How to protect yourself from chlamydia. Does a condom protect against chlamydia infection? Extragenital forms of chlamydia

Numerous studies conducted in recent years by experts from different countries have shown that condom is an extremely reliable means of protection against the vast majority of sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia.
The fact is that the natural microscopic pores present in the condom are too small for the bacteria of the pathogen. Therefore, under normal conditions and with proper use, infection with chlamydia through a condom is impossible.

However, in medical practice, many patients with chlamydia indicate regular use of condoms. Most experts tend to believe that the blame for the infection still lies with the patients themselves.

Infection with chlamydia when using condoms can occur for the following reasons:
1. extragenital forms of chlamydia;
2. transmission by contact-household way;
3. improper use of a condom.

Extragenital forms of chlamydia.

Chlamydia refers to sexually transmitted diseases, since infection occurs mainly through sexual contact. However, chlamydia is able to survive and multiply not only on the mucous membrane of the urinary tract. Sometimes the urogenital form of chlamydia is accompanied by other extragenital forms. In such cases, a condom cannot protect against infection.

Possible extragenital forms of chlamydia are:

• chlamydial conjunctivitis ( damage to the mucous membrane of the eye);
• chlamydial pneumonia;
• damage to the mucous membrane of the pharynx.

Thus, from a person with chlamydia, you can become infected with saliva during a kiss or when coughing with small drops of mucus. Of course, in this case, even an expensive condom, if used correctly, will not become an obstacle to infection. However, the prevalence of atypical chlamydia lesions is quite low. This is especially true for oral infections. In addition, if during unprotected sexual contact the risk of infection is 60 - 70%, then when contacted through a kiss or with drops of mucus during coughing, the probability drops to 3 - 5%.

Transmission by contact-household way.

During intercourse, even before putting on a condom, secretions from the genital organs can get on the bedding. Thus, chlamydia will bypass the barrier and still be transmitted to the sexual partner. From the point of view of medicine, this method of transmission will be classified as contact-household. However, patients who are unaware of these features of chlamydia transmission may subsequently suspect a condom defect.

Incorrect use of a condom.

Despite the apparent simplicity, many people make mistakes when using a condom. In most cases, this leads to its tearing or damage, which ultimately ends with the transmission of chlamydia from one partner to another.

The most common mistakes when using a condom are:

• Use of two condoms. Using two condoms at the same time does not increase the level of protection against chlamydia. On the contrary, in such cases, the risk of slipping or breaking of condoms increases, which will lead to infection.
• Use of male and female condoms. Using a male and female condom at the same time also increases the risk of breaking them. In the case of chlamydia specifically, it is desirable to give preference to classic male condoms, as they reliably cover the area of ​​the penis with epithelium sensitive to chlamydial infection.
• Air retention in a condom. Most condoms have a small reservoir at the end to collect semen. If you do not pinch it with your fingers when putting it on, then there will be air retention in the condom. As a result, semen released at the end of intercourse can provoke a rupture.
• belated use. Some couples put on a condom in the middle of intercourse rather than before it starts. Such belated use may protect against unwanted pregnancy, but not against chlamydia.
• Wrong dressing. Some people unroll the condom completely before putting it on. This is extremely inconvenient and can damage the material when stretched. Even microscopic tears can be enough for chlamydia to be transmitted to a partner.
• Unpacking damage. Using scissors or other sharp objects may cause damage when unwrapping the condom. The ribbed side surface on the package in most cases allows you to tear it with your fingers.
• Expiration date check. Many people don't know that condoms have an expiration date. It is usually listed on the packaging. The fact is that after a certain time, the lubricant can dry out even in sealed packaging, and latex can give microscopic cracks. Through these defects, chlamydia infection is quite possible, therefore, before using a condom, it is imperative to check the expiration date.
• Incorrect storage of a condom. Improper storage of a condom involves excessive squeezing, heating, cooling, or direct exposure to sunlight. All these factors contribute to the destruction of latex, which will greatly reduce the quality of protection.

