Chlamydia is Americas and Europes most common std. It is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis. The Unfortunate thing with the std is that, chlamydia can be a very difficult disease to diagnose, the main reason being that the symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent. If left untreated serious complications that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur "silently" before a woman ever recognizes a problem. Chlamydia also can cause discharge from the penis of an infected man. So if something does not feel right, get it checked out.

As with other STD's you get it through some kind of sexual contact. Chlamydia can be transmitted during, oral, vaginal or anal sex, it can also be passed on from mother to baby during childbirth.

Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. The greater the number of sex partners, the greater the risk of infection. Teenage girls are at the highest risk because the cervix (opening to the uterus) of young women is not fully matured and is probably more susceptible to infection. They are at particularly high risk for infection if sexually active. Since chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex, men who have sex with men are also at risk for chlamydial infection.

The good news is that .

Chlamydia is easily treatable. The good news is that treatment is pretty easy and straight forward for chlamydia.

A single dose of azithromycin / zitromax / zithromax or a week of doxycycline (twice daily) are the most commonly used treatments. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV negative.

All sex partners should be evaluated, tested, and treated. Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual intercourse until they and their sex partners have completed treatment, otherwise re-infection is possible.