Credit: www.organicfacts.net
Chlamydia is
one of the most common
sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S. This infection is easily
spread because it often causes no symptoms and may be unknowingly passed to
sexual partners. In fact, about 75% of infections in women and 50% in men are
without symptoms.
It is not easy to tell if you are infected with chlamydia
since symptoms are not always apparent. But when they do occur, they are
usually noticeable within one to three weeks of contact and can include the
following:
Chlamydia symptoms in
women
- Abnormal vaginal discharge that may have an odor
- Bleeding between periods
- Painful periods
- Abdominal pain with fever
- Pain when having sex
- Itching or burning in or around the vagina
- Pain when urinating
Chlamydia symptoms in
men
- Small amounts of clear or cloudy discharge from the tip of the penis
- Painful urination
- Burning and itching around the opening of the penis
- Pain and swelling around the testicles
Credit: www.webmd.com
How Is Chlamydia
Diagnosed?
There are a few different tests your doctor can use to
diagnose chlamydia. He or she will probably use a swab to take a sample from
the urethra in men or from the cervix in
women and then send the specimen to a laboratory to be analyzed. There are also
other tests which check a urine sample for the presence of the bacteria.
If you have chlamydia, your doctor will prescribe oral antibiotics,
usually azithromycin (Zithromax)
or doxycycline.
Your doctor will also recommend your partner(s) be treated to prevent
reinfection and further spread of the disease.
With treatment, the infection should clear up in about a
week or two. It is important to finish all of your antibiotics even
if you feel better.
Women with severe chlamydia infection may require
hospitalization, intravenous antibiotics (medicine given through a vein), and
pain medicine.
After taking antibiotics, people should be re-tested after
three months to be sure the infection is cured. This is particularly important
if you are unsure that your partner(s) obtained treatment. But testing should
still take place even if your partner has been treated. Do not have sex until
you are sure both you and your partner no longer have the disease. Read more >>
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