The bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis which causes Chlamydia spread from person to person by means of sexual contact and also possibly through oral-genital contact. It mainly spreads through bodily fluids that contain the bacteria when anyone touches it. A Chlamydia eye infection is also possible if anyone touches the infected bodily fluid and then touches his or her eyes.

Chlamydia can also occur to a new born baby while taking birth if the mother is infected with Chlamydia. The infection can also cause pneumonia and conjunctivitis which can be life threatening to the bay if the baby is not treated. You are not infected with Chlamydia from a towel, doorknob, or toilet seat.

Chlamydia is the most regularly reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States. In the year 2006, 1,030,911 Chlamydia infections were reported to Center for Disease Control (CDC) from the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since most of the people are unaware of their infections and don’t bother to go for a test, under-reporting is substantial. In most of the cases if the patients are treated for their symptoms testing is not done. According to U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey an estimated 2,291,000 non-institutionalized U.S. civilians from the ages of 14 to 39 are infected with Chlamydia. Women are regularly re-infected with Chlamydia if their sex partners are not treated.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) advocates annual Chlamydia testing of all sexually active women of age 25 or younger, older women with risk factors for Chlamydia infections (those who have a new sex partner or multiple sex partners), and all pregnant women. Suitable sexual risk estimation by a health care service provider should always be conducted and may point towards more recurrent screening for some women.

Chlamydia treatment is conducted at the clinics and hospitals. Some local health clinics, such as Planned Parenthood, also do test and treat people for Chlamydia. Treatment of Chlamydia is done as soon as you’re diagnosed with Chlamydia. Diagnosis is done by the doctor. There are several kinds of tests for Chlamydia. It is better to ask your doctor which one is the best for you. Usually diagnosis is done by swabbing the vagina or penis for secretions. Rarely urine testing is done.

The doctor will prescribe antibiotics if you’re diagnosed positive with Chlamydia infection. The antibiotics will clean up the Chlamydia infection in 7 to 10 days. Anyone with whom you’ve had sex should also undergo a test for Chlamydia, since in most of the cases the person may be infected but would not show any symptoms. This includes any sexual partner that you’ve had in the last 2 months or your last sexual partner if it has been over two months ever since your last sexual experience. If your sex partner is diagnosed with Chlamydia he or she must also be treated along with you. It is very important for anyone infected with a Chlamydia to refrain from having sex until they and their partner, if infected are treated and cured totally.

If anybody’s sexual partner is infected with Chlamydia then quick treatment decreases his or her risk of complications. Quick treatment also lour the chances of reinfection if you have sexual intercourse with that partner again. There are pretty much chances that you may become infected again with Chlamydia even if you have been treated and cured as curing Chlamydia doesn’t makes you immune to the infection.

As it is said that prevention is better than cure, it’s better to prevent Chlamydia rather to treat it. Why suffer from pain and agony when with little effort you can prevent the disease. The only way to completely prevent Chlamydia infection is to refrain from all types of sexual intercourse, let it be vaginal, anal or oral. Even if you do have sexual intercourse using a latex condom is a must. This is the only birth control method that will help check Chlamydia infection.

Treatment

C. trachomatis infection can be effectively cured with antibiotics once it is detected. Current Centers for Disease Control guidelines provide for the following treatments:

• Azithromycin 1 gram oral as a single dose, or
• Doxycycline 100 milligrams twice daily for seven days.
• Tetracycline
• Erythromycin

Untested Treatments

• Ciprofloxacin 500 milligrams twice daily for 3 days. (Although this is not an approved method of treatment.)

B-lactams are not suitable drugs for the treatment of chlamydia. While they have the ability to halt growth of the organism (i.e. are microbistatic), these antibiotics do not eliminate the bacteria. Once treatment is stopped, the bacteria will begin to grow once more. (See below for Persistence.)

Areas of research

Recent phylogenetic studies have revealed that chlamydia shares a common ancestor with modern plants, and retains unusual plant-like traits (both genetically and physiologically). In particular, the enzyme L,L-diaminopimelate aminotransferase, which is related to lysine production in plants, is also linked with the construction of chlamydia’s cell wall. The genetic encoding for the enzymes is remarkably similar in plants and chlamydia, demonstrating a close common ancestry. This unexpected discovery may help scientists develop new treatment avenues: if scientists could find a safe and effective inhibitor of L,L-diaminopimelate aminotransferase, they might have a highly effective and extremely specific new antibiotic against chlamydia.

How are women diagnosed?

Diagnosis of women is done by a gynecologist. The gynecologist most likely uses a speculum so that she can see the cervix of the patient. The gynecologist will take a small swab to get a sample from the cervix that she can send to the laboratory for the test. It is important to be noted that this is not similar to a Pap smear test. Even though both of them use swabs to examine your cervix, they both are looking for different things and are tested in a different way.

Urine sample is also taken for Chlamydia test, but this is rarely done. Most of the doctors prefer cervical samples for diagnosis, as they give more precise results.

How are men diagnosed?

Men are diagnosed differently than women by a doctor. The doctor takes a urine sample or sometimes sample inside the head of the penis with a small swab. The doctor sends this sample to the lab for tests. It is important to note that all doctors don’t do urine test for Chlamydia. But even then it’s OK. You should be relaxed asking whether or not getting one is an alternative.

How to diagnose both men and women?

If you are active in anal intercourse then you should inform your doctor. Then your doctor can take a swab sample from your rectum for test.

How often should you get tested?

It is necessary to undergo a test on a regular basis if you are exposed to the risk of the disease, since Chlamydia is asymptomatic. Depending upon your risk factors you should consult your doctor regarding how often you should be tested. You should also discuss with the doctor about how he or she thinks you needed to be screened for Chlamydia.

What are the symptoms in a girl?

It can be hard for a girl to know whether or not she is infected with Chlamydia since most of the infected girls don’t show any symptoms at all. Chlamydia primarily infects the cervix and the urethra (urine canal) of the women. An abnormal vaginal discharge or pain while urinating may be caused by the bacteria and is one of the significant symptoms of Chlamydia in the infected women. Pain in the lower abdomens, pain during sexual contact, or bleeding between menstrual periods are some of the symptoms which a woman may experience during Chlamydia. Some of the women may still show no signs or symptoms even if the infection has spread from the cervix to the fallopian tubes (the tubes that carry the fertilized eggs to the uterus through the ovaries).

Some women may experience a mild fever, muscle aches, or headache. Some others may have low back pain, lower abdominal pain, fever, nausea, pain during sexual intercourse, or bleeding between the menstrual periods. Chlamydia can also spread from cervix to the rectum.

What are the symptoms in a guy?

Similar to a girl it is difficult for a guy to tell whether or not he is infected with Chlamydia. The symptoms of Chlamydia in a guy includes discharge from the tip of the penis (the urethra — where urine comes out), or itching or burning feelings around the penis. Men might also experience burning and itching around the opening of the penis. Rarely, the swelling of the testicles have been found. Most of the times a guy may not even know that he is infected as there are no signs or symptoms of the disease. Thus he may spread the disease to his sex partner.

Men or women who are active in anal sex may be infected with Chlamydia infection in the rectum. The Anal infection may cause rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding. Chlamydia is also found in the throats of women and men who are active in oral sex with an infected partner.