Measure Understanding of Chlamydia in the UK - Essay Example

?Measure the Current Understanding of Chlamydia in the UK Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. It is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. 10% of sexually active young people are estimated to have affected Chlamydia. It is very easy to treat and cure. But the problem is, in most cases it does not show any symptoms, that is, in 50% of men, and, in 75% of women, it displays no symptoms. So it remains undiscovered and if untreated it can cause serious problems and irreversible damages such as infertility, damage of women’s reproductive organ, discharge from the pennies of an infected man etc. Chlamydia is very common in western countries. “Chlamydia is the most common STI in the UK. It affects both sexes, although young women are more at risk. In 2009, 216,000 people were treated at genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics for Chlamydia. Of these, 130,000 were women, and 86,000 were men. Many more cases were treated by GPs or by private doctors. And it’s thought that tens of thousands of other people have caught the infection, but they are unaware that they’ve got it. Screening has recently shown that in some parts of Britain, 10 per cent to 20 per cent young adults have Chlamydia” (Okkhattak 2012). Chlamydia is known as a silent disease, because in most cases Chlamydia doesn’t show any symptoms. “Around 70-80% of women with Chlamydia don't notice any symptoms. If women do get symptoms, the most common include:  Pain when urinating (peeing) A change in vaginal discharge Pain in the lower abdomen Pain and/or bleeding during sex Bleeding after sex Bleeding between periods Heavier periods than usual” (Symptoms of Chlamydia 2011). As many as 1 in 4 men with Chlamydia have no symptoms. In men, Chlamydia may produce symptoms similar to gonorrhea. Symptoms may include: Burning sensation during urination Discharge from the penis or rectum Testicular tenderness or pain Rectal discharge or pain” (Chlamydia 2010). 1. Prevalence of STIs in England then lead to the prevalence of STIs in London, then link it to Chlamydia. There has been a substantial increase in the diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases in the United Kingdom, especially among the young. “In 2009 there were 482, 696 new STI diagnoses in the UK, 3 per cent more than in 2008. Young people aged between 15 and 24 continue to be the group most affected by STIs in the UK. In 2009, around two thirds of new STI diagnoses in women were in those aged under 25, and over half of the new diagnoses in men were in under 25s” (Sexually Transmitted Infections Fact sheet (November 2010)). The residents of urban areas in London are more affected with acute STIs. There can be many reasons for that, like increased population, more people having sex with infected people etc. Chlamydia is the most common STI, diagnosed in the United Kingdom. “Since 1999 the number of annual cases of Chlamydia has more than doubled. In 2008 there were 123,018 new diagnoses of Chlamydia in GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinics, which was a record number. Between 2008 and 2009, an estimated 16 percent of young people aged between 15 and 24 in England were tested for Chlamydia at a community setting (outside GUM clinics).By 2009, an estimated 1.5 million Chlamydia tests performed under the programme” (STD Statistics and STDs in the UK n.d.). The rate of Chlamydia infection will be much larger, since Chlamydia remains undetected, and also because people don’t come forward for testing. But Chlamydia can be easily diagnosed and if diagnosed, and treated, it is easily curable. 2. What are the modes of transmission of STI’s especially Chlamydia? In gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis, HIV, hepatitis, STI is transmitted by vaginal, anal or oral sex, in which exchange of body fluids takes place. It can also be transmitted through skin to skin contact, like genital warts, herpes, scabies, and pubic lice. Some are transmitted through unsterile needles or injections, by contact with contaminated blood or blood products mostly when people use them to inject narcotic drugs. It can also be transmitted from a mother to an unborn fetus, through vaginal delivery, or by breast feeding. Some infections like scabies and pubic lice can be transmitted through sharing clothes also. Chlamydia is more commonly transmitted through intercourse. A person can become infected with Chlamydia, if he comes in contact with the infected semen or vaginal fluid of another person. Chlamydia is also transmitted during vaginal child birth. “The bacteria can live inside the cells of the cervix (entrance to the uterus – womb), the urethra (tube where urine comes out), the rectum (back passage) and sometimes the throat and the eyes. The infection is most commonly spread through: unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex Though sharing sex toys, if they are not worked or covered them with a new condom each time they’re used. Infected semen or vaginal fluid that comes into contact with the eye can cause conjunctivitis” (Chlamydia n.d.). Chlamydia is not transmitted through kissing, sharing towels, bath soaps, toilet seats, or by sharing cups or plates. “However it is important to practice safe sex practices like using a condom, or having the same partner, in order to avoid transmission of this disease” (Mode of Transmission of Chlamydia 2012). 