The numbers of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are hitting record highs.

And, the unfortunate part is people at high risk are reluctant to get screened or tested.

A CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimate reveals that younger people between the ages 15-24 account for more than 60 percent of all chlamydia cases.

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is one of the common STIs that can infect both genders.

If left untreated, it has the potential to cause serious damage to a woman’s reproductive system, making it difficult for her to get pregnant going ahead.

How does this disease spread?

Chlamydia is transmitted through sexual contact - vaginal, anal, or oral sex - with a partner who has chlamydia.

If the woman is pregnant, she can transmit chlamydia to the baby during childbirth.

The best approach to avoid any kind of STD is to adopt the following behavior:

Be in a monogamous relationship with a partner who is free from any kind of STI.
Use condoms, preferably latex, during each sexual intercourse session.

Chlamydia symptoms

For men

Discharge from the penis
Burning sensation during urinating
Soreness or swelling in one or both testicles

For women

Unusually high vaginal discharge
Burning sensation while urinating

The presence of any symptoms demands that you must consult your doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will recommend a chlamydia blood test to diagnose the disease.

The good news is chlamydia can be cured.

It is vital that the medication the doctor prescribes must be taken in totality to avoid the possibility of getting complications going ahead.

Complications can be disastrous.

For women, the disease can spread to uterus and fallopian tubes, which in turn can cause pelvic inflammatory disease.

Men typically have fewer serious issues than women.

Men can suffer from infection to the tube that carries the sperm from the testicles.

However, untreated chlamydia has the potential to cause HIV – the virus that turns to AIDS.

Some medical professionals are of the view that chlamydia screening must be made mandatory as part of an annual exam.

This will address the issue of reluctance that some people may have to get tested for STIs.

Health care professional can do more.

They can engage their patients in candid discussions on sensitive issues such as sexual behavior.

Open and honest interactions between doctors, parents, and children can help a lot in more chlamydia screening.

Fortunately we have good news.

A vaccine for chlamydia has passed an early test, which points to good possibility of it being available to the public in course of time.

This potential vaccine is being developed by Health Researchers in the UK, and as per reports they are moving forward with its onward testing.

Even though in its early stages, things are expected to go well.

With cautious optimism, medical professionals are hoping that the chlamydia vaccination will be available to the public in the next 4-5 years.

According to health professionals, chlamydia goes undetected in the human system, regardless of whether the person is male or female.

This makes availability of a vaccine all the more important to prevent future proliferation of this disease.