Sexually transmitted diseases have been around ever since humans inhabited the earth, and for thousands of years, they have been associated with a certain taboo that has made knowledge regarding them, and consequently information regrading how to protect yourself from them, harder to obtain. In this article, we will talk about a common sexually transmitted disease that is caused by a bacteria called chlamydia trachomatis.
What is chlamydia?
Chlamydia is a family of small organisms that live inside cells. Chlamydia trachomatis is a member of this group causes the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD). Chlamydia infects the genital and urinary systems of both males and females. It can also infect other parts of the body including the pharynx, lungs, and eyes. The reason behind this is that all of the previous structures are lined by the same type of cells as the cervix, fallopian tubes, uterus in females and the epididymis (the tube that transfers sperms from the testes) in males. Chlamydia invade such cells, reproducing inside them, then destroying them, causing infection to neighboring cells and intense inflammation.