Chlamydia - Reasons Why it Affects Women

Chlamydia is one of the more common STDs among both the genders. It spreads through physical intimate contact; it can develop irrespective of one’s age, however, is most commonly observed among young women. In women, the symptoms include yellow or green colored odorous vaginal discharge, painful urination and a burning sensation or itching around the vagina, lower abdominal ache, painful menstruation or bleeding during sexual intercourse. Now if the infection reaches up to the fallopian tubes, it causes a disease known as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). In case of unprotected oral sex, the bacteria causing this disorder, ‘Chlamydia Trachomatis’ might infect the throat as well.

Reasons Behind Chlamydia in Women:

1. Being a sexually transmitted disease, Chlamydia gets passed on from one person to another through unprotected sex or through the contact with the genitals of an infected person.

2. In some cases, infants are likely to inherit the disease from their mothers during birth, if she is already affected with it. Hence pre-natal checkups are essential for detection.

3. Although very rare, this infection can affect the eyes as well via oral or genital contact.

How To Treat Chlamydia?

1. The infection can be resolved within a couple of weeks with the use of antibiotics. Once it is diagnosed, the treatment course should start immediately. The widely used antibiotics for curing chlamydia are azithromycin and doxycycline. If you are breastfeeding or pregnant or suffering from any allergy, your doctor might prescribe erythromycin or amoxicillin. For severe complications, a longer course is administered. The treatment may induce mild side-effects in the form of vaginal thrush, sickness, diarrhea and tummy pain.

2. Try and avoid any sort of sexual activity (intercourse or other activities) till the treatment is completely done and none of you show any other sign of the infection. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.