Thus, it is safe to say that a condom is a reliable means of protection against chlamydia only when used correctly. In addition, for full prevention, it is necessary to pay attention to other ways of transmitting the infection.

Has handed over the analysis of a blood on herpes. Herpes was not detected by PCR. Type 1 IgM antibodies were not detected, but IgG antibodies were detected in a titer below average (titer 1:800, activity index 7.9), IgM type 2 antibodies in low titer (titer 1:50, activity index 1.3). Am I sick with herpes? Please tell me in detail, I don’t understand anything about this, so I’m very worried. The doctor expressed a suspicion that it could also be genital warts (on the labia minora, as it were, papillae). If so, what is the probability of infection of a partner in a condom and without it.

You are sick with herpes, just like 90% of mankind are sick with it. He (the virus) is in you, but it's not scary. What you describe really looks like genital warts. They are caused by the human papillomavirus that lives in the blood. A condom reduces the chance of contracting this virus, but does not eliminate it. The virus is transmitted by contact, so most likely the partner already has it. The danger of this virus lies in the fact that it can cause changes in the cervix and penis, which are the basis for the development of malignant tumors. Therefore, both of you now need to periodically appear: you - a gynecologist, he - a dermatologist or virologist, in order to notice and treat changes in a timely manner. The warts themselves are removed chemically (solkovagin) or cauterized with a surgical laser, but this does not cure the virus.

Condylomas cannot in any way be associated with antibodies to the herpes simplex virus found in the blood. They are completely different viruses. Their only similarity is that they are both the most common cause of cervical cancer. Therefore, every six months you need to do an extended colposcopy and, if necessary, treat the pathology of the cervix.

Tell me, please, is chlamydia transmitted through a condom, and in general, how reliable is this protection?

If the condom is of high quality (expensive and well-known company), whole, put on on time and carefully removed, and you did not use vaseline oil or cream as a lubricant, then the latex from which it is made, from known infections, passes only the herpes virus. He does not let everything else pass and, subject to the specified conditions, is a very (and only) effective protection against all other sexually transmitted infections. For even greater reliability, you can combine it with chemical methods of contraception such as Pharmatex, which have the ability to kill certain germs. And if there is a contact with a person who is supposedly ill with a serious disease (hepatitis B, AIDS), then it is better to use two condoms at once.

1) I recently read in a popular magazine that infections such as herpes are also transmitted through a condom, so it is better to completely abstain from sexual activity during treatment. Is it so?
2) I was treated with my husband for a number of infections (chlamydia, ureaplasma, mycoplasma, herpes), after a course of treatment 2 weeks later and gonovaccine, no infections were found (CPR analysis). Can herpes disappear forever?
3) I treat candida that has arisen after treatment with nystatin and clotrimazole moisture tablets. is that enough?
4) All diseases were treated for me at the same time. For her husband, the urologist compiled a program of gradual treatment (first prostatitis (physiotherapy, ultrasound, gland massage, immunotherapy), then chlamydia and ureaplasmosis, and then herpes) Is this correct? In addition, my course ended much earlier than his. How can I protect myself so I don't get infected again?
5) How often do you need to re-analyze? And in what cases to treat, because you say that even if infections are found, but there is no inflammation, this is normal.

1. For the duration of treatment, one should refrain from contacts.
2. Herpes can become inactive. at the same time, it "sleeps" in the nervous tissue and is not excreted from the genital tract.

4. Treatment methods for men and women, especially if it is not an acute, but a chronic infection, differ. Until the end of treatment, it is desirable to refrain from sexual intercourse, if this is not possible, then nothing better than a condom has yet been invented. Use reputable latex condoms (Durex, Life style).
5. Any woman, even if she is not bothered by anything, should visit a gynecologist 1-2 times a year, while you will definitely take a swab for the flora.

