Introduction
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that has adverse effects on the health of the patient if not diagnosed and treated at early stages of development. Human bodies are designed to develop resistance to pathogens that cause such infections despite the availability of medicinal cure for the infection. This paper seeks to answer various questions about the infection by first describing the disease and how it is contracted. The symptoms and problems associated with the disease are also discussed while providing a detailed explanation for the high recurrence rate of the disease among the African American urban women. Besides, the essay seeks to discuss the effects of the chlamydia disease on pregnancy, the screening process for the disease and the ways of preventing the infection.
Description of the Disease
Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmitted disease that can be easily treated when detected at early stages. However, if left untreated for quite a long period, it can adversely affect the reproductive system for women and prevent them from getting pregnant. This disease is caused by a very small bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis that requires the biochemical mechanisms of another body cell to reproduce. Upon detection of the disease in the early stages, the bacteria can be killed before it reproduces and increases in numbers tremendously. Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections among the young people in Australia and it affects both the male and female.
This sexually transmitted disease can be contracted from one individual to another through numerous ways. It can be contracted by having vaginal, anal, or even oral sex with someone who is already infected by the bacteria causing the disease. These are the main channels for spreading this disease because it is termed as sexually transmitted disease; a clear indication that sexual affairs with an infected partner are the cause of contracting this cruel disease. To reduce the chances of contracting this sexually transmitted disease, partners are encouraged to get screened for detection of the bacteria or opt to have protected sex (Bébéar & de Barbeyrac, 2009).
Chlamydia can also be transmitted to a baby by an infected mother during childbirth. Therefore, pregnant women are encouraged to seek medical attention during their pregnancy to acquire full treatment to reduce the chances of transmitting this disease to the new baby through the birth canal. The transmission of Chlamydia disease to newborn baby could cause an eye infection or pneumonia in the new born. The condition can make the infected pregnant mothers have early delivery, which may lead to more severe consequences which may affect the baby and the mother adversely (Clarke, 1998). Pregnant mothers should get tested for the bacteria and be given the required treatment as early as possible to prevent any health complication during and after delivery.
Any sexually active individual is prone to be infected with chlamydia since it is a very common sexually transmitted disease among the young people. It is estimated that 1 in 20 sexually active women within the age bracket of 14 to 24 years has a chlamydia infection. The young people are prone to this infection because of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons, which endanger them with this disease. Many young women do not use condoms every time they have sexual intercourse while others may have multiple partners; thus, increasing the likelihood of transmitting this bacteria (Sheff, 2001). Men who are involved in sexual activities with fellow men, whether oral sex or anal sex, are at risk of chlamydial infection since the bacteria can be transmitted through any form of sexual intercourse. Newborn babies are also at a higher risk of contracting the disease if their mothers had the infection during delivery time. Despite the disease being rampant in young people, it is also very common among adults who engage in unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple partners who may be infected with the disease.
Symptoms of the Disease
The initial damages caused by chlamydia infection may go unnoticed among many victims. However, if the disease is not treated early in time, it may lead to serious health complications to the victim. For instance, women who fail to seek medical attention during the initial stages of the disease, the bacteria can spread to the uterus and the fallopian tubes of the reproductory system causing pelvic inflammatory disease. The pelvic inflammatory disease resulting from chlamydia infection has other adverse effects which may permanently damage the women’s reproductive system. Some of the effects include the inability to get pregnant, long-term pelvic pain, and chances of developing the deadly ectopic pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control, 2015). On the other hand, the health problems associated with disease in men is not severe because it spreads to the tube that carries sperm from the testicles; thus, leading to pain and fever. However, this condition rarely causes infertility in men.
The Chlamydia disease is commonly referred to as a silent infection because many people who have contracted the disease portray very minimal symptoms that can be associated with the infection. The incubation period for the disease is poorly defined such that the symptoms of the infection can go unnoticed for quite some long period. With this level of symptoms for the infection, patients who suspect any minimal symptoms for the disease are encouraged to undergo testing by a medical practitioner to establish the existence of the infection in its early stages (Centers for Disease Control, 2015). The symptoms may take different periods of time to appear depending on the victim’s ability to develop symptoms of any disease.
