Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. today, but most infected people have no symptoms. Progressing silently, this disease can cause female infertility and other damaging effects. Men are not routinely screened, although an infected man spreads the disease through sexual activity and even re-infects a sexual partner if he does not complete treatment. Sexually active adults and teens need to discuss their risk factors with a health care provider to know if screening can be of value to them. If you are young and sexually active, you face the greatest risk of infection.
The American College of Preventive Medicine and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force both recommend the following:
If you are pregnant, especially if you are younger than 25 years old, or if you have an infection of the cervix, you should be tested for chlamydial infection.
The American College of Preventive Medicine recommends the following for other sexually active women:
Have your health care provider review your risk factors at each routine care appointment so you will know if you are presently at risk.
Get a chlamydia test once a year if you have any of the risk factors.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force strongly recommends the following:
All sexually active women aged 25 years and younger should be routinely screened for chlamydia.
All other sexually active women who have no symptoms but are at increased risk for infection should also be routinely screened.
Risk factors include the following: you are sexually active and less than 25 years old, you are a sexually active African American, you have a new male sex partner or have had two or more partners during the preceding year, you use barrier contraception inconsistently, or you have a history of prior sexually transmitted disease.
For more information about your risk and how to protect yourself, see the American Social Health Association web site at http://www.ashastd.org/stdfaqs/chlamydia.html.
Sources
Berg AO, for the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for chlamydial infection: recommendations and rationale. Am J Prev Med. 2001 Apr 20;20(3 Suppl):90-94. Available on the Internet from the National Guideline Clearinghouse at http://www.guidelines.gov. Accessed July 19, 2004.
Hollblad-Fadiman K and Goldman SM, for the American College of Preventive Medicine. Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis (practice policy statement). Am J Prev Med. 2003 April;24(3):287-292. Available on the Internet from the National Guideline Clearinghouse at http://www.guideline.gov. Accessed July 19, 2004.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Chlamydia fact sheet. Available on the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/STDFact-Chlamydia.htm. Accessed July 19, 2004.
