There is a big similarity between the two STDs or sexually transmitted diseases, Chlamydia and gonorrhea. Both of these STDs display almost the same ways of passing on the infection and symptoms that they are often confused with each other.
The Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria cause the Chlamydia infection which is passed through anal or vaginal sexual intercourse. It mostly affects young and sexually active people, yet since it is an STD it could always infect anyone who is sexually active.
Infected pregnant women can pass the infection to the baby at birth when it is untreated. Infection of the eyes and pneumonia are the common health issues for congenital Chlamydia infections in babies.
No one gets an immunity from Chlamydia even when one had the disease before and been successfully treated. Exposure to an infected sexual partner will still transmit the disease. Reinfection is quite common with Chlamydia.
Chlamydia in most cases is asymptomatic that may or may not present symptoms 1-3 weeks after exposure. This makes most infected people unaware that they already have the infection. It is also one of the main reasons for the widespread of Chlamydia.
When symptoms show, they may be mistaken for that of gonorrhea. It may include:
- Abdominal pain
- Penile or vaginal discharges
- Urgency of urination accompanied by pain during urination
- Bleeding between menstrual periods
- Painful and swollen testicles
Chlamydia can cause PID or pelvic inflammatory disease in women if left untreated. This is a life-long disease that is painful and could also lead to infertility and an ectopic pregnancy. For men, it can cause epididymitis, which can also lead to infertility.
These health complications can be avoided or the risk can be lowered through early testing and treatment. If treatment is done late, Chlamydia can still be cured but the damage that has been done to the body will be irreversible.
Treatment
An antibiotic therapy can easily cure Chlamydia. The medical practitioner will prescribe the antibiotics that will be used effectively for your case. It may range from a single day of taking pills or a 7-day course of antibiotic capsules. Just remember to follow the instructions of the doctor in order to get rid of Chlamydia from your system.
Your sex partner(s) should also be told about the infection so they can get tested and treated. This will not only contain the spread of the infection but also help them avoid the medical complications later in life when treatment is left too long.
Prevention
Since Chlamydia is asymptomatic, people infected with it are most of the time not aware that they have it. Using some preventive measures can protect you from getting infected and having knowledge about it will make you aware on ways to avoid it as well as know what to do if ever you get infected.
- Abstaining from sex is 100% prevention from getting the infection.
- Being involved in a monogamous relationship means that it’s only you for your partner and your partner only for you. Both of you should also get tested to ensure that both of you are uninfected.