Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. According to
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, over 1 million cases were reported in 2006. That number is
definitely low because most people infected with chlamydia do not know they have it. An infection
can be serious without causing symptoms.
Why is chlamydia such a serious sexually transmitted disease? This frequently “silent” disease can
damage a woman’s reproductive organs and the damage can be irreversible. Chlamydia can render a
teenager infertile for life. More than 50% of all preventable cases of infertility among women result
from chlamydia infections, and three quarters of all women infected have no symptoms.
You may have been smart to take the vaccine for HPV (human papilloma virus). That means you are
protected against some of the many strains of HPV, but not all of them. However, the HPV vaccine
does not protect you against any other sexually transmitted disease, including HIV and chlamydia, so it
is up to you to protect yourself.
The best way to protect yourself against infection with
chlamydia is to use condoms. If your partner does not like the inconvenience of using a condom himself,
you can take control by using a Reality Female Condom.
Female condoms are not difficult to use and many people report preferring their feel to a traditional male condom.
It also makes sense for sexually active people to be periodically
screened for chlamydia. Even though the disease can be “silent,” it is easy for a doctor to detect it
with a urine sample or swab.
Men can get chlamydia, also, and they frequently have no symptoms. Men can also be
tested by a doctor for “silent” chlamydia infections.Sometimes a chlamydia infection will
cause a discharge from the penis and can cause a burning sensation during urination. Some men develop
itching around the opening of the penis, and rarely a man’s testicles can swell as a result of the
infection.
The best way to prevent the spread of chlamydia is to use condoms.
Chlamydia can be passed from a pregnant woman to her newborn child, in whom the disease can infect the throat
and eyes. Chlamydia can be cured with appropriate antibiotic treatment, but it is much smarter to
prevent the infection in the first place.
Use condoms. Prevent Disease. Click Here to Learn More About the Reality Female Condom.