Two sexually transmitted diseases, chlamydia and gonorrhea, can cause serious health complications. The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis causes chlamydia, while the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes gonorrhea. If left untreated, infected persons can pass the bacterium on to other people. Proper treatment will get rid of the sexually transmitted diseases, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that it will not reverse any damage.
Statistics
Both gonorrhea and chlamydia are common sexually transmitted disease. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that an estimated 700,000 people get gonorrhea each year, though only half of these cases are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chlamydia is more prevalent than gonorrhea. In 2008, chlamydia affected 1,210,523 people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms
MedlinePlus points out that 25 percent of men and 70 percent of women with chlamydia do not have symptoms. If they do have symptoms, they can experience a burning sensation during urination, discharge and pain in the rectum, testicles or during intercourse. Patients with gonorrhea have symptoms within two to five days after becoming infected, or up to a month for men. Symptoms of gonorrhea include pain and burning during urination, increased urination and a sore throat.
Testing
People who have symptoms or are at risk should have testing done for these sexually transmitted diseases. These tests help doctors determine the proper treatment. One test option is a gram strain, which uses a sample of tissue or discharge. MedlinePlus notes that doctors may also do a culture of the tissue, which provides a definite diagnosis within 72 hours.
Treatment
To treat chlamydia or gonorrhea, a doctor will give patients an antibiotic. The MayoClinic.com lists erythromycin, azithromycine and doxycycline as possible antibiotics to treat these sexually transmitted diseases. The patient may take the antibiotic as a one-time dose or multiple times a day for five to 10 days. During treatment, it can take one to two weeks for the bacterium to leave the patient's body. As a precaution, patients should abstain from sex during this time. Patients' sexual partners should be tested for gonorrhea or chlamydia, as well. If they have the bacterium, they can pass it back to the patient.
Complications
Without proper treatment, people with chlamydia or gonorrhea can have serious complications. Both men and women with gonorrhea can have a heart valve infection or meningitis, an inflammation of the brain's membranes. Men with gonorrhea can develop scarring of the uterus, kidney failure or abscess of the urethra, a collection of pus. Women with gonorrhea can develop scarring of the fallopian tubes, sterility or pelvic inflammatory disease. MedlinePlus points out that if a woman is pregnant while infected with gonorrhea, she can pass the bacterium onto her baby. Chlamydia can also result in complications such as infertility or pelvic inflammatory disease. If a woman is pregnant, chlamydia can cause premature labor and delivery.