1. Can a HIV+ man infect a woman by having oral sex (cunnilingus) with her?
2. HIV and Hepatitis C - what is the prognosis for a person with these diagnoses?
3. Is there a chance for living together with such a man to remain healthy, provided only genital sex with a condom and oral sex on his part? (My mental health is not meant).
4. Does the use of a condom with spermicidal lubricant + Pharmatex significantly reduce the risk of infection or does Pharmatex not matter in this case?
Help me please!

1. According to the literature, it cannot. The virus is excreted with all bodily fluids, but only blood, semen, vaginal secretions and, under a big question, breast milk have a concentration sufficient for infection. Therefore, with cunnilingus, as with a kiss, an infected man cannot transmit the virus to a healthy woman.

2. Prognosis for isolated hepatitis C: in 50-70% the development of chronic hepatitis with the probable formation of liver cancer. The prognosis for HIV infection is death due to the development of AIDS. Before this stage, it takes from several years to tens of years from infection. When combined, these infections worsen and accelerate each other.

3. Any sex only with a condom (better with two, so as not to be afraid that it will break). Avoid contact of contaminating liquids (see item 1) on mucous membranes and skin.

4. The condom itself dramatically reduces the risk of infection. That is, if the condom is of high quality (Durex type), not expired, not torn, you have not used a grease like petroleum jelly, then theoretically the risk is 0%. The virus does not pass through its pores. In practice, the risk remains if the condom is put on at the wrong time, removed carelessly, etc., i.e. if there is contact of the skin or mucous membranes with the sperm of an infected person.

The thing is that, yesterday, after making love with my husband, a condom remained in me. And to this day I can't get it out. HELP PLEASE tell me if I have the opportunity to do this on my own, or have I had to conquer the heights of the gynecological chair for a long time? And what could be the consequences?

Naturally, you can try to get it yourself. The condom is in your posterior vaginal fornix. You need to take the following position: slightly bend your knees and lean forward (a similar position is recommended for inserting a tampon into the vagina and it is shown on the insert for Tampax tampons). Then try to insert your finger as deeply as possible, moving it along the back wall of the vagina and at the same time examining its walls. You know the consistency of a condom, as soon as you find it, hook it and pull it out. You can wrap your finger with a bandage for better grip, this will help to pick up a slippery condom more easily. If you still cannot find a condom, then you can enlist the help of your husband. It can be turned into a sexual game. In this case, you should take a position on your back with your legs bent at the knees, and your spouse examines the posterior fornix of the vagina, moving along its back wall. If your joint attempts fail, then you will have to contact a gynecologist. You probably used a condom to prevent an unwanted pregnancy or infection. Unfortunately, this time the defense was not effective. If you are not planning a pregnancy and more than 72 hours have not passed since the incident, emergency contraception should be taken (1 Postinor tablet, or 2 Non-ovlon tablets, or 3 Silest tablets, and then after 12 hours another 1 Postinor tablet, or 2 tablets Non-ovlona, ​​or 3 Silest tablets, respectively). The last two drugs are more preferable. It is not worth resorting to this method of contraception more than once a month, but still, the less often, the better. If it's been more than 72 hours and you don't want to have a baby anytime soon, you can use an IUD for the first 5 days for emergency contraception. I must warn you that the contraceptive effect of the IUD is based on early termination of pregnancy, i.e. the spiral provokes a miscarriage at a very early date, even before the delay of menstruation. If you have been protected from sexually transmitted infections, you should be retested. For a few days, being in the vagina, the condom is unlikely to cause complications, but you should not leave it there for a long time, this can lead to the development of an inflammatory process in the vagina.

Question: Is chlamydia transmitted through a condom?

Can you get chlamydia by using a condom?

Numerous studies conducted in recent years by experts from different countries have shown that condom is an extremely reliable means of protection against the vast majority of sexually transmitted diseases, including chlamydia.
The fact is that the natural microscopic pores present in the condom are too small for the bacteria of the pathogen. Therefore, under normal conditions and with proper use, infection with chlamydia through a condom is impossible.

