How often do you get yourself tested for STDs? Every six months? Once a year? Only when you have symptoms? What if you had an STD and didn’t know it because there were no symptoms? Unfortunately there is an STD out there that often time does not show any signs or symptoms. This disease is called chlamydia. There are 1.4 million diagnosed cases per year and yet the CDC states that 1 in every 100 people has the disease. This would work out to 1.8 million. How are so many cases unreported? The simple answer is that people don’t know that they have it.
For men chlamydia is not too harmful but when they don’t know that they have it they may end up spreading it to multiple women. These women who may not show any symptoms could be in for trouble down the road if it is not diagnosed and treated properly. Chlamydia can cause scar tissue in the uterus and fallopian tubes or on the cervix. It can affect a woman’s fertility to the point where she may never be able to have children.
The bacteria from chlamydia can end up causing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease which is extremely painful. By this point there may already be irreversible damage done to the reproductive organs. The untreated bacteria also puts you at a higher risk for being susceptible to the HIV virus. The good news is that it is very easy to diagnose and treat chlamydia if you take the proper steps. OB/GYN doctors recommend that you get tested at least once per year until age 25. It is a good idea to get tested often if you switch partners.
