Chlamydia, a general curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by tiny bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is a bacteria-related sexually transmitted disease, which can injure a woman’s reproductive organs.
Also, it’s estimated that annually the rate of chlamydia infection is rising to more than 2.8 million and up to 40% of sexually active women are infected with unaware of its existence.
Today, still there arepeople at risk of this infection and really don’t know what it is even if they heard about it.
It is referred to as a “silent” disease where you do not experience chlamydia symptoms though you are at risk. In some cases, if they do occur, they appear within 1-3 weeks after infection.
As chlamydia is an asymptomatic infection, it often goes undiagnosed unless it directs to major complications and if it is not treated soon enough, then severe damages can takes place to the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, and uterus, causing infertility.
In general, the diagnosis for chlamydia is carried out at STI clinics or GUM clinics.
For this, in the past, women were used to test by taking a swab from the cervix with an instrument called a speculum.
But now, with the development of newer tests, it has become easy for you as a woman to carry out a simple procedure at home, either by using a urine sample, or by taking a swab from the lower vagina.
Then, the sample will be placed into a container and sent to a laboratory for testing purpose.
Once you find chlamydia infection in your test report, start chlamydia treatment. This can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics.
Chlamydia Medications
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recommended treatment for chlamydia is either a single dose of zithromax (azithromycin) 1 gm orally as or a week of doxycycline100 mg orally twice a day.
You can also take a week of erythoromycin base 500 mg orally four times a day, or a week of erythoromycin ethylsuccinate 800 mg orally four times a day, or a week of ofloxacin 300 mg orally twice a day as alternative treatments.
All the above antibiotics are effective in killing chlamydia and it is very important to be taken as prescribed in order to affect a cure from this disease.
If you want to prevent chlamydia or avoid having to seek chlamydia treatment, then certainly the best way is to use a barrier device, such as a condom during your intercourse.
So, safe sexual behavior and proper health care can help keep you away from becoming infected or re-infected with chlamydia and also from experiencing its complications.