However, in medical practice, many patients with chlamydia indicate regular use of condoms. Most experts tend to believe that the blame for the infection still lies with the patients themselves.

Infection with chlamydia when using condoms can occur for the following reasons:
1. extragenital forms of chlamydia;
2. transmission by contact-household way;
3. improper use of a condom.

Extragenital forms of chlamydia.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease, as the infection occurs mainly through sexual contact. However, chlamydia is able to survive and multiply not only on the mucous membrane of the urinary tract. Sometimes the urogenital form of chlamydia is accompanied by other extragenital forms. In such cases, a condom cannot protect against infection.

Possible extragenital forms of chlamydia are:

• chlamydial conjunctivitis ( damage to the mucous membrane of the eye);
• chlamydial pneumonia;
• damage to the mucous membrane of the pharynx.

Thus, from a person with chlamydia, you can become infected with saliva during a kiss or when coughing with small drops of mucus. Of course, in this case, even an expensive condom, if used correctly, will not become an obstacle to infection. However, the prevalence of atypical chlamydia lesions is quite low. This is especially true for oral infections. In addition, if during unprotected sexual contact the risk of becoming infected is 60 - 70%, then upon contact through a kiss or with drops of mucus during coughing, the probability drops to 3 - 5%.

Transmission by contact-household way.

During intercourse, even before putting on a condom, secretions from the genital organs can get on the bedding. Thus, chlamydia will bypass the barrier and still be transmitted to the sexual partner. From the point of view of medicine, this method of transmission will be classified as contact-household. However, patients who are unaware of these features of chlamydia transmission may subsequently suspect a condom defect.

Incorrect use of a condom.

Despite the apparent simplicity, many people make mistakes when using a condom. In most cases, this leads to its tearing or damage, which ultimately ends with the transmission of chlamydia from one partner to another.

The most common mistakes when using a condom are:

• Use of two condoms. Using two condoms at the same time does not increase the level of protection against chlamydia. On the contrary, in such cases, the risk of slipping or breaking of condoms increases, which will lead to infection.
• Use of male and female condoms. Using a male and female condom at the same time also increases the risk of breaking them. In the case of chlamydia specifically, it is desirable to give preference to classic male condoms, as they reliably cover the area of ​​the penis with epithelium sensitive to chlamydial infection.
• Air retention in a condom. Most condoms have a small reservoir at the end to collect semen. If you do not pinch it with your fingers when putting it on, then there will be air retention in the condom. As a result, semen released at the end of intercourse can provoke a rupture.
• belated use. Some couples put on a condom in the middle of intercourse rather than before it starts. Such belated use may protect against unwanted pregnancy, but not against chlamydia.
• Wrong dressing. Some people unroll the condom completely before putting it on. This is extremely inconvenient and can damage the material when stretched. Even microscopic tears can be enough for chlamydia to be transmitted to a partner.
• Unpacking damage. Using scissors or other sharp objects may cause damage when unwrapping the condom. The ribbed side surface on the package in most cases allows you to tear it with your fingers.
• Expiration date check. Many people don't know that condoms have an expiration date. It is usually listed on the packaging. The fact is that after a certain time, the lubricant can dry out even in sealed packaging, and latex can give microscopic cracks. Through these defects, chlamydia infection is quite possible, therefore, before using a condom, it is imperative to check the expiration date.
• Incorrect storage of a condom. Improper storage of a condom involves excessive squeezing, heating, cooling, or direct exposure to sunlight. All these factors contribute to the destruction of latex, which will greatly reduce the quality of protection.

Thus, it is safe to say that a condom is a reliable means of protection against chlamydia only when used correctly. In addition, for full prevention, it is necessary to pay attention to other ways of transmitting the infection.

Can you get chlamydia through a condom?

