Chlamydiah Affects women and their unborn child

As the most reported Sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States of America, Chlamydia has become the most complicated STD to exist. Chlamydia is a common STD that is caused by a type of bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis, (it is important to note that Chlamydia trachomatis can damage a woman's reproductive organs). Chlamydia lives in vaginal fluid and in semen. It is known to be a “silent” disease because the symptoms are usually mild or absent. It can take a long time for an individual realize that they have this disease. Chlamydia symptoms usually appear within one to three weeks after being infected. Those who do not have the symptoms may have an abnormal discharge (mucus or pus) from the vaginal or penis, or experiencing pain while urinating (Chlamydia, 1). Affecting approximately 2.8 Americans per year, Chlamydia has played a significant role to why pregnant women and their unborn children have complications once born. In this paper I will explore how Chlamydia affects pregnant women and their unborn children, but first I will introduce how this “silent disease”, Chlamydia, is transmitted and how it can be treated.

Chlamydia is transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person. It can be passed during vaginal, anal or oral sex. It also can be treated, but because the symptoms are mild many people do not know that they need to be treated. There for the Chlamydia spreads through out the affected person body. Chlamydia treatment involves antibiotics, either a single dose of “azithromycin” or a week of “doxyclcline” (twice a day) (Chlamydia treatment, 1). Azithromycin is an antibiotic that is apart of the macrolides drug class. This medicine kills bacteria in the body by affecting peptide activity and decreasing bacteria’s ability to make protein. It comes in either a tablet or liquid suspension form. Similar to azithromycin, doxyclcline also decrease bacteria’s ability to make protein. It is apart of the “tetracyclines” drug class. Both antibiotic serves the purpose of killing the bacteria, however because many women are not aware that they are infected with this “silent” disease, complications appears in their reproduction system.

Chlamydia complications typically affect women more than it affects men. In women, untreated Chlamydia infection can spread into the uterus causing damage to their fallopian tubes, uterus and surrounding tissues. In the case of pregnant women, Chlamydia poses risks to the mother and the baby. A woman can experience an ectopic pregnancy- which is when a fertilized egg implants in a fallopian tube or elsewhere in the abdomen rather than in the uterus, making it impossible for the pregnancy to continue. This condition results in a miscarriage and can cause the death of a mother (Chlamydia in Pregnancy, 2). Chlamydia complicates pregnancy for woman and their unborn child. However, if the pregnancy continues, the baby conditions can also become complicated.

A baby who is exposed to the Chlamydia trachomatis in the birth canal during delivery may develop an eye infection or pneumonia. As the baby passes through the birth canal, he or she will come into contact with the woman blood and vaginal fluids. The baby can get conjunctivitis after being exposed to their mother infected vaginal fluids. The baby usually has symptoms of conjunctivitis, which include discharge and swollen eyelids (usually develop within the first ten days of his/her life). Symptoms of pneumonia, including a cough that gets steadily worse and congestion, most often develop within three to six weeks after birth (Chlamydia in Pregnancy, 1). It is evitable that one-quarter to one-half of the babies who are infected by their mothers “untreated Chlamydia”, develop conjunctivitis a few days to a few weeks after birth, and five percent to 20 percent develop pneumonia a few weeks to several months after birth (Chlamydia in Pregnancy, 3). An unborn child can also face others issues due to the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis.

In addition, Chlamydia has also been inked to with premature delivery, resulting from the “infection stimulating the rapture of a woman’s uterine.” This means that if a woman has Chlamydia she can give birth to the baby well before its due date. It is also possible that if a woman’s baby contracts Chlamydia from her, the baby can also develop infections in the genitals, lungs and also the ears (Pregnancy Problems, 1). Pregnancy complications get worse if the baby catch’s Chlamydia form its mother. Chlamydia affects a woman’s unborn child drastically once the baby is born into this world. In fact between 20% and 50% of babies born to infected mothers will contract the infection. In severe cases blindness may occur and a child can have respiratory disease for a long time if not treated.

As the silent disease, Chlamydia tends to strike many pregnant women. The problem is that if they do not get treated than their unborn child will more likely have life complications once born into this naked world. Is this fair for the unborn child? NO! It is not unfair for a child to have medical problems because of their mother’s past actions. More women should get tested; the problem is that since the disease takes a long time to appear in woman, it is too late to treat the organs that have already been damaged from the Chlamydia. Chlamydia is significant to why women have “Pelvic Inflammation Disease” (PID). This disease is a serious infection f the reproductive organs. The bacteria can infect the cervix, fallopian tubes, and urine canal in women. PID can cause scarring of the fallopian tubes, which can block the tubes and prevent fertilization from taking place (Chlamydia, 2). If fertilization can not take place than the woman’s reproduction system is damaged. A woman can face the hardships of not being able to have a baby. If they can, imagine if a baby is infected with the Chlamydia that his/her mother has given them, they are bound to have some type of medical problem once born.

More than three million cases of Chlamydia occur in the United States each year! Although Chlamydia can be treated, it cannot undo any damage that may have already occurred in a woman’s reproductive system. If pregnant, Chlamydia not only affects ones body negatively, but there child too. Why would a woman want to put their child through the many horrible conditions expressed in this paper? If Chlamydia could not be treated, then I could see why many children can face the various problems that they have once they come in contact with Chlamydia, but it is curable. Women across the world need to get tested for Chlamydia; it is one way to stop the harm of their reproductive system. If pregnant, they will not have to worry about the negative affects that Chlamydia has on their unborn child. Although it is a sneaky, silent disease, it is curable. So ladies save your child from the horrible conditions and your reproductive organ systems, get tested!

WORK CITED

MEDTV. “Chlamydia”. November 12, 2007 http://chlamydia.emedtv.com/chlamydia/chlamydia.html

Pregnancy-info.net.”Chlamydia in Pregnancy”. November 12, 2007

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/stds_chlamydia_pregnancy.html

MEDTV. “Chlamydia treatment”. November 12, 2007

http://chlamydia.emedtv.com/chlamydia/chlamydia-treatment.html

Pregnancy-info.net. “Pregnancy Problems”. November 12, 2007