|
|
| Chlamydia |
| |
| Chlamydia is the No. 1 sexually transmitted disease in
the US. Chlamydia is known as the "silent epidemic" because most of the women
and many men with the disease have no symptoms. |
| |
| Symptoms |
Possible symptoms include discharge from the penis or
vagina and some burning sensations during urination. Additional symptoms for
women include lower abdominal pain or pain during intercourse and bleeding
between menstrual periods. Men may experience burning and itching around the
opening of the penis and pain or swelling in the testicles. The males are more
likely to have symptoms, than women. Men may also have a discharge from the
penis.
Some men think they have gonorrhea, but it is not. The
incubation period for chlamydia is longer and the discharge is lighter in
color. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can be caused by chlamydia, is
a cause of infertility when left untreated. |
| |
| Treatment |
| There is treatment for chlamydia with antibiotics. A
single dose of azithromycin or a week long treatment with doxycycline taken
twice daily are the most common treatments. |
| |
| Transmission |
| The most common form of transmission is through sexual
intercourse and oral sex. |
| |
| Testing |
| There are two methods to test for chlamydia. One
involves taking a cotton swab sample from the infected area and the other is
with a urine test. The urine test is most common. |
| |
|