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. When asked whether chlamydia is transmitted through a condom, optimists will firmly answer you that it will not fail in any situation and is the most reliable protection against all diseases, even AIDS. Skeptics, on the contrary, believe that there is no salvation from chlamydia and you can pick them up through a kiss, bedding, towels and other personal hygiene products. Experts agree that in most cases the condom has a high degree of protection against all types of STDs. In the case of chlamydia, its reliability is due to the fact that the bacteria of the causative agent of the disease are larger in size than the microscopic spores of a rubber protector, they simply cannot penetrate them. Thus, infection with chlamydia through a condom is not possible, but only if it is of high quality and used correctly.

However, in medical practice, cases have been repeatedly recorded when patients claimed that they did not have unprotected sexual contacts. In some cases, infection can occur due to circumstances beyond the control of a person. These include:

1. Separate forms of chlamydia, when urogenital infection is accompanied by extragenital (chlamydial pneumonia, chlamydial conjunctivitis, damage to the pharyngeal mucosa), a condom will not help you. Such bacteria can be transmitted with saliva, during a kiss, or when coughing up small particles of mucus. Such cases are extremely rare, since the prevalence of atypical foci of chlamydia is negligible. So, only 3-5 people out of 100 will become infected through saliva, while the risk of sexually transmitted infection during unprotected sex is 50-60%.
2. Infection by contact-household way. Sometimes it happens that even before putting on a condom, discharge appears from the genitals. They end up on bedding and can still be passed on to a partner. Often people, not knowing about this method of infection, attribute everything to a poor-quality condom.
3. Incorrect use of a condom, despite the apparent simplicity and frequency of its use.

So, in some cases, even the most expensive and high-quality condom will not protect you from infection, so use it correctly to maintain your health.

Can you get chlamydia through a condom?

Many adults do not know whether chlamydia is transmitted through a condom or not. The transmission of urogenital diseases is constantly in the field of view of specialized doctors. Despite the explanatory work aimed at reducing the number of clinical cases, not everyone is in a hurry to monitor their sexual health. Random relationships, refusal of means of protection are the most common reasons. In this case, you do not need to mislead yourself. Even with the choice in favor of a healthy lifestyle and fidelity to a partner, the risk of illness remains.

Practical experience of doctors: note to patients

Knowledge is the only way to protect yourself from many health problems. Unfortunately, citizens choose random advice from neighbors and friends with no medical background. In the past few years, a rumor has been actively spreading that contraceptives do not fully protect against chlamydia. Venereologists with a share of sarcasm in their voice speak of the need to distinguish cause from effect.

Official tests have shown that condoms are a reliable means of protection against a variety of sexually transmitted diseases. In this case, an important caveat is made. Means of protection should be purchased in a pharmacy chain, where their quality has been carefully checked. Yes, the fabric of even the most expensive protective equipment has microscopic pores. That is why people who are not quite medically educated are in a hurry to see this as a threat to life and health.

A detailed study on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean showed that the size of the pores is insufficient for pathogens of urogenital diseases to enter the body. It is important to note that there are caveats to any medical dogma. The same is true this time.

Classification of venereal disease

In medical practice, there are many proven cases of chlamydia in patients who used a condom regularly. Initially, it was believed that the pathogen entered the body much earlier. While in a sleeping state, he did not manifest himself. The result was a false sense of calm. From a practical point of view, the time of the beginning of an active sexual life with the use of protective equipment coincided with the transition of the disease from the passive stage to the active phase.

Recent studies have shown that certain types of chlamydia can still enter the body even when using contraceptives. The following options are distinguished:

• errors in the use of contraceptives;
• extragenital form;
• contact-household method of transmission.

The most common form of transmission of chlamydia through a condom is the second. Due to its physical characteristics, the pathogen can be in sleep mode for a long time to be on the mucous membrane of the genital organs. The condom is not fully able to protect them. That is why in 5-10% of identified clinical cases infection occurs.

