycin. A single dose of azithromycin also effectively treats chlamydial
infections. Penicillin is not effective against chlamydia.
A person must be sure to take all of the prescribed
medication, even if symptoms disappear before taking all the antibiotics. An infected person should refrain from all sexual
contact until completing the medication, and it is very important that all sex partners be tested and treated to prevent possible
medical complications, reinfection and further spread of the disease.
How can chlamydia
be prevented?
Not having sex is the best protection
against chlamydia and other STDs. Having sex with only one uninfected partner who only has sex with you is also safe. The
use of latex condoms during sexual intercourse when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of
chlamydia. Because chlamydia is highly contagious and yet may cause no symptoms, all men and women who have sexual contact
with more than one partner should be tested regularly for the disease. Constant awareness and precautions are necessary because
a person who has once contracted the diseas does not become immune. Many people acquire chlamydia more than once.
For more information
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)
www.idph.state.il.us
HIV/STD Hotline 1-800-243-2437
(TTY 1-800-782-0423)
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov/std/
CDC National STD Hotline
(800) 227 - 8922 (English) (24 hours, 7 days
a week)
(800) 344 -7432 (Spanish) (8 am - 2 am EST) (7 days a week)
(800) 243 - 7889 (TTY for hearing impaired)
(Monday-Friday 10 am - 10 pm EST)
CDC STDNet Email Service NCHSTP/DSTD Web Response
CDC National AIDS Hotline
(800) 342 - AIDS (2437) (English) (24 hours,
7 days a week)
(800) 344 - SIDA (7432) (Spanish) (8 am - 2 am EST)
(800) 243 - 7889 (TTY for hearing
impaired) (Monday-Friday 10 am - 10 pm EST)
American
Social Health Association www.ashastd.org
