Chlamydia in Teens essays

Chlamydia in Teens essays A major epidemic of sexually transmitted disease (STD) had developed during the last 30 years. In the 1960's, syphilis and gonorrhea, both easily treated with penicillin, were the only significant STDs. Today, there are over 20 diseases that causes 12 million newly infected persons each year. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans is now infected with a viral STD. Tragically, 63% of these infections occur in persons under the age of 25. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the U.S. Its full name is chlamydia trachomatis. It is a kind of bacteria that can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, or eye. The bacteria can move from one person to another through sexual intercourse or oral-genital contact. It can also enter the body through the eye: if a person touches bodily fluids that contain the bacteria and then touches his or her eye, he or she may get chlamydia. Additionally, Chlamydia can be passed from a mother to her baby during the babys delivery. However, in contrast to what people fear, a person cannot catch chlamydia from a towel, doorknob, or toilet seat. Chlamydia often produces no symptoms. According to Eng and Butler (1997) In up to 85% of women and 40% of men, chlamydial infection is asymptomatic-that is, it causes no symptoms. However, even when asymptomatic, chlamydia can result in serious long-term problems, principally damage to the female reproductive organs. Three million American women and men are infected with chlamydia every year. Chlamydia is: four times as common as gonorrhea, more than 30 times as common as syphilis. A person who has contracted chlamydia may see symptoms a week later. In some people, the symptoms take up to a month to appear, while many people never develop any symptoms. What does chlamydia causes? Chlamydia causes PID (pelvic inflammatory disease), sterility, and even death. Some common symptoms of chl...