Women's Health Care: Chlamydia Treatment & Prevention during Pregnancy

Chlamydia, one of the most common STD (sexual transmitted disease), is widespread all over the world, but it can be prevented through proper precautions. Further, most patients with existing infections can be treated effectively if they get suitable treatment method.

How Should Chlamydia Be Treated in Pregnancy?

Antibiotic therapy is always the first option one will choose for Chlamydia which can relieve the symptoms effectively as long as you take the medication as prescribed. Generally speaking, one should start treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis, though there are exceptions. Medication may be started if your doctor suspects an infection that has not been confirmed through testing.

For non-pregnant women, the following antibiotics are recommended:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.      <!--[endif]-->Azithromycin (Zithromax), 1 gram (gm) orally in a single dose;

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.      <!--[endif]-->Doxycycline (Vibramycin), 100 milligram (mg) orally, twice a day for seven days.

For pregnant women, the following antibiotic treatments of Chlamydia are recommended:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.      <!--[endif]-->Erythromycin base, 500 mg orally, four times a day for seven days;

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.      <!--[endif]-->Amoxicillin (Amoxil), 500 mg, three times a day for seven days.

As azithromycin is a relatively new drug, its safety and efficacy during pregnancy have not been firmly established. As a result, azithromycin is considered the second-line therapy during pregnancy by CDC (Centers for Disease Control). However, azithromycin has become increasingly popular for Chlamydia treatment in both pregnant and non-pregnant women because of its high level of effectiveness, tolerability, and simple dosing regimen.

On the other side, Doxycycline should not be used for pregnant women because it may interfere with fetal development. For example, it may discolor a baby's teeth to some extent.

Concerns about Side Effects

Like all medications, some side effects can be caused by antibiotics used to treat chlamydia. For example, antibiotic treatment can alter the bacteria that normally inhabit the vagina or bowel and make a woman susceptible to vaginal yeast infections.

According to the analysis above, a new herbal medicine appears, that is Fuyan Pill which is made from Chinese herbs without any side effects. It can relieve all symptoms of Chlamydia infection in non-pregnant women. As for pregnant women, its safety has not been confirmed yet.

How Can Chlamydia Infection Be Prevented?

The risk of developing Chlamydia-or any STD has a direct relation with the number of sexual partners one have. According to lots of clinical cases, the most effective way to prevent Chlamydia infection is to:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.      <!--[endif]-->Try complete sex abstinence in one’s daily life

<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.      <!--[endif]-->Limit one’s sexual partner to one who is uninfected and also sexually monogamous (reciprocal monogamy).

<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.      <!--[endif]-->Use condom correctly if your partner is infected, which is a highly effective way of protecting yourself against infection-although not 100% safe.