Category: Causes

Everything You Need To Know About Chlamydia

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The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis causes Chlamydia which is one of the most common sexually transmitted that affects people of all ages, particularly individuals aged below 25 years. It is also known as the ‘silent infection’ because most of the time people are unaware that they are infected.

A person can get infected by Chlamydia by having anal or vaginal sex with an infected individual.

Symptoms

 

Women

Most women are unaware that they have been infected with Chlamydia because of the absence of signs or symptoms. It can cause PID or pelvic inflammation disease once the infection has reached the neck of the cervix and spread to the fallopian tubes and uterus. It could also lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy. An infected mother can pass the infection to her baby during birth which could cause eye or lung infections. The rectum can be infected which may cause bleeding, rectal pain or discharges.

If symptoms show, they could include:

  • Pain in the lower abdominal area
  • Unusual discharges from the vagina
  • Bleeding after sex or spotting or bleeding between periods
  • Pain or burning sensation during urination
  • Painful sexual intercourse

Men

Chlamydia would be asymptomatic or show no symptoms in men. It can cause pain when the tube of the penis or urethra is infected which could reach the epididymis. The rectum can be infected which may cause bleeding, rectal pain or discharges.

If symptoms show, they can include:

  • Sore and swollen testicles
  • Discharges from the penis
  • Burning pain during urination

Test

Chlamydia could easily be diagnosed with painless tests that normally use urine. A cotton swab test would be another alternative where specimens can be taken from the penis, vagina, anus or cervix and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

Transmission

Having unprotected anal or vaginal sex with an infected person could get you infected with Chlamydia. Safe sex practices should always be done in every sexual activity such as using a condom or a dam which is made of thin latex that is fitted over the anus or vagina.

Many people are unaware they have the infection since Chlamydia does not often show signs and symptoms. Looking at the outward appearance of a person may not show that he or she is infected with Chlamydia even when they look healthy.

A new sex partner who may have an earlier partner infected with Chlamydia poses a high risk through unprotected sexual activity. A long-term partner could also infect you if he or she had unprotected sex with other infected people.

Check–ups

It is highly recommended that people under 25 years old and are sexually active should have annual check-ups for Chlamydia or other possible STDs. Chlamydia can infect any sexually active person at any age, more so when sex is unprotected and involves multiple partners.

Treatment

A single dose of antibiotics can treat Chlamydia if it is detected early. A longer course of antibiotic treatment has to be done when Chlamydia complications have been developed such as PID or pelvic inflammatory disease.

If you are infected with Chlamydia, your sexual partner has to know so she or he can be tested and treated as they may have acquired the infection from you and could re-infect you after you have been treated.

Chlamydia Infection: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

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Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmitted disease, especially in sexually active young adults and teenagers.

Symptoms

Most infected people do not show any symptoms and are even unaware they have it. But if symptoms show, it may include:

Swelling and pain in the testicles for men

Burning or pain when urinating

In women, lower abdominal pain, bleeding between menstrual periods, during or after sex bleeding

Unusual discharges from the rectum, vagina or penis

If you think that you have Chlamydia based on the symptoms listed above, visit the nearest STD testing centers to be tested and treated. The earlier you get the treatment, the lesser risk for serious health conditions that could last a lifetime.

Transmittal

Chlamydia is caused by a bacterium that is transmitted through sexual intercourse or contact with genital fluids such as vaginal fluid or semen that is infected.

You can get infected with Chlamydia by:

Getting infected vaginal fluid or semen in your eye

Unprotected oral, vaginal, and anal sex

Genitals coming in contact with an infected person’s genitals even when there is no ejaculation, penetration or orgasm

sex toys sharing that have not been covered with a new condom or washed after every use

infected mother to her newborn during birth

Chlamydia cannot be transmitted by utensil sharing, hugging and kissing, or sharing toilet seats, baths, swimming pools, and towels.

Serious health complications

Although Chlamydia can be easily treated with antibiotics, it can cause serious health conditions if left untreated.

If no treatment is done, other body parts can be infected leading to serious health problems such as reactive arthritis, PID or pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and inflammation of the testicles or epididymo-orchitis.

These are the reasons why a test and treatment as early as possible is very important if you suspect that you have been infected with Chlamydia.

Treatment

Antibiotics can easily treat Chlamydia. It may either be a long course of capsules that needs to be taken for a week or a single dose oral or injectable form.

Sex should be avoided until you or your partner is done with the treatments. If a single dose treatment has been applied, sex should still be avoided for a week.

It is important that your sexual partners and current partner that you’ve had sexual relations within the past six months could also be tested and treated to stop the infection from spreading.

The health centers, testing centers or your health care provider can help you get in touch with your sexual partners. The clinics or health centers can either send them a letter or speak to them about the need to be tested and treated. The letter will not state your name to protect your privacy.

Prevention

A sexually active individual will most likely be infected with Chlamydia. The risk will be higher for those who do not use protective barriers such as a condom during every sexual activity or having multiple partners.

