Chlamydia can be cured but you need to get tested first

Not enough young women are receiving chlamydia screening, report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the most recent data, only 38 percent of sexually active American women aged 15 to 25 have been tested for chlamydia within the last year. It s a number that s far too low, given that chlamydia is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. and, when left untreated, can leave women with chronic pain, life-threatening ectopic pregnancies, and infertility.

Yet women need not suffer the complications of chlamydia. The infection, when diagnosed early enough, is easily cured with antibiotics. A single dose of azithromycin or a week of doxycycline is typically all it takes, followed by a screening three months afterward to ensure the treatment has been successful. Because chlamydia often has no symptoms, the CDC recommends annual screening for sexually active women. Of course, partners of infected women also need to be tested and treated to avoid reinfection.

In 2010, 1.3 million new cases of chlamydia were reported to the CDC, although the actual number may be much higher, perhaps 2.8 million, since many infections go unreported. Men are at risk, too: Although they are less likely to develop complications from an infection, they may still experience some uncomfortable symptoms. Furthermore, infected men can readily transmit the disease to their sexual partners.

ACSH s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan, observing the disparity between the ease of curing the disease and the serious complications that can arise when it is untreated, agrees that chlamydia screening should be a routine part of a sexually active woman s annual exam. Women s healthcare providers should strongly encourage such a screening routine, she says.