The occurrence of chlamydia through sexual transmission in a man or woman poses certain health risks. First, the disease tends to be asymptomatic, and unless the patient visits a medical center for evaluation, he or she may not know that the condition is present. If treatment does not take place, there may be damage to the human reproductive systems in men and women.
Reproductive System Damage
This medical condition leads to infertility, or inability to become pregnant, in women who do not go for screening, diagnosis, and therapy because it functions in a silent fashion similar to that of hypertension. Infertility in women may be the result of pelvic inflammatory disease secondary to infection with chlamydia, gonorrhea, or other microorganisms (Centers for Disease Control, 2011).
The damage to a woman’s reproductive system may include the cervix, fallopian tubes, uterus, and other anatomic parts, and it is irreversible. She may experience cystitis, and chlamydia can also spread to the rectum. Chronic pelvic pain and ectopic pregnancy, in which the fetus implants outside the uterus, may take place as well in these patients.
A pregnant woman who has a chlamydial infection needs prompt treatment with antibiotics because this condition may lead to premature delivery. And the newborn’s eyes and respiratory tracts can acquire chlamydia; the result for the baby is either pneumonia or pink eye. The mother can transmit chlamydia to the newborn during a vaginal delivery.
In developing countries, Chlamydia trachomatis causes trachoma which leads to blindness. It is conceivable that at least six million people in Africa suffer from blindness due to trachoma. It is also a serious public health problem in Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Men who acquire chlamydia through sex may develop scarring of the urethra, infertility, epididymitis, and prostatitis. They may have a discharge from the urethra. Women who have symptoms from the infection will show vaginal discharge or burning on urination. However, there may be a one to three week incubation period from the time of acquisition of the infection to the appearance of any symptoms.
Of significant concern is the occurrence of chlamydia, or any other sexually transmitted disease, in a patient who has human immunodeficiency virus infection. The two conditions tend to worsen the course of each other as well as increase the susceptibility to another infectious disease.
The woman with both diseases is more likely to spread HIV than a woman with only one of those conditions because there is inflammation and tissue damage which is similar to an open wound. Moreover, a woman who has only chlamydia and whose sexual partner has HIV is at risk for acquisition of HIV from her partner for the same reason.
Treatment Is Curative
Antibiotic therapy with doxycycline or azithromycin is sufficient to cure an episode of chlamydia. All sexual partners will have to go for diagnosis and treatment, and they must abstain from sex until the course of antibiotics is complete. Three months after treatment, the patient and all sexual partners should return to the health care facility for another evaluation to ensure that the therapy has been successful.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control. (2011). Chlamydia. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2010). Chlamydia. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact their physician for advice.
Michael Koger - Dr. Koger obtained his medical education at Meharry Medical College and specialized in Internal Medicine.
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