Get tested and treated as soon as you suspect that you have been infected with Chlamydia or any other STD.

Understanding Gonorrhea

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Gonorrhea is one of the most common of the sexually transmitted diseases and around the world about 5,000,000 men and women are infected annually with it. It is still a misunderstood STD that needs more awareness since a lot of people infect other people for they never knew they had it. The reason would be the almost negligible symptoms during the early onset of the disease. However, if you are sexually active with multiple partners, STD testing should always be a requirement.

Symptoms and signs in Men

Most men do not show any symptoms at all but for some who did, these are the common ones:

o   While urinating, a burning sensation is experienced.

o   The penis gives a green or yellow discharge.

Symptoms and Signs in Women

Women with gonorrhea may experience this:

o   Copious vaginal discharges

o   Spotting or irregular menstruation

o   Painful urination

It is a fact that many women seldom experience symptoms even when they are already infected with gonorrhea. Most of the time the symptoms discussed could also mean a urinary tract infection. However, untreated gonorrhea could cause women lifelong and serious health problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease or PID.

Symptoms of Rectal Gonorrhea

Both men and women have similar symptoms when they are infected with rectal gonorrhea and they are:

o   Pain during bowel movement

o   Discharges and itchiness in the rectum

o   Bleeding from the rectum

Complications

Gonorrhea if left untreated will bring lifelong diseases even when it has been cured. For women, it can be PID which is one of the main causes for infertility. It also gives a higher risk for ectopic pregnancy and abscesses with pain in the pelvic area. If gonorrhea is still present in a pregnant woman, there is a bigger chance of passing it to the baby which could cause serious blood infections, blindness, and infections in the joints. For the men, epididymitis can be a very painful experience and infertility is also another of the causes of untreated gonorrhea. The disease could reach the joints and could be debilitating.

Gonorrhea Testing

Gonorrhea can be spread easily since people infected with it are not even aware that they have it. It stands to reason that an STD test should be made a part of your health care especially when you have an active sexual life with multiple partners. Not having any symptom should not be the basis for not undergoing an STD screening or tests. The debilitating effect of gonorrhea that has remained unchecked has lifelong repercussions of pain that could pave the way for serious health problems.

Still after all that has been said and done, nothing could beat prevention or safe sex practices. Prevention may not mean abstinence; it would just mean a monogamous relationship with a lifetime partner that will be the safest relationship to be in right now! If monogamy is not your scene, then safe sex should always be practiced. These barriers are the only protection that you separate you from a healthy person to becoming a sickly one.

The Common Causes Of Yeast Infection

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Candidiasis is another name for yeast infection and could be prominently found in the vaginal area. It is due to the formation of certain bacteria in the vagina that can also affect the men, especially the uncircumcised ones, by means of sexual relations. Women, at one time or another, have contracted this infection, but no serious problems are caused by them.

There are varied reasons for getting a yeast infection, but unprotected sex is the main issue. Candida albicans, the major ingredient of a yeast infection can be caused from the unprotected sex between partners which occurs in the mouth, vagina, and the anus.

Some causes of yeast infection:

·         Condoms containing nonoxynol-9, a lubricant has also been shown to cause yeast infection but a great protection against HIV virus.

·         Diet can be a culprit especially when the food has high yeast content.

·         Hormonal imbalances caused by fluctuations in the immune system could give way to yeast infections.

·         Long usage of antibiotics used to combat other infections can cause yeast infections.

·         Over dyed clothes and tight fitted underwear breed bacteria leading to yeast infections.

·         Contraceptive pills that are rich in hormones also breed yeast infections.

·         Tearing and scarring in the vaginal area causes yeast infection that can bring symptoms such as burning, itchiness, discomfort, and irritation.

·         Acne, swelling and painful breasts, depression, and anxiety can also breed yeast infections.

As stated before, yeast infections are not serious but can cause discomfort in women. There are home-made remedies that can ward off yeast infections as well as medications. The best way though would still be prevention which is to avoid the things that can bring it on. Sexual activity does not have to be curtailed as long as protective barriers are used. However, it should also be taken into consideration that the lubricant used in the condom should not contain nonoxynol-9 which has been proven to cause yeast infections.

A diet that is high in sugar and yeast products would naturally cause yeast infections. Yeast thrives on high sugary diets which need to be avoided when the yeast infection is present.

If a contraceptive pill is observed to cause recurring yeast infections, the best remedy would be to consult an OB-GYNE doctor to have it changed to a different brand that contains lesser levels of hormones. It has been proven that hormonal imbalances bring on yeast infections and hormones are the main ingredient in every contraceptive pill.

Tight underwear may look sexy, but the yeast infection that it causes may make you think twice before using or buying one. Dark colored and silky underwear are also breeding grounds for yeast infections. Same goes for panty liners. Too much wearing of panty liners has been known to cause the infection. It is advised to schedule days for wearing the panty liners as bacteria love to breed in them.

Self-treatment can clear yeast infections in a few days, however, should the infection become uncomfortable and painful, a visit to the doctor is still the best remedy.