Chlamydia infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the world and can affect both men and women. Let’s dive deep into what chlamydia is, its symptoms, how it spreads, its causes, prevention, and treatment.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are medical conditions that can develop as a result of having unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected individual.
Chlamydia is among the STIs that are common in the general population. It can affect men, women, and, in some cases, children. Untreated chlamydia can become chronic and go from an infection to a sexually transmitted disease.
Learn more about the difference between an STD and an STI
According to recent data released by the World Health Organization (WHO), 128 million new chlamydial infections have been recorded annually worldwide since 2020.
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria. So far, the infection has been listed by WHO as one of the world's most common and curable bacterial sexually transmitted infections.
The bacteria responsible for causing chlamydia attaches itself to its host's cell, and with the help of receptors, it gains access into the cell. The process is known as the mechanism of internalization.
People infected with chlamydia don't always show any signs or symptoms during the early stages of infection. However, symptoms of the infection will often begin to surface after a few weeks.
Asymptomatic patients who later develop symptoms may experience some chlamydia-related complications such as urethritis (inflammation of the urethra), reactive arthritis, and susceptibility to contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) if the infection is left untreated for a long period of time.
The chlamydia infection is a lower genital infection caused by a bacterium specie called Chlamydia trachomatis.
Chlamydia trachomatis, through the mechanism of internalization, attaches itself to a host cell and multiplies. However, the exact way in which the bacteria multiplies and spreads to other host cells is yet to be fully understood.
There are two other species of chlamydia that have effects unrelated to the male or female genitals. These species are: Chlamydia pneumoniae, which causes a respiratory infection called pneumonitis (a common influenza-like illness), and Chlamydia psittaci, responsible for another respiratory infection called psittacosis (a common mild illness with flu-like symptoms).
Chlamydia is spread through unprotected sexual intercourse, including oral sex with an already infected individual. It can also spread via vaginal and anal sex carried out without a physical barrier like a condom.
Notably, chlamydia infection can still be contracted even when penetration or ejaculation does not occur after sexual intercourse. As such, semen doesn't have to be present for a person to contract a chlamydia infection.
Other ways chlamydia can spread include:
The early symptoms of chlamydia are somewhat similar in both males and females. For most people, the symptoms of a chlamydia infection develop after one to three weeks of infection.
Some symptoms of chlamydia in men include:
If these symptoms are left untreated, infected males may develop further complications like reactive arthritis (inflammation in various parts of the body) and swelling in the epididymis (the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles) and the testicles. These complications can affect male fertility.
Some of the most common symptoms of Chlamydia in women include:
Untreated chlamydia infection in women can lead to complications like urethritis (inflammation of the urethra), cervicitis (inflammation of the cervix), reactive arthritis, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is one of the major causes of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women.
Symptoms of Chlamydia in the throat are usually uncommon and unnoticeable in most cases. Some studies regard it as an insignificant form of throat infection.
When chlamydia affects the throat, it’s typical symptoms are:
People who are at a higher risk of contracting chlamydia include:
Some complications of chlamydia include:
Chlamydia also causes the following complications:
It's important that a proper diagnosis of chlamydia is done to avoid the misdiagnosis of chlamydia infection with another STI or medical condition that has similar symptoms.
A chlamydia infection diagnosis is done by carrying out tests on both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients who have reason to believe they may have contracted the STI.
Diagnosing Chlamydia is done using certain tests, like the Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) and cell culture.
To test for chlamydia, healthcare professionals collect samples from patients in two ways:
Ideally, the patient's results should be provided within a period of 7 to 10 days after testing.
Doctors will often recommend treatment for patients who have tested positive for chlamydia.
However, if you've had any sexual activity with an individual who has an existing chlamydial infection, then you may be given treatment for the infection before getting your results.
Chlamydial infections can be treated using antibiotics. The two very common and effective antibiotics used in the treatment of chlamydia infections are:
Due to certain health or physiological conditions, like pregnancy or allergic reactions, it's advisable not to self-medicate. Rather, seek your doctor's opinion on how best to treat the infection.
Here are some helpful things to do to prevent chlamydia infection:
It's very important that you see a doctor if you suspect that you've come down with symptoms of chlamydia. Consider seeing a doctor if:
It's also advisable that sexually active individuals age 25 or younger test for chlamydia at least once a year. Individuals who have contracted chlamydia in the past should test for a chlamydia infection every 3 to 6 months, as they may have a high risk of getting reinfected.
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