Research Paper on Sexually Transmitted Illness: Chlamydia

Introduction

Chlamydia is an infection which is sexually transmitted and can be passed on through oral, anal and vaginal sex. A bacteria known as Chlamydia trachomatis cause the infection. This research paper discusses the incidence, risk factors, geographic distribution, symptoms, treatment and the prevalence of Chlamydia. The paper also analyzes a peer-reviewed article on men's attitudes towards the screening of chlamydia.

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Risk Factors

Both men and women are prone to get infected, but in most situations, the women are more likely to get diagnosed. According to statistics, a person is more likely to get an STI infection if they have more than one sexual partners. The rate of infection is higher among the young women because their cervical cells are immature and more vulnerable to infection. Sexually active women are usually advised to get screened for chlamydia due to risk factors such as having new or multiple partners. Another risk factor that is associated with chlamydia infection is if a person is currently or in the past has suffered from an STI infection as that can cause a person to have a low level of resistance (Sutton, 2013).

Incidence

The World Health Organization statistics show that the global incidence of chlamydia infection is approximately 92 million cases across the world whereby 17% of the cases are experienced in Africa. The high rate of infection have been attributed to limited laboratory infrastructure and diagnostic capacity, lack of surveillance and the widespread usage of syndromic management.

Geographic Distribution and Prevalence

In the United States, Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common and notifiable disease. Among all other types of STDs chlamydia is the most prevalent. The prevalence of chlamydia is 6.8% among females who are sexually active and between the ages of 14-19 years. In the United States, a total of 1,307,893 chlamydial infections were reported in 2010 at the District of Columbia and 50 states. Chlamydia is common in young people and mostly the young women. The overall rate of chlamydial infection that were reported among women in the District of Columbia and all 50 states was more than two and a half times the rate among men. Between the years 1999-2002, the rate of prevalence of chlamydial infection was 2.2% which was equal in females and males. The prevalence rate was higher among non-Hispanic blacks as compared to the non-Hispanic whites of all the age groups.

Symptoms

Most people who have Chlamydia do not experience any symptom. The symptoms tend to be noticeable between one and three weeks after infection in some people while in others it can take a longer period until the infection spreads to other parts of the body. Some of the symptoms that the women may experience in case they are infected with Chlamydia include pain when they are urinating, pain in the lower abdomen especially when they are having sex, bleeding between periods, and an increase in vaginal discharge which is mostly caused by an inflamed womb and having heavy periods. On the other hand, the men tend to experience symptoms such as pain when they are urinating, pain in the testicles and having a discharge from the penis which is white, cloudy or watery. Vaginal fluid or semen that has been infected can result in the eyes getting inflammation ("Chlamydia Infections | Chlamydia | Chlamydia Symptoms | MedlinePlus," n.d.).

Treatment

The commonly used antibiotics in treating chlamydia are doxycycline and azithromycin. Women suffering from severe chlamydia infection may need to be hospitalized and to be given medication through a vein as well as pain medication. People need to be re-tested after three months to ensure that the chlamydia infection has been cured after taking antibiotics. Failure to treat Chlamydia put an individual at the risk of getting infected with other STIs. A mother who is pregnant can also pass the chlamydia to the unborn child. When chlamydia is not treated, it can cause inflammation of the cervix, blockage of the fallopian tubes, swollen Bartholin glands, and pelvic inflammatory disease. In men, if the chlamydia is not treated, it can cause urethritis, reactive arthritis and epididymitis.

In the study of men's attitude towards chlamydia screening the authors aimed at finding out the factors that encourage men to accept chlamydia screening and as well as the place where the men want the screening services carried out. The authors also researched with the aim of finding out the factors that discourage the men from attending health services for the screening of chlamydia. The participants who were involved in the study were the males who were living in North America, Australia, and Western Europe. The methods used in the collection of data was analyzing the full texts and abstracts of the articles that had been identified. According to the study, several psychosocial factors usually discourage the men from undertaking the screening tests. Some of these factors include being anxious or fearful about testing, feeling invulnerable, stigma, characteristics of the chlamydia test and as well as the characteristics of the provider. The authors suggest that in future qualitative studies should focus on the male adolescents perspective on the screening of chlamydia and as well as on the men who are from the minority ethnic groups and poor socioeconomic backgrounds. This article contributes to my knowledge since I learned that lack of knowledge about the existence of the infection could cause people not to see the need as to why they should be treated and be screened (Balfe, Brugha, O'sConnell, Vaughan, & O'sDonovan, 2010).

Conclusion

If I contracted the disease, I would feel depressed and have low self-esteem. I would tell my loved one through writing a note where I describe my condition. I would seek a marriage relationship after we have both been treated the infection to ensure that no one infects the other. This illness can influence the family dynamic since it will require money to seek medical attention and be treated which can result in financial constraints.

References

Balfe, M., Brugha, R., O'sConnell, E., Vaughan, D., & O'sDonovan, D. (2010). Men's attitudes towards chlamydia screening: a narrative review. Sexual Health. Doi: 10.1071/sh10094

Chlamydia Infections | Chlamydia | Chlamydia Symptoms | MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/chlamydiainfections.html

Sutton, A. L. (2013). Sexually transmitted diseases sourcebook: Basic consumer health information about sexual health and the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including chancroid, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, and trichomoniasis ; along with facts about risk factors and complications, trends and disparities in infection rates, tips for discussing STDs with sexual partners, a glossary of related terms, and resources for additional help and information. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, Inc.