Humana HealthBeat Transcript Archive

It's the most frequently reported infectious disease in the United States, affecting about 4 million people a year, yet many people may not even know they have it. It's also a leading cause of problems with fertility and pregnancy.

What we're talking about is the sexually transmitted disease called chlamydia.

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacteria that can be passed on to someone through sexual contact. It can cause painful urination or a discharge in both men and women, but up to 75 % of affected women, and 50% of affected men have no symptoms. If someone doesn't know they have it, they are more likely to spread the disease.

This lack of symptoms can also lead to a chronic infection, which has serious consequences for women, especially. Chlamydia is the most common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to scarring of the fallopian tubes, increasing the chance of infertility and tubal pregnancy. A pregnant woman can also pass this infection to their babies, causing an inflammation of the eye (conjunctivitis) and pneumonia. And experts now believe that having a sexually transmitted disease like chlamydia can increase one's chance of being affected with the AIDS virus.

This problem has become a major health issue-teenage girls have the highest rates of infection, followed by women age 20-24. For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control have called for yearly screening of all sexually active girls under 20 years of age, yearly screening of women over 20 at risk, all women with an infection of the cervix, and all pregnant women.

The only way to avoid chlamydia infection completely is to abstain from sex, but condoms and diaphragms can reduce the spread of the bacteria. If you have symptoms, or if you're at risk, see your doctor-- the screening test is simple, and chlamydia is curable with antibiotics.

January 31
Chlamydia trachomatis
	It's the most frequently reported infectious disease in the United States, affecting about 4 million people a year, yet many people may not even know they have it. It's also a leading cause of problems with fertility and pregnancy. What we're talking about is the sexually transmitted disease called chlamydia. Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacteria that can be passed on to someone through sexual contact. It can cause painful urination or a discharge in both men and women, but up to 75 % of affected women, and 50% of affected men have no symptoms. If someone doesn't know they have it, they are more likely to spread the disease. This lack of symptoms can also lead to a chronic infection, which has serious consequences for women, especially. Chlamydia is the most common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to scarring of the fallopian tubes, increasing the chance of infertility and tubal pregnancy. A pregnant woman can also pass this infection to their babies, causing an inflammation of the eye (conjunctivitis) and pneumonia. And experts now believe that having a sexually transmitted disease like chlamydia can increase one's chance of being affected with the AIDS virus. This problem has become a major health issue-teenage girls have the highest rates of infection, followed by women age 20-24. For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control have called for yearly screening of all sexually active girls under 20 years of age, yearly screening of women over 20 at risk, all women with an infection of the cervix, and all pregnant women. The only way to avoid chlamydia infection completely is to abstain from sex, but condoms and diaphragms can reduce the spread of the bacteria. If you have symptoms, or if you're at risk, see your doctor-- the screening test is simple, and chlamydia is curable with antibiotics.
	References and Resources: An Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/stdinfo.htm Chlamydia The National Women's Health Information Center www.4woman.gov/faq/stdchlam.htm Some Facts about Chlamydia Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/chlamydia_facts.htm