In the UK, the number of new diagnoses of chlamydia has increased each year, and it is now the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). Commonly known as the “silent infection”, chlamydia is spread through unprotected sex and does not show noticeable symptoms. This means people will not know they have the disease until they are tested. The concerning thing is, if left untreated for a long time, it could lead to serious health problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility or ectopic pregnancy. It is absolutely vital to get tested earlier rather than later to prevent the risk of such complications. The common treatment is a course of antibiotics, which, if the directions are followed, is at least 95% effective. Natalie Richards, 29, tells of when she was diagnosed and how it changed her attitude to sexual health. “I was 17 years old, and I actually went to the clinic for the morning-after pill after having unprotected sex. While there, I was offered an STI check-up and told to come back in a week for my results. I went back to collect my results expecting a clean bill of health but was told I tested positive for chlamydia. I felt shell-shocked, worried about what this might mean for the future. I am still a little embarrassed because it was very irresponsible to have unprotected sex. They explained what the symptoms were and gave me antibiotics to treat the disease. They commended me for coming in early and explained how dangerous chlamydia is in the long term. It finally dawned on me how serious this was, and I decided that day never to be so careless again. I took responsibility for my sexual health and went for regular checks from that day onwards.”
Chlamydia Symptoms
•Pain and/or bleeding during sex
•Unusual discharge
•Pain when urinating
•Bleeding between periods and/or heavier periods
Your local sexual health clinic, genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic or community contraceptive clinic can test you for STIs free of charge, and all advice and treatment is completely confidential. So don’t wait any longer – get tested!
For further information, visit the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk/chlamydia
