What Is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is the most common STD in the United States. Over 2 million people have been diagnosed with Chlamydia in the U.S alone, not counting those who have not been tested. Chlamydia is known as a”silent” diseases because it displays no symptoms. Chlamydia can be active in both men and women and is most common in those under the age of 25. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines Chlamydia as the type genus of the family Chlamydiaceae comprising coccoid to spherical gram-negative intracellular parasitic bacteria and including one (C. trachomatis) that causes or is associated with various diseases of the eye and genitourinary tract including trachoma, lymphogranuloma venereum, cervicitis, and some forms of nongonococcal urethritis.
If Chlamydia is left untreated in a woman it can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which can lead to infertility and chronic pelvic pain. If left untreated in men it can cause a urethral infection and swollen and or tender testicles, and for both the infection can continue to spread. Chlamydia was discovered in 1907 by the Czech parasitologist Stanislaus von Prowazek in Berlin, Germany. The work Chlamydia comes from Greek origin meaning a rough or harsh cloak. In 1963 Chlamydia officially became classified as a bacterium rather than a virus, and it is now classified as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). In the past, if one was infected with Chlamydia there was a concern with death but in modern times we can now fight off the disease. In order to diagnose Chlamydia for a woman, a medical professional would either take a sample of discharge from your cervix which is usually done during regular papsmere. For a man, a medical professional puts a swab into the end of the penis and gets the sample from the urethra. An option for both sexes is also to swab a sample from the anus or a urine sample can also discover the infection. A NATT screening is also what these procedures are called to determine if Chlamydia is
Countries with increased rates of prostitution are more susceptible because Chlamydia is most often contracted through sexual intercourse. Less advanced and countries in poverty often do not have access to sexual protection such as condoms, which can lessen the risk of contracting the infection. These countries also often have less access to medical treatment which also spreads the disease, ranging from sexual partners to a mother and her child making them more prone. Countries like the United States where medicine and access to medical treatment are much more advanced are a bit less prone, or at least those who have contracted the infection have access to treatment which prevents Chlamydia from spreading to others and long term effects. This infection is treated with antibiotics prescribed by a medical professional such as amoxicillin, azithromycin, doxycycline, erythromycin, levofloxacin, or ofloxacin. One in treatment from Chlamydia should also remain abstinent from sex for at least seven days from the day the antibiotic is taken. Although these antibiotics can get rid if the infection it is not always curable and they also do not reverse any damage done by the infection. Medical professionals also recommend that those infected be tested three months after treatment to recheck for the