3. Critique the sexual practices of STI’s and especially Chlamydia: Care for sexually transmitted infections (STI) care in the Netherlands is mainly given by specialized STI centers and general practitioners (GPs). Data from a GP morbidity observation network were utilized to examine the allocation in terms of STI care, and the helpfulness of GP information in surveillance. “The incidence of STI-consultations and -diagnoses increased substantially in recent years, both at GPs and STI centers. The increase in consultations was larger than the increase in diagnoses; Chlamydia incidence rose especially at STI centers. GPs were responsible for 70% of STI-related episodes and 80-85% of STI diagnoses. STI centers attract relatively younger and more often male STI-patients than GPs. Symptomatic STIs like Herpes genitals and genital warts were more frequently diagnosed at GPs and Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis at STI centers” (Broek et al. 2012). Chlamydia is the major normally reported bacterial, sexually broadcasted disease in the UK area of Columbia. The main reason for the wide spreading of Chlamydia is unprotected sex. Another reason is having multiple sex partners. If any one is infected with Chlamydia, there is great chance that all get infected. The use of condoms can greatly reduce the transmission of the disease. “STIs impose an enormous burden of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, both directly through their impact on reproductive and child health, and indirectly through their role in facilitating the sexual transmission of HIV infection” (Mayaud & Mabey 2004). 4. Discuss appropriate and effective treatment for the disease. The diagnosis and treatment of Chlamydia is very easy. Antibiotics are commonly used in the treatment for Chlamydia. “The health care practitioner may prescribe a single-dose antibiotic, such as azithromycin (Zithromax), taken as a pill. On the other hand, the doctor may choose an antibiotic, such as doxycycline (Atridox, Bio-Tab), to be taken as a pill twice a day for a week. Up to 95% of people will be cured after one course of antibiotics” (Houry 2010). Chlamydia infected HIV positive people also should undergo the same treatment as HIV negative people. “Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple infections increases a woman's risk of serious reproductive health complications, including infertility. Women and men with Chlamydia should be retested about three months after treatment of an initial infection, regardless of whether they believe that their sex partners were treated” (Chlamydia Treatment: Guidelines, Research and Updates 2010). If a patient is sensitive to any antibiotics, or if there is a chance they may be pregnant, it is significant that the doctor is learned as this may influence which antibiotics are prescribed. “Treatment must not be interrupted once a course of antibiotics has been started, otherwise it may be necessary to start again from the beginning” (Chlamydia: Symptoms, Signs, Treatment and Testing n.d.). You should avoid sex for as a minimum one week after you have completed your antibiotic treatment. “You may need to avoid having sex for longer if your sexual partner has not been treated so that you do not become re-infected. You should also avoid having sex until your symptoms have gone” (Treating Chlamydia 2011). 5. The use of questionnaires in collecting data (what are the advantages and disadvantages) relate it to asking people on STI’S and then to Chlamydia. There are a lot of advantages for collecting data by questionnaires on STI. One among them is that people will get awareness bout STI, and their knowledge about sex increases. “As part of a longitudinal study of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in lower-income adolescents, we asked 134 parents why they permitted their daughter to participate, analyzing responses using qualitative methods. Over half described participation benefits, providing reasons such as the study being generally good for their daughters, sex education, someone to talk to, and STI testing. Other reasons included positive interactions and familiarity with research and clinical staff, friend or family member participation, and adolescent autonomy in making the decision to participate. If parents perceived their daughter to be “at risk” in some way, such as for STI or pregnancy, they were more likely to cite participation benefits. These data can be used to make such research more sensitive to family and community needs” (Ott et al. 2010). The disadvantage is that some people may not give correct answers to the questionnaire because the questions are regarding STI. Following are the important disadvantages; “lower degree of validity scientific expertise and data-gathering technical back-up needed Demanding in terms of logistics and time” (HIV/AIDS and STI Prevention and Care in Rwandan Refugee Camps in the United Republic of Tanzania 2003). Reference List Broek et al. 2012. Research Article. BMC Family Practice. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Chlamydia 2010. PubMedHealth. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Chlamydia n.d. FPA. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Chlamydia Treatment: Guidelines, Research and Updates 2010. CDC. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Chlamydia: Symptoms, Signs, Treatment and Testing n.d. Avert. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Chlamydia – CDC Fact Sheet 2011. USA.gov. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] HIV/AIDS and STI Prevention and Care in Rwandan Refugee Camps in the United Republic of Tanzania 2003. UNAIDS. Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Houry, D 2010. Chlamydia (cont.). eMedicineHealth. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Mayaud, P & Mabey, D 2004. Tropical Medicine. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Mode of Transmission of Chlamydia 2012. Ask the Doctor. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Okkhattak 2012. What is Chlamydia. HealthMad. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Ott et al. 2010. Parental Permission and Perceived Research Benefits in Adolescent STI Research. NCBI. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Sexually Transmitted Infections Factsheet (November 2010) 2010. FPA. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] STD Statistics and STDs in the UK n.d. Avert. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Symptoms of Chlamydia 2011. NHS. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Treating Chlamydia 2011. Direct Gov. [Online] Available at [Accessed on 10 April 2012] Read More