If the patient is left without qualified medical care for a long time, then he develops pathological changes in the area of ​​​​the eyes, pharynx or lungs. It is easier to understand this with an example. For example, when coughing or kissing, saliva is exchanged. Since chlamydia is able to survive in the environment, this exchange of fluids is sufficient for transmission.

It is important to note the statistical component here. With unprotected sex, patients are at risk in 70% of cases, and with the exchange of fluids - only 3%. This is explained by the ability of the body to fight pathogenic agents. If chlamydia enters the mucous surfaces, a local inflammatory process begins - sore throat, redness, itching, and so on.

If medical measures are taken quickly, then the pathogen is localized without significant consequences for the body.

In most cases, it is enough to take tests within 1-2 days from the onset of clinical manifestations in order to receive the necessary assistance.

Transmission of the pathogen in everyday life: invisible ways of virus migration

Statistics show that even before the moment of putting on a condom, chlamydia can enter the body. During sleep or wakefulness, secretions come out of the genitals. In varying degrees, they fall on the bed linen, where the sexual intercourse takes place. If the pathogen was already present in the body, for example, in sleep mode, then thanks to such secretions, it enters the body of a new victim without any problems.

In this case, even the use of an expensive condom is not able to protect the person. When it comes to condoms, it is worth immediately noting the cases of its improper use. Due to ignorance, a person is in no hurry to listen to the recommendations of doctors:

• the use of two or more condoms at once does not reduce, but increases the risk of infection;
• the use of both female and male means of protection;
• improper donning;
• violation of the rules for storing the product;
• air getting into the condom;
• use of protective equipment at the end of intercourse.

Any of these errors will negatively affect human health. That is why it is necessary to visit a doctor. First of all, this is done to maintain health. Preventive tests allow early identification of risk factors. Secondly, the doctor will tell you about all the nuances associated with the use of contraceptives.

Prevention is the best defense

Experience shows that loyalty to a partner and common sense are the best ways to protect the body from many problems. If problems cannot be avoided, then you should immediately seek qualified medical help. Self-medication or attempts to refuse it altogether is not the best way to deal with the pathogen. The more time it gets, the more harm it brings to the body.

In the case of a prolonged absence of medical care, chlamydia provokes diseases of the respiratory system and eyes.

Does a condom protect against chlamydia infection?

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease. It is quite difficult to get infected by household or other contact methods, but the minimum probability is still left.

Many people are interested in the question of whether chlamydia is transmitted through a condom?

Description of the problem

Chlamydia is one of the most common diseases. It belongs to the group of venereal diseases. The main method of transmission is the sexual method.

When answering the question of whether it is possible to get chlamydia through a condom, it is worth considering some factors, but experts unanimously argue that with the correct use of a condom, the penetration of infectious agents into the mucous membranes of a healthy person is practically impossible. This method is a reliable protection and prevention of an adverse disease.

But to exclude infection with chlamydia through a condom is still not worth it. This is possible with improper use, domestic transmission and extragenital form of infection.

Extragenital type of infection

It is worth considering the fact that the likelihood of infection of the mucous membranes of other organs is very low in comparison with the sexual method of transmission.

You can become infected with a severely weakened immune function, the concentration of a large amount of the virus in the blood, or close and long contact with the patient.

Household transmission method

Sexual contact is considered the main mode of infection transmission. The infectious agent enters the body of a healthy person through a liquid, bed linen or washcloth.

You can get a bacterial agent through the skin during the ingestion of secretions. This route of transmission of infection is usually referred to as contact-household. The probability of infection in such a situation is very small, but still there.

Chlamydia is a disease that requires a high concentration of the virus and a fairly long contact with the mucous membranes.

Irrational use of rubber products

Does a condom protect against chlamydia? This question interests many people, especially those who have already suffered an illness. This method will protect a healthy person from illness if all recommendations are followed.

