Chlamydia: America’s Most Common STD – Is It Time For You To Take The Test?

There are more dangerous STDs than Chlamydia. There are STDs that make for splashier headlines and that take more lives, but Chlamydia infections in the United States have grown to unprecedented proportions and something needs to be done about it. The most obvious thing that can be done is that everyone engaging in sexual activity take a test to check their status. This would enable the potentially infected person to take control of their body, begin treatment and get themselves back to good health.

Some STDs leave a trail of obvious symptoms. With herpes it is the unappealing sore and scabs that pop up on mouth, lips and genitals. With syphilis and gonorrhea it is the searing pain one feels during urination, and with pubic lice and scabies there is the unstoppable itching. Chlamydia is a different type of STD. Many sufferers of Chlamydia experience no symptoms at all. Though all the time they are infected the disease is inside their bodies wreaking havoc in the reproductive organs. Receiving a test is the smart thing to do if you are a man or woman engaging in sex and who would like to have a child one day.

The numbers of people in America infected by this insidious disease is staggering. It is estimated that over three million men, women and children in the United States are infected with Chlamydia each and every year! Chlamydia is most common in individuals twenty five years old or younger and because their cervix’s are not yet fully developed, it seems that girls are more likely to catch this disease than boys are. Regardless, both males and females should receive a Chlamydia test if they are engaging in sexual activity of any kind.

Let’s take a long step back and begin at the beginning: What exactly is Chlamydia? Chlamydia is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in America and is caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. This bacterium infects the vagina, cervix, rectum, penis and urethra and can be passed from mother to child during birth. Again, a Chlamydia test should be performed on everyone who has sex and especially those who find themselves pregnant, whether planned or unplanned.

What was the mode of transmission for those who have become infected with Chlamydia? Transmission for this STD is generally the same for any other STD. It ping pongs around the population due to sexual activity that includes vaginal, oral or anal. Because it is so easy to become infected with Chlamydia, the test should be administered as soon as possible.

Although many of the individuals infected with this disease do not show symptoms some do. If you are currently sexually active be on the lookout for the following symptoms:

In Women

Painful urination
Abdominal pain
Lower back pain
Nausea
Fever
Painful intercourse
Spotting between periods

In Men

Penis discharge
Painful urination
Itching at the tip of penis
Painful or swollen testicles

If you are currently experiencing any of these symptoms what should you do? Go for the test right away. If left untreated in women, the results of the infection can cause PID-or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. This occurs when the bacteria infects the cells of a female’s cervix and spreads to the uterus and/or fallopian tubes. PID can cause major health problems for women. The problems include chronic pelvic pain, ectopic (or tubal) pregnancies and infertility. Scarring can occur due to the infection and will keep an egg from being fertilized correctly. Taking the Chlamydia test can put an end to a lifetime of regret and suffering.

What is not commonly known is that women who have Chlamydia are five times more likely to catch HIV from their partner. This is a disturbing statistic, to be sure. Though all it takes is the fast, easy and affordable Chlamydia test to stop the infection before it get to a point where it causes this terrible physical (and mental! and emotional!) damage.