Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun
It is easy to tell someone that if they suspect they have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, they should go get tested and seek treatment. No one is enticed by a penis or vagina that is dripping with pus or painfully inflamed.
Unfortunately, more often than not, STDs are not so easily recognized, making it difficult to encourage individuals to get tested and treated. Chlamydia is one of these infections -- usually asymptomatic in both men and women and likely the reason why “Chlamydia is one of the most widespread STDs in the United States.” (CDC, 2009)
The most recent report on STD Trends in the United States was published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009. The overall data indicated that rates of chlamydia transmission in particular have increased over the past decade. While this is absolutely cause for concern and conscious action, the report emphasizes that “continuing increases in Chlamydia diagnoses [also] likely reflect expanded screening efforts, and not necessarily just an increase in disease burden.” (CDC, 2009)
Researchers are optimistic that this indicates more people are accessing care, getting tested and accepting treatment. (Hooray!!) But we must also acknowledge that due to the asymptomatic nature of this infection, for each person who receives care, there may be another who does not yet know they have contracted chlamydia.
So, what is so bad about an STD that has no symptoms? Can’t be too awful, right? WRONG!
Some men and women DO exhibit signs of chlamydia, which include painful urination, lower abdominal pain, discharge or pain during sex. Because these symptoms are generally mild or can indicate a wide variety of conditions (including very natural ones like menstruation!), they are still easy to overlook.
BUT even if you can’t see/feel the effects of the disease, chlamydia has dangerous complications that can make you more susceptible to other infections, cause arthritis later in life, and lead to pelvic inflammatory disease in women.
PID is a painful infection that causes severe pain and fever and often requires Intravenous antibiotics.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a CommentComments
There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!