Chlamydia

Chlamydia is an easily cured sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, a gram-negative aerobic bacteria. This STI is, in STI terms, more like having a cold – it is easily treatable but very infectious.

Left to its own devices, chlamydia can wreak havoc on your reproductive system and compromise the ability to become or stay pregnant by causing scarring inside reproductive organs.

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics, so if you know someone who has it, and you’ve been fooling around with them, get tested and get treated. You cannot home remedy chlamydia away.

Symptoms of chlamydia in women:

• Vaginal discharge – may smell
• Unusual bleeding between periods (or spotting) (metrorrhagia)
• Painful periods (dysmenorrhoea)
• Pelvic or abdominal pain
• Fever
• Pain during sex (dyspareunia)
• Itchy vagina or vulva
• Burning vagina or vulva
• Pain on urination (dysuria)
• Cloudy urine

Symptoms of chlamydia in men:

• Discharge from the penis
• Pain on urination
• Penile itching or burning (at opening)
• Swelling and pain in testicles

Treating chlamydia

Testing is done by swab, then sent to the lab. A urine sample may also be taken. The usual treatment for chlamydia is by antibiotics – azithromycin (Zithromax) or doxycycline.

Partners MUST be treated too, or you immediately catch it back. Get retested if necessary. Do not have any sex until the infection is completely cleared up and you both have the all-clear.

Treatment kills the bacteria and within weeks, your infection will clear up. Finish all the antibiotics to avoid creating superbugs. Make sure to repopulate your good bacteria with probiotics and lots of fermented foods.

Lymphogranuloma venereum is another STI caused by a strain of the chlamydia bacteria, but causes different symptoms.