chlamydia prevention and treatment

Treatment

C. trachomatis infection can be effectively cured with antibiotics once it is detected. Current guidelines recommend azithromycin, doxycycline, erythromycin, or ofloxacin. Agents recommended for pregnant women include erythromycin or amoxicillin.
An option for treating partners of patients (index cases) diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea is patient-delivered partner therapy (PDT or PDPT), which is the clinical practice of treating the sex partners of index cases by providing prescriptions or medications to the patient to take to his/her partner without the health care provider first examining the partner.
 

 

 

Prevention

You can reduce your risk of becoming infected with chlamydia or another sexually transmitted infection (STI) and spreading the infection.

Practice safer sex

 

Preventing an STI is easier than treating an infection after it occurs.

• Talk with your partner about STIs before beginning a sexual relationship. Find out whether he or she is at risk for an STI. Remember that it is possible to be infected with an STI and not know it. HIV, for example, may not be found in the blood for up to 6 months after initial infection.
• Be careful.
  • Avoid sexual contact if you have symptoms of an STI or are being treated for an STI.
  • Avoid sexual contact with anyone who has symptoms of an STI or who may have been exposed to an STI.
• Do not have more than one sex partner at a time. Your risk for an STI increases if you have more than one sex partner.

For more information, see the topic Safer Sex.

Male condom use

Condoms reduce the risk of becoming infected with an STI. A condom must be put on before any sexual contact begins. Use condoms with a new partner until you are certain he or she does not have an STI.
 

Female condom use

Even if you are using another birth control method, you may want to use condoms to reduce your risk of getting an STI. Female condoms are available for women whose partners do not have or will not use a male condom.
 

 

References

1. "WHO Disease and injury country estimates". World Health Organization. 2004. Retrieved Nov 11, 2009.
2. Vos T, Flaxman AD, Naghavi M, Lozano R, Michaud C, Ezzati M, Shibuya K, Salomon JA, Abdalla S, et al. (Dec 15, 2012). "Years lived with disability (YLDs) for 1160 sequelae of 289 diseases and injuries 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.". Lancet 380 (9859): 2163–96. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61729-2. PMID 23245607.
3. Lozano R, Naghavi M, Foreman K, Lim S, Shibuya K, Aboyans V, Abraham J, Adair T, Aggarwal R, Ahn SY, et al. (Dec 15, 2012). "Global and regional mortality from 235 causes of death for 20 age groups in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.". Lancet 380 (9859): 2095–128. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61728-0. PMID 23245604.
4. "STD Trends in the United States: 2010 National Data for Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and Syphilis". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 22 November 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
5. Torrone, E; Papp, J; Weinstock, H (Sep 26, 2014). "Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infection Among Persons Aged 14-39 Years - United States, 2007-2012.". MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 63 (38): 834–838. PMID 25254560.
6. "Chlamydia". UK Health Protection Agency. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
7. "STD Facts - Chlamydia". Retrieved 2007-10-26.
8. McCoy AJ, Adams NE, Hudson AO, Gilvarg C, Leustek T, Maurelli AT (2006). "L,L-diaminopimelate aminotransferase, a trans-kingdom enzyme shared by Chlamydia and plants for synthesis of diaminopimelate/lysine". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103 (47): 17909–14. doi:10.1073/pnas.0608643103. PMC 1693846. PMID 17093042.-"Diagnosis and Treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection - April 15, 2006 - American Family Physician". Retrieved 2010-10-30. 
    
   9.Expedited Partner Therapy in the Management of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (2 February 2006) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention