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What Is Chlamydia? - Mary Ann Shostek

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Physician assistant Mary Ann describes chlamydia and the symptoms associated with this sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Mary Ann:
Chlamydia is an infection, a sexually transmitted infection. It is the most prevalent STD here in the United States. We do see quite a bit of it here in our office. The next most prevalent I guess would be herpes.

With the Chlamydia infection the thing for women to remember is that sometimes it’s asymptomatic, meaning that the patient doesn’t even know that she has been exposed to it or has the infection. It’s easily treatable with antibiotics and we can treat the partner as well.

So, it’s important for young women especially because the prevalent age group is somewhere between 19 and 24, the most prevalent age group for that to be screening for it so that they can be treated. If left untreated it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause some long-term consequences with fertility.

Some symptoms that a patient might have are an increased vaginal discharge, vaginal discomfort, maybe some discomfort with intercourse, but again, sometimes it’s kind of a silent infection. Also if a patient’s partner is experiencing symptoms like discharge then that would be an indication to get checked as well.

About Mary Ann Shostek, P.A.-C.:
Mary Ann is a Physicians Assistant. She graduated from Arizona State University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and went on to pursue a Master’s degree in Medical Science, graduating from the Physician Assistant Program at Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona in 2004. Mary Ann’s experience is in Women’s Health – specializing in fertility.

Visit Mary Ann at The Center for True Harmony, Wellness & Medicine

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