Women who have the ability to develop symptoms of the disease may notice some implications for the infection several weeks after having unprotected sex with an infected person. Such women may notice an abnormal vaginal discharge, which may be an implication of having contracted chlamydia or another sexually transmitted disease. Besides, women infected with these bacteria may experience a burning sensation while urinating due to the damages caused by the infection of the urinary tract (Genc & Mardh, 1996). On the other hand, the symptoms of the infection in men may include abnormal discharge from their penis and experience the burning feeling when urinating. Another symptom that is not very common is the swelling of the male testicles as an indicator of adverse infection by Chlamydia trachomatis.
The chlamydia disease was previously perceived as a condition that was normal among youths, and they hardly sought medical attention. People had developed the notion that the disease was not very severe, and no medicine was available for treating this ailment. Currently, the adverse effects of the chlamydia disease have been witnessed in both women and men, and people have become more cautious about the disease. It has also been discovered that the disease is curable if the right treatment is administered (Bébéar & de Barbeyrac, 2009). The patients infected with chlamydia disease are required to take the entire dosage of medicine as prescribed by the doctor to completely cure the disease. The new developments in the medication of this sexually transmitted disease have enlightened the people about the complications associated with the disease and the possible medications for curing the disease.
The Progress and Problems with Chlamydia
The development of the chlamydia disease in the society and the problems associated with the disease can be explained using different perspectives. The chlamydia disease can be analyzed as a social, cultural, and biological issue. As a social issue, chlamydia can be associated with poverty and marginalization as it is very common among the disadvantaged people in the society. People with low social status are prone to this disease because they practice high-risk sexual behavior, and the can hardly afford access to quality healthcare once they are infected. Another perspective of chlamydia as a social issue is the fact that it is commonly associated with substance abuse among the youths which exposes them to unprotected sex with multiple partners (Stamm, 1999).
On the cultural perspective, chlamydia is common among specific groups of people with a particular culture. Race and ethnicity is a key factor in the spread of the disease among the people all over the world since the cultural orientation of the people determine their sexual life. As a biological issue, chlamydia disease has led to the development of biological complications among the infected people thus making it a serious health problem (Stamm, 1999). The disease is responsible for reproductive health problems for men and women, fetal and perinatal health complications as well as a contributor to the increased spread of HIV infection. Therefore, the social, cultural, and biological nature of the chlamydia disease can be associated with the progress and problems that arise as a result of contracting this disease.
High level of Chlamydia infection among African American Women
The chlamydia infection among the African American urban women is approximately three times the general population (Centers for Disease Control, 2015). It portrays the high level of this sexually transmitted infection among the African American women living in the urban areas. One of the main reasons for the widespread infection of this disease among this specific population is the lack of education on the sexually transmitted infection prevention measures. The lack of counseling and general support from the health care staff has contributed to the high level of negligence among the African American women living in urban areas (Centers for Disease Control, 2015). This particular population is not provided with the required education on their sexual life, continuous counseling programs, and regular screening to help detect the symptoms of this infection at early stages.
The rapid increase in the number of African American urban women infected with the chlamydia can be explained by the biological and social reasons affecting them. Biologically, the women have increased cervical ectopy, which raises their susceptibility to the infection by the sexually transmitted diseases. On the other hand, the lack of social empowerment and the skills to refuse sexual activities with partners who are infected with the disease. Their social orientation prevents them from the demanding protected sex from their partners thus rendering them vulnerable to this infection (Cattley, Massari & Genco, 2015). Their economic and social status makes them unable to seek medical treatment early in advance before the condition worsens. The lack of access to quality treatment for the sexually transmitted diseases makes them vulnerable to adverse complications such as cervical cancer, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility.
Effects of Chlamydia on Pregnancy
Pregnancy is adversely affected by the infection of chlamydia disease because there is a high probability of the pregnant mother passing the infection to the baby during delivery. The infection of the newborn baby may lead to health complications such as eye infection or pneumonia for the baby. The chance of a pregnant mother who is infected by the chlamydia disease delivering the baby before full maturity is very high. It may lead to the death of the child before or after birth thus endangering the life of the mother. Pregnant women are advised to undergo thorough screening to detect any infection of chlamydia disease or any other sexually transmitted disease (Cattley, Massari & Genco, 2015). Undergoing prior testing and receiving the right medication is the best way to prevent the health complications caused by chlamydia disease among pregnant mothers.
