Chlamydia rates are soaring in the nations capital. According to a report published by the Rape Crisis Centre the silent STI has surged by a whopping 32% in Dublin alone.
What is Chlamydia?
It’s a bacterial infection, and it spreads during oral, vaginal and anal sex. Most people won’t even know they got it, as often no symptoms show. The pretty name? It comes from the Greek, meaning ‘cloaked’ or ‘hidden.’
If symptoms do appear, you may notice vaginal discharge, painful peeing, bleeding after sex, pain during sex or spotting between periods. Symptoms are often vague and fleeting, gone before a trip to the doctor seems necessary. Â For many women the first they know is when trying to get pregnant is a struggle. This may be years after this silent STI wreaks havoc. You don’t need to be remotely promiscuous to acquire Chlamydia.
Why does it matter?
Chlamydia causes inflammation of the cervix, womb and Fallopian tubes, leaving scars and adhesions. Increasing numbers of women are horrified to discover the cause of heartbreaking infertility may be an infection they didn’t realize they had. Chlamydia is a silent STI with a shattering sting in the tail.
The damage and scarring account for a significant proportion of miscarriages, and ectopic pregnancies. If they do get pregnant, women are at greater risk of premature birth, and stillbirth. If a mum is infected and hasn’t received treatment, her baby is prone to eye and lung infections transmitted during delivery.
Highly infectious, Chlamydia spreads really easily and is regarded as the most common  global STI. There were 208,755 new infections in England in 2013 – and around the world an estimated 100 million are infected each year. In around half of men, and 70 to 80% of women who get it, there will be no symptoms. Testing consist of blood tests and swabs. As these tests aren’t always accurate, antibiotic treatment is given if infection is suspected.
The spread of Chlamydia among teens in Australia is flagged as a public health issue. Condoms don’t offer foolproof protection from disease.
Regular testing may be the answer to managing Chlamydia, to offer treatment quickly and preserve fertility.
Chlamydia vaccine
If you are trying to conceive or struggle with infertility, many clinics prescribe antibiotic therapy as part of the work-up.
