Chlamydia - Hannah O'Quinn by Hannah O'Quinn

About Chlamydia

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 02:14:05 UTC

Chlamydia is one of the most commonly spread infections caused by the pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis. It is spread through oral, vaginal, and anal sex. Chlamydia is a very serious STI that can lead to more serious issues like infertility, eptopic pregnancies, and other chronic diseases. This STI infects mostly women, but men can get infected also.

Chlamydia trachomatis Gram Stain

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 02:27:13 UTC

This is the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis viewed under a microscope.

Symptoms

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 02:35:20 UTC

The early symptoms of Chlamydia are mild and get worse as time goes on. They include discharge from the vagina or penis, painful urination, vaginal bleeding after sex, and pain in the testes. The symptoms worsen with time and if the infection spreads to other parts of your body, you can get fever, nausea, abdominal pain, and severe pain during sex.

Effect on Newborns

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 02:58:31 UTC

If a mother has Chlamydia while she is pregnant, it can be very dangerous for the health of her baby. It can be spread to the baby during birth through the vaginal canal and will cause the baby to have eye and lung infections. The baby is more likely to get Conjunctivitis and can also get pneumonia. Signs that your baby has Conjunctivitis is swelling of the eyelids and a green/yellow discharge will come out from their eyes. Also, the pneumonia can cause the baby to have trouble breathing, and fever. All of the symptoms are dangerous for babies to have and should be treated immediately after birth.

Long term effects

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 04:06:53 UTC

If left untreated, Chlamydia can spread to other parts of your body. Women are at risk of getting Pelvic Inflammatory disease, which can lead to infertility. The chances for an ectopic pregnancy are raised when a woman goes without treating the Chlamydia. Men can have infection spread in their prostate gland and testicles, leading to complications with their fertility also.

Treatment

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 04:14:49 UTC

Chlamydia is curable with antibiotics. Antibiotics like doxycycline and azithromycin are prescribed by a doctor and should be taken until symptoms are gone. Also keeping the genital area clean and refraining from sex can help keep down the infection.

Prevention

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 04:21:55 UTC

The only way to completely keep yourself safe from getting Chlamydia is to not have oral, anal, or vaginal sex. However, using condoms will reduce the risk of getting Chlamydia. It is also important to limit your number of sex partners so you have a lower chance of infection. Those who are in monogamous relationships and have been tested for STIs are safe from getting sexually transmitted diseases. If you have any symptoms of Chlamydia, you must get tested as quickly as possible to reduce the spread of the infection to any other person you come in sexual contact with.

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 04:22:50 UTC

Penis infected with Chlamydia

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 04:25:03 UTC

Conjunctivitis in newborns

hannahkayo1234 — 2024-04-25 04:28:40 UTC

Cervical smear of Chlamydia under microscope.