The chlamydia infection can spread into the uterus or the fallopian tube of the women reproductive system; thus, leading to health complications during pregnancy. The infection of the reproductive system may lead to the fatal ectopic pregnancy, which is a deadly condition. The disease is closely linked with miscarriage among pregnant women if it is left undiagnosed and untreated for a long period. All these conditions lead to complications in pregnancy; thus, affecting the newborn babies (Cattley, Massari & Genco, 2015). Newborn babies get infected with the chlamydia disease from their mother as they are delivered through an already infected birth canal. The pelvic inflammatory disease associated with the chlamydia infection may lead to the inability of the woman to get pregnant because of the adverse damage on the fallopian tube where fertilization takes place.
When the chlamydia disease is not treated accordingly, the patient becomes more susceptible to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections whenever exposed to them. It may also lead to the infection of the uterine wall after birth; thus, leading to health complications during the subsequent pregnancies (Centers for Disease Control, 2015). Therefore, pregnant women are strongly advised to seek medical attention whenever they experience any symptoms of chlamydia disease or any other sexually transmitted disease to avoid the severe health complication during the pregnancy period or the delivery time. Therefore, a cultural anthropologist will explain the effects of chlamydia infection on pregnancy using the biological reasons discussed.
The Screening Process for Chlamydia
The Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria causing the disease can be detected in the male and female urine as well as testing of vaginal and urethral specimens. Women should undergo a thorough screening for chlamydia infection when they become sexually active because this increases the chances of them contracting this sexually transmitted infection. They should also undergo a retest three months after treatment to ascertain whether the disease has been completely cured. In the case of some presence of bacteria causing the disease after the treatment, the patient is advised to seek further medication from a specialist for detailed analysis of the condition and advanced treatment. Many healthcare centers consider screening all men who are sexually active since they are prone to contracting this disease through their unprotected sexual activities. The adolescent men are more vulnerable to this infection because they tend to have unprotected sex with multiple partners to fulfill their overwhelming sexual desires. Men who have sex with other men are at the risk of contracting the chlamydia disease through the sexual activities hence they need to be screened regularly for the disease (Moncada, et al., 2015).
All pregnant women should be screened for the chlamydia disease considering the severe damages associated with this infection in pregnant women. Pregnant women who are in the adolescent age are more vulnerable to the infection hence they are screened to attest any possibility of infection. The pregnant women should be retested during their third trimester of their pregnancy to establish whether the disease has been completely cured to avoid the health problems caused by such infections during delivery and avoid infecting the newborn baby with the disease (Jones & Boag, 2007). Pregnant women should be tested regularly and retested within three months after treatment. The infection not only affects the pregnant woman but also the unborn child.
The Prevention Measures for Chlamydia
The chlamydia infection can be prevented through treatment with antibiotics that are approved for treatment of this sexually transmitted disease. Patients diagnosed with the infections are subjected to high intensive behavioral counseling to educate them on measures for preventing future infections. The infection can also be prevented by advocating for safer sex practices that reduce the chances of transmission of the disease or reinfection (Rogstad, Kinghorn, Horton, 2000). Sex partners who have been diagnosed with the disease and received treatment are advised to abstain from sexual intercourse until they have completed the treatment and the symptoms have completely disappeared.
The surest ways of preventing the infection by the chlamydia bacteria are the use of condoms, both male and female condoms, whenever having sexual intercourse. The use of condoms is known as one of the best ways of reducing the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections. People should embrace single partners who have been tested for the infection and avoid multiple partners who put them at a high risk of contracting chlamydia and other sexually transmitted diseases (Rogstad, Kinghorn, Horton, 2000). Individuals should get regular screenings as one of the sure ways of detecting any infection to undergo immediate treatment. Finally, women should avoid douching as one way of preventing the risk of infection because it reduces the number of good bacteria available in the vagina.
Conclusion
References
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