Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD) among Americans, causing more than 4 million infections every year.
Like other STDs, chlamydia responds best to treatment when it’s identified early. The problem is, chlamydia doesn’t always cause symptoms until more serious complications occur.
At the Center for Urogynecology and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery in South Miami, Florida, Rafael J. Perez, MD, FACOG, offers advanced STD testing to help identify asymptomatic chlamydia in its earliest stages, so you can receive treatment as early as possible.
In this post, learn the basics about chlamydia, along with a quick overview of STD testing.
Like other STDs, chlamydia is transmitted by having oral, anal, or vaginal sex with an infected person. The infection can be spread through contact even in the absence of semen.
Pregnant women can spread the infection to their baby during delivery, resulting in eye infections, pneumonia, and other complications for their newborn, in addition to rectal or genital infections.
While chlamydia can affect people of any age, it tends to be especially common among teens and younger adults. In fact, as many as a fifth of young women ages 14-24 have a chlamydia infection.
While chlamydia is often asymptomatic, it sometimes causes telltale signs, like:
With or without symptoms, untreated chlamydia can cause serious complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic or testicular pain, pregnancy complications, and infertility.
You probably know that if you have a symptom of an STD, you need to get tested. But since chlamydia frequently causes no symptoms before more serious complications occur, that means testing can also be delayed.
In order to catch chlamydia as early as possible, we recommend regular STD testing to screen for the disease. STD testing is simple, requiring a blood test, urinalysis, or other methods. A physical exam helps identify any visible tissue changes, like sores.
Having regular STD testing is important for protecting your own health, especially for women who are or plan on becoming pregnant. But it’s also essential for anyone who’s sexually active to prevent unwittingly passing the infection on to someone else.
Like most other STDs, chlamydia is curable. We prescribe medication to eradicate the infection and the bacteria that cause it. As with any medical treatment, take all the medicine as prescribed to ensure elimination of the bacteria.
Routine STD testing is a good way to spot asymptomatic chlamydia and other STDs as early as possible. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends regular testing for chlamydia and other STDs for all sexually active adults.
If you think you have an STD or if you want to schedule a screening, don’t delay. Call us at 305-240-6047 to book an appointment with Dr. Perez and our team at the Center for Urogynecology and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery today.
