Sexually transmitteddiseases are on the rise within the United States and are even more prevalentin Louisiana. At the top of the list of reported sexually transmitted diseasesis Chlamydia.
Chlamydia, whosescientific name is chlamydia trachomatis, is a bacterialinfection that is transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person.
This disease isspreading rapidly, because more that 75 percent of infected women and 50percent of infected men have no symptoms of the disease.
“Young women are notcoming to get tested, which is the worst thing they could do, when you aretrying to prevent Chlamydia,” said Linda Corley office coordinator of theJefferson Parish Health Unit, ” If you don’t know that you have it, you won’ttake precautions to protect your partner and it will increase the spread of thedisease.”
The silent diseaseis estimated to affect approximately 3 million Americans each year. There were834,555 cases of Chlamydia reported to the Center for Disease control in 2002.It was also shown that Louisiana contracted more than 27 percent above theUnited States average.
Over 12 percent ofthe reported cases were among teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 yearsold.
” The highestresults of Chlamydia is with adolescents, because they are sexually active withmultiple sexual partners and are very promiscuous,” said Registered Nurse andassistant supervisor at the Jefferson Parish Health Unit Marsha O’Neal.
The symptoms ofChlamydia include an irregular discharge and slight burning sensations in thevaginal area and around the penis. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to higherrisk of catching HIV which causes AIDS.
In women it can leadto pelvic infllammatory disease which occurs in about 40 percent of infectedwomen.
Chlamydia is curablewith the proper use of antibiotics. The only way to prevent the transmission ofthis disease is to refrain from sexual contact, but latex condoms can reduceyour risks.
