New Vaccine for STD infection Clamdyia

Now, you might say- “Why do we need a vaccine for a common, but not ‘serious’, sexually transmitted infection like Clamydia?”

Although Clamydia can be treated successfully with antibiotics, it’s often not detected for some time.

That’s because Clamydia like some other STD’s can be harboured in your reproductive body parts without symptoms or signs.

But-and here’s where it’s important to know if you have Clamdyia- if you are a women ongoing infection with Clamydia can cause inflammation or irritation in the fallopian tubes ( the tubes connecting your ovaries to your womb) which results in scarring of the fallopian tubes.

This scarring can prevent eggs from your ovaries travelling to your womb. It can therefore cause infertility or difficulty becoming pregnant.

Other consequences of Clamydia infection

• Pelvic inflammatory disease

• Pain in the pelvis

• pain on intercourse

• discharge from the cervix

• Ectopic pregnancy- pregnancy outside of the womb

• Infection of your newborn baby either in the lungs or the eyes.

• pain on passing urine.

The number of people getting Clamydia in the UK is increasing. Approximately 130 million women and men are newly infected each year worldwide.

Unless you use a condom you are at risk of contracting STD’s if you don’t know your partner’s sexual history.

So, a vaccine for Clamydia is good news.

The most recent trial in the USA has shown positive results with good immunity on blood tests.

The next step will be to see if people who are at risk of Clamydia, who receive the vaccine, are then immune to contracting Clamydia during sexual contact.

In the meantime, know your sexual partner and ask them to have a sexual health screen to be sure you are not at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

Clamydia, of course is not the only infection you can get, so although a vaccine is on the horizon, it may just lead to a decrease in Clamydia, but an increase in unsafe sex.

Which would lead to an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STD’s) in general, which is bad news.

Don’t be embarrassed to have a sexual health screen carried out. It shows responsibility and maturity.

If you have questions regarding the sexual screening tests we offer please email me: info@vitalishealth.co.uk

You can also book an appointment with a local GUM clinic without seeing a GP before. Here’s a link to all GUM clinics in Northern Ireland