Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a form of STI (sexually transmitted infections). India reports nearly more than 1 million chlamydia cases every year. The disease passes through unprotected intercourse and is specifically more common among sexually active young adults and teenagers.
Chlamydia symptoms
Mostly, people with chlamydia might not notice any symptoms and don’t know that they have the disease. But, if you do develop symptoms, you can experience:
- Severe pain while urination
- Unusual discharge from vulva or testicles
- For women—abdomen pain, bleeding after sex and bleeding between periods
- For men—swelling and pain in the testicles
If you feel at risk of having chlamydia symptoms of sexually transmitted infection, kindly visit a doctor to get tested.
Chlamydia severeness
Typically, chlamydia is treatable with a short course of antibiotics; if left untreated, the disease can infect other body parts and lead to long-term health problems.
For women, untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, and ectopic pregnancy.
For men, in rare instances, the disease can spread to the epididymis (tubes that help carry sperm from the testicles) and testicles, causing them to become swollen and painful. The scenario is known as epididymitis, inflammation of the testicles.
The condition can also cause reactive arthritis in both men and women. So it’s crucial to get tested for chlamydia once a year if sexually active.
Chlamydia treatments
Chlamydia at an early stage is treatable with antibiotics. You may also be prescribed a course of doxycycline and azithromycin. If you are under doxycycline, you shouldn’t have intercourse until you or your partner have finished treatment. If you are under azithromycin, you should wait seven days after treatment to have intercourse. If you have chlamydia, your current and recent sexual partners must get tested to stop the spread. If you are under and have the condition, you must get tested again in 3 to 6 months since young adults who test positive are more likely to catch the disease.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 23 JUNE 2022