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Chlamydia: A pop quiz for parents

Do you know enough about sexually transmitted infection to tell your teen warning signs and how to avoid it?

    by Rima Himelstein, M.D.
    Published 

Recently, I heard about a chlamydia scare in a Texas High School.  It got me thinking...parents should be teaching their children about chlamydia. It got me thinking a little bit more…parents should know at least a little about chlamydia before teaching their children. Then it got me thinking even more...PSSAs, SATs, ACTs, AP tests…why should teenagers have all the fun?  So I created a PCT (Parent's Chlamydia Test). Good luck and try not to stress…stress triggers acne!

True or false:

1. Chlamydia is a virus.

2. Chlamydia is the most common reportable sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States.

3. Females have higher rates of chlamydia than males.

4. Chlamydia rates are highest in states with the most populated cities, like New York.

5. Chlamydia can be spread by kissing.

6. Urinating after sex can help prevent the spread of chlamydia.

7. People can get chlamydia multiple times.

8. People with chlamydia usually have a discharge.

9. Chlamydia can cause complications later even if it is initially without symptoms.

10. Sexually active teenagers should be tested for chlamydia every year.

Let's see how you did:

1. Chlamydia is a virus. False. Chlamydia is a bacterium — a microscopic living organism. Because chlamydia is a bacterium, it can be treated with antibiotics.

2. Chlamydia is the most common reportable STI in the United States. True. Medical providers are required to report chlamydia to a health department.  Human papillomavirus (HPV) is actually more common than chlamydia, but not reportable.

3. Females have higher rates of chlamydia than males. True. Females, especially those between the ages of 15 and 24, have the highest rates of chlamydia.

4.Chlamydia rates are highest in states with the most populated cities, like New York. False. In 2013, Alaska had the highest rate and New Hampshire had the lowest rate of chlamydia. Pennsylvania was 30th and New Jersey was 45th out of the 50 states.

5. Chlamydia can be spread by kissing. False. Chlamydia is spread when a person has unprotected vaginal or anal sex with someone who is infected. It is passed through semen and vaginal fluid; it can be passed from mother to child during birth. Infected babies can get a lung infection (pneumonia) or an eye infection (conjunctivitis).

6. Urinating after sex can help prevent the spread of chlamydia. False. Other things that don't help are washing genitals before sex or douching after sex. Second to abstinence, latex condoms offer the best protection against chlamydia.

7.People can get chlamydia multiple times. True, sadly. It's not because the antibiotics don't work — they do — it's because people are getting reinfected by sex partners who have untreated chlamydia.

8. People with chlamydia usually have a discharge. False. Around 90 percent of females and 70 percent of males with chlamydia have no symptoms at all! People can have the chlamydia infection for years and infect their sex partners without knowing it. If symptoms occur, they usually start one to three weeks after infection. Symptoms include:

  1. unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding

  2. penile discharge

  3. pain or burning when urinating

  4. discharge or bleeding from the rectum

9. Chlamydia can cause complications even if it is asymptomatic. True.

  1. Chlamydia can increase the chances of getting other STIs like HIV or gonorrhea.

  2. In females, chlamydia can spread to involve the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries — a condition known as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Symptoms of PID can be mild to severe and include lower abdominal pain, heavier and more painful menstrual periods, and fever or vomiting. With PID, scar tissue can form and completely block the fallopian tubes, causing infertility, or partially block the tubes, resulting in a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy.

  3. In males, untreated chlamydia can lead to epididymitis, an infection that causes testicular pain.

10. Sexually active teenagers should be tested for chlamydia every year. True. Testing can be done at primary care offices, family planning clinics and health departments. A healthcare provider may ask for a urine sample or a swab to test for chlamydia, as well as gonorrhea, since many people who have chlamydia also have gonorrhea. High-risk teenagers should be tested more often. All teens that are treated should be retested three months after treatment.

Great job! Now that you're a certified "chlamydiologist", it's time to teach your children everything they need to know about it! Here are helpful websites to share with your teenagers to read about chlamydia and many other important health topics:

  1. For girls, Boston Children's Hospital's Center for Young Women's Health: www.youngwomenshealth.org.

  2. For boys, Boston Children's Hospital's Young Men's Health: www.youngmenshealthsite.org.

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