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Chlamydia
Chlamydia
(say “kluh-MID-ee-ah”) is the most common sexually transmitted
disease (STD). About 3 million Americans get chlamydia every
year, but only about 660,000 of these cases are diagnosed
and treated. That means that over 2.5 million people are being
injured by chlamydia without even knowing they have it.
Chlamydia,
like many STDs, often has no symptoms. Only about 1 out of
4 women with chlamydia have ANY signs of the disease. About
half of men with the disease have symptoms. These people can
spread the disease to others, even though they don’t know
they have it. Chlamydia can do serious, irreversible damage
to a person’s reproductive system without him or her feeling
a thing. After some months or years may experience serious
complications and only then find out that they have chlamydia.
Chlamydia’s
most serious complications include infertility (inability
to have children) in both men and women, and ectopic (tubal)
pregnancies in women.
All of the suffering caused by chlamydia is avoidable. Chlamydia
is curable with a full course of specific antibiotics. If sexually
active people get tested for chlamydia and other STDs regularly
(about twice a year), and then get immediate treatment, the
spread of these harmful diseases can be slowed or stopped. Learn
the facts about chlamydia and protect yourself.
Take
some time to check out this site on chlamydia. It's packed
full of information that can give you the background you need
to stay free of this and other STDs. When you're finished
surfing, you can see how much you've learned by taking our
interactive quiz. You might
be surprised at how well you do.
Got
Questions? Get In the Know!
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