Today I will discuss the STDs caused by bacteria, and will discuss the ones caused by viruses in the next posting. Since it was only recognized as a serious STD in the past few years, reporting of chlamydia was not required by most health departments until recently, and the methods of testing a swab for chlamydia have only recently been perfected. Therefore figures on the number of cases are probably wildly inaccurate. Nonetheless it is the most commonly reported STD, with 548,000 new cases in 1998. There is no blood test or immunization.
Diagnosis is by swab of the urethra, cervix, or other sites.
Most women are tested automatically when they get a PAP smear. Men are not usually tested unless they report the disease in a sexual partner. The disease produces few symptoms in either men or women, and may remain in the urethra or cervix for prolonged periods. It is now thought to be a major cause, along with gonorrhea, of pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in women. Men will less frequently get an infection near the testicle, called epididymitis.