Chlamydia - Once Was The Number One STD

Chlamydia is the second most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. (Currently HPV - the human papilloma virus is number one.)

Three million Americans will get Chlamydia this year, but it can be treated. You however, don't have to be one of them.

In 2005, almost one million chlamydial infections were reported to CDC from 50 states and the District of Columbia. Why is that number lower than ours. It is common to not report STDs. Under-reporting is substantial because most people with chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing. Also, testing is not often done if patients are treated for their symptoms.

An estimated 2.8 million Americans are infected with chlamydia each year. Women are frequently re-infected if their sex partners are not treated.

It is very common among teenagers and young adults. Chlamydia is an infection that is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis and is spread by sexual intercourse. If it is left untreated, chlamydia can cause serious damage to a woman's and a man's reproductive organs.

The good news is that chlamydia is easy to treat with antibiotics, but most people with chlamydia do not know they have it. If you have had sex, you may need to be tested, even if you feel healthy. Get tested for chlamydia if you have not used condoms every time during sex, and make sure your sexual partner is also tested.

At present chlamydia affects between 3 and 4 million people a year. It can be very harmful to women because it can lead to sterility. The infection can spread up the fallopian tubes and leaves scar tissue there so an egg can't get through. If this happens a woman can never get pregnant in her uterus. This also increases the risk of an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, which is a pregnancy that can not go be completed. This is a serious medical condition and if a tubal pregnancy ruptures you can die. In men, chlamydia can cause a discharge from the penis and pain when urinating. In rare cases, it can make a man sterile (unable to father children).

Most people with chlamydia have no symptoms at all. You can feel very healthy and still have it, you have no way of knowing you have an infection unless you get tested. Always go to a clinic or your health care provider if you have a strange discharge from the penis or vagina, or if you feel burning when you urinate.

Women may also have pain in the lower abdomen, pain during sex, or bleeding between periods. Take these signs seriously, make that phone call and get to your health care provider as soon as you can. You can be treated if you have it and it can be cured.

Around 7 to 14 days, sometimes longer.

Treatment

If you think you could have chlamydia, get tested right away. Early treatment can prevent lasting damage to your body. Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. Most medication must be taken every day for a week or more. You can be treated without your parents' consent, but we hope you can talk to them or another adult about something like this. However, for many teens, that just is not a reality.

While you are being treated:

be sure to take all your medication -- even if your symptoms go away

never share your medication with anyone

make sure your sex partner(s) get tested & treated

avoid sex for one week while you and your partner are being treated

follow all instructions given to you by your health care provider or clinic.

Telling Your Partner

You must tell your sexual partner! Tell everyone you have had sex with right away if you find out you have chlamydia. They should also be treated even if they have no symptoms. They could give chlamydia back to you or to someone else. Don't play ping-pong with chlamydia. (Giving it back & forth - it happens.) Once you are treated, don't have sex with your partner until they are finished with their treatment.

Telling a partner can be hard. But keep in mind most people with chlamydia do not know they have it. Don't let anger or fear stop you from doing the right thing. Once it is treated, it is cured. Then always use a condom and spermicide to prevent ever getting it or another STD again.

You can protect yourself from chlamydia in the same ways you protect yourself from other STDs, including HIV.

Don't Have Sex - that will protect you, there are other ways to express your love. See Abstinence for more on that topic.

Use a Condom - If you have sex, use a condom from start to finish every time

You can use male or female condoms. You can also use a spermicidal jelly or foam during vaginal sex to help prevent STDs. Use it with condoms, not in place of them. Have condoms on hand; it is better to be prepared. If you have questions about condom use, see the condom FAQ pages...

Limit Number of Partners -- The more people you have sex with, the greater your chance of getting an STD. If your partner has sex with others, you are also at risk.

See Your Health Care Provider -- If you think you have an STD, go to your health care provider or clinic right away. Your sexual partner needs to get tested too. If you have sex, get a checkup at least once a year. It only takes a couple of minutes.