Chlamydia: General Information
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. It is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the United States. It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active women between the ages of 14-24 in the United States has chlamydia. (1) That number increases to 1 in 15 women looking closer at ages 14-19. (5) Chlamydia is transmitted through sexual contact, even without ejaculation. The infection can occur in various mucous membranes of the body and may be passed from mother to child during childbirth. (1)
Chlamydia is known as a "silent" infection because many individuals that contract the infection do not show symptoms. Studies have shown that only about 10% of males and 5-30% of females show symptoms of chlamydia. Even if symptoms do occur, it can take up to several weeks for them to show because of the slow replication cycle of the bacteria. Symptoms of chlamydia tend to be asymptomatic, but can include pain, swelling, tenderness, discharge, bleeding. If left untreated the bacterial infection can cause major problems in men and women. In women it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and preterm delivery in pregnant women. It can cause reactive arthritis in men. (1) The diagnosis and treatment of chlamydia have been important aspects about the infection since it is the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease. Diagnosis using nucleic acid amplification has been the preferred method for chlamydia. These tests have been shown to be effective and be used on a wide variety of samples. (3) Chlamydia can be treated easily with antibiotics and it is not uncommon for a person to contract chlamydia more than once. (1) Antibiotics used to treat chlamydia include axithromyacin and doxycycline. (3) It is important to note that repeat infections can cause serious reproductive health problems. (1) |
Chlamydia: Historical and Modern Rise
Chlamydia is the most sexually transmitted bacterial infection. It is estimated that 131 million people are infected with chlamydia each year. The number continues to grow as the the bacteria becomes resistant to common antibiotics that are used to treat it. The antibiotic resistance is due to the misuse and over treatment of the medication for infections. The World Health Organization has updated their guidelines on treatment due to the antibiotic resistant nature of the bacteria. (2) It is not recommended to use penicillin because it has been shown to be ineffective against chlamydia. (5)
Even with efforts to curb the continued increase in chlamydia infections it has shown little promise. As seen in the graph to the right, chlamydia rates have risen in males and females for the past 16 years in the United States. It can also be seen in the bottom graph that this trend in the United States is not isolated to a particular region, but has seen a relatively consistent rise across all areas. (4) It is important to recognize the rise in infections in regards to its continued antibiotic resistance. As this bacteria continues to become antibiotic resistance we should expect to see rising numbers into the near future. |
References
- Center for Disease Control. Chlamydia- CDC Fact Sheet. Updated September 26, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/stdfact-chlamydia-detailed.htm
- Hartl, Gregory. Growing Antibiotic Resistance Forces Updates to Recommended Treatments for Sexually Transmitted Infections. August 30, 2016. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/antibiotics-sexual-infections/en/
- World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines for the Treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis. 2016. http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/rtis/chlamydia-treatment-guidelines/en/
- Center for Disease Control. 2016 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance: Chlamydia. Updated September 26, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats16/chlamydia.htm
- Illinois Department of Public Health. Chlamydia. Viewed on March 10, 2018. http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/chlamydia