Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterial infection. Chlamydia that is not treated immediately can increase the risk of infertility, especially in women.
This disease can occur in both men and women. In men, chlamydia can attack the tube in the penis (urethra). Whereas in women, chlamydia can occur in the pelvic organs.
In addition to the genitals, chlamydia can attack the rectum, throat, and eyes. Transmission occurs when the part is exposed to fluids produced by the genital organs.
Many people do not realize that they have been infected with Chlamydia bacteria, because this disease often causes no symptoms.
Symptoms of Chlamydia
Chlamydia usually causes no symptoms. However, people with chlamydia can still transmit the disease to others. If there are symptoms, these symptoms usually appear 1-3 weeks after the patient is infected.
Because the infected organs are different, the symptoms of chlamydia in men and women will also be different. The following are symptoms that can be experienced by people with chlamydia:
Symptoms of chlamydia in women
- Very smelly discharge.
- Burning feeling when urinating.
- Pain during sexual intercourse, and may experience vaginal bleeding afterward.
- When the infection has spread, the patient will feel nauseous, have a fever, or feel pain in the lower abdomen.
Symptoms of chlamydia in men
- Discharge from the penis.
- Sores on the penis itchy or burning.
- Burning feeling when urinating
- Pain or swelling in one or both testicles.
- In both men and women, when chlamydia infects the rectum, there will be pain that can be accompanied by discharge or blood from the rectum.
When to go to the doctor
Someone who is at risk of suffering from chlamydia, for example people who like to have multiple sexual partners and do not use condoms, need to be screened for chlamydia. Screening is done every year to detect the presence of chlamydia or other sexually transmitted diseases.
Partners with chlamydia also need to be examined. When exposed to chlamydia, both the patient and his partner must be treated immediately so as not to infect others.
Pregnant women also need to undergo screening to prevent transmission to the baby. Screening is carried out during the first pregnancy check-up and when the pregnancy has entered the third trimester.
If the test results are positive for chlamydia, pregnant women need to be treated and checked by a gynecologist within 3 weeks and 3 months after treatment.
Three months after treatment, all chlamydia sufferers need to be retested. This is necessary because someone who has chlamydia is more at risk of being infected again.
Causes of Chlamydia
Chlamydia is caused by bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, which spreads through fluids in the genital organs. A person can get this disease if they have sex with an infected person, especially if they don't use a condom.
In addition to vaginal intercourse, chlamydia can also be transmitted through oral or anal sex, which can cause chlamydia in the anus and throat.
Bacteria Chlamydia It can also infect the eye. Bacterial infection Chlamydia in the eye is called trachoma disease, which can cause blindness.
Trachoma can occur in newborns of mothers with untreated chlamydia. In addition to newborns, trachoma is also often found in people who live in environments with poor sanitation.
Seeing how it is transmitted, chlamydia is more likely to occur in people who have the following risk factors:
- Have had a sexually transmitted disease.
- Frequently changing sexual partners.
Chlamydia diagnosis
The doctor will ask the patient's symptoms and history of sexual intercourse, then perform a physical examination, especially on the genital organs.
To detect chlamydia, the doctor will take urine samples and fluid samples from the patient's genital organs. Genital fluid samples were taken by rubbing cotton bud on the patient's genitals.
In addition to the genital organs, rubbing (swab) can also be done in the throat or rectum, to detect bacteria Chlamydia.
Chlamydia Treatment
Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics, such as: azithromycin or doxycycline . People with chlamydia need to take antibiotics for 7 days, or just take a single dose of antibiotics, as recommended by their doctor. People with chlamydia should not have sex until 7 days after treatment is complete.
Pregnant women with chlamydia need to be treated with antibiotics immediately, so they don't infect the fetus and can give birth normally. Treatment of chlamydia in pregnant women is only started after the diagnosis is confirmed through laboratory tests.
If pregnant women remain at risk for chlamydia, a re-examination will be carried out in the third trimester of pregnancy. If the results come back positive, the pregnant woman will be treated again.
If the pregnant woman is still suffering from chlamydia near the time of delivery, the doctor will recommend a caesarean section. The goal is to reduce the risk of transmitting chlamydia to babies born.
Chlamydia Complications
Chlamydia can cause different complications in men and women. While in pregnant women, chlamydia can cause complications in the baby to be born.
The following are complications that can occur as a result of chlamydia disease:
Complicationsi in women
In women, untreated chlamydia infection can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease. or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Pelvic inflammation can cause permanent damage to the female reproductive system. This condition can make sufferers experience infertility, prolonged pain in the pelvic area, and pregnancy outside the uterus (ectopic pregnancy).
Women who have had chlamydia infection more than once will be more at risk for severe complications in the reproductive organs.
Complications in men
In men, chlamydia usually does not cause complications. Even so, chlamydia can infect the sperm ducts (epididymis), which will cause pain in the testicles and lower abdomen, fever, and even infertility.
Complications on pregnant mother and fetus
The fetus is more at risk of being born prematurely, because chlamydia increases the risk of pregnant women experiencing premature rupture of membranes. Babies born to people with chlamydia tend to have low birth weight and are at risk for pneumonia and trachoma, an eye infection that can cause blindness.
In both men and women, chlamydial infection can also result in reactive arthritis (reactive arthritis), as a result of the body's reaction to infection. Chlamydia that is not treated immediately will increase the patient's risk of contracting gonorrhea or HIV/AIDS.
Chlamydia Prevention
Chlamydia prevention can be done by not changing sexual partners, using condoms correctly during sexual intercourse, and regularly taking chlamydia screening tests.
People with chlamydia need to avoid sexual intercourse until permitted by a doctor, to avoid transmitting the disease to their partners.
People who are at risk of being infected with chlamydia need to undergo regular chlamydia screening so that this disease can be detected and treated early, so that the risk of transmitting it to other people will also be lower.
People who are said to be at risk of becoming infected with chlamydia are:
- Pregnant motherPregnant women need to undergo chlamydia screening in early pregnancy and the third trimester of pregnancy.
- Commercial sex workers and multiple partnersPeople who have multiple sexual partners or have multiple partners need to be screened for chlamydia at least once a year.
- Gay or biseksualGay and bisexual groups need to be screened for chlamydia at least once a year. However, if you have multiple sexual partners, gay and bisexual people need to be screened for chlamydia more regularly, ie every 3 or 6 months.