The condom is considered a reliable method, both as a contraceptive and as a prevention of various sexual diseases.

With its use, the likelihood of infection with transmitted diseases is reduced to almost zero. But only if it was applied for its intended purpose and correctly.

Although the condom is easy to use, it can be damaged, which greatly increases the risk of transmission.

In what cases is it possible to become infected with chlamydia during protected sex?

There are several factors:

If partners do not know each other well, then during oral and anal sex it is also necessary to use a condom. This will protect the mucous membranes of the mouth and intestinal canal.

It is foolish to count on the fact that the pathogen lives only in the genitourinary organs. For chlamydia, all conditions inside the body will be favorable.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that can be transmitted in several ways at once in the form of a sexual or contact-household method.

There are also extragenital forms of the pathogen, but the risk of infection is minimal.

To prevent infection, it is advised to use high-quality condoms.

Chlamydial infections most often occur in an erased form without pronounced clinical manifestations and in some cases go unnoticed. Since the disturbances caused are insignificant, the patient does not see the need to consult a doctor. This is doubly dangerous - and for the health of the person himself, since the consequences of chronic chlamydial lesions can be very serious, and for others. In this case, it is the source of infection.

Speaking of chlamydia, they mean the urogenital infection caused by the microorganism Chlamydia trachomatis. According to statistics, about 2% of men and 5% of women are infected with the bacterium, in 30% of cases we are talking about the urogenital form. However, in addition to this, several more types of bacteria of this genus are isolated, which cause more than 20 different pathological conditions. The methods of transmission for various forms of chlamydia are also not the same.

According to the modern classification, there are about 30 types of chlamydia, but only a few are of clinical importance:

• Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of urogenital chlamydia, it can also cause conjunctivitis;
• Chlamydia pneumoniae causes bronchitis and a mild form of pneumonia. Diseases proceed without pronounced clinical manifestations and are prone to chronicity;
• Chlamydophila felis causes inflammation of the nasal mucosa, pharynx and conjunctiva in domestic animals (cats), and can also affect humans;
• Chlamydia psittaci causes a wide variety of diseases in birds. In humans, when infected, it causes severe diseases: psittacosis, atypical pneumonia, encephalitis and myocarditis.

The question arises why such different microorganisms are assigned to the same family. What do they have in common?

Features of the structure and life cycle of chlamydia

Microbiologists often refer to chlamydia as an intermediate form between a bacterium and a virus. Indeed, it, like bacteria, has its own cell membrane, contains DNA and RNA, and is able to exist outside a living cell in the form of elementary bodies. At the same time, it, like viruses, can only multiply inside a living cell; for this, it transforms into reticular bodies.

https://youtu.be/E02auKCAKPI

Like viruses, chlamydia penetrate the cell wall by phagocytosis, integrate into the cell's genetic apparatus and force it to synthesize its own proteins, from which new chlamydia are built. When the resources of the host cell are depleted, young microorganisms pass into the extracellular form and, destroying the membrane, enter the extracellular environment.

If we talk about the tissues of the body that border on the external environment, then only cells of the cylindrical epithelium, which covers the urethra, cervical canal, rectum, conjunctiva, as well as the nasopharynx and oropharynx, are suitable for life and reproduction of chlamydia. For infection with chlamydia to occur, the bacterium must get to just such a mucous membrane, and it is in the form of an elementary body.

Ways of transmission of urogenital infection

Chlamydia trachomatis, which causes damage to the external and internal genital organs, is most often indulged during traditional sexual intercourse or its various variations (perversions). At the same time, the condom protects both partners from infection - regardless of which of them is the source of the infection. The possibility of infection with chlamydia by contact-household is now also proven, but the importance of this transmission route is somewhat exaggerated.

Infection during traditional sexual intercourse

In a classic sexual intercourse, discharge from the genital organs of a sick or asymptomatic carrier enters the mucosa of the urethra or cervix of a healthy person and is introduced into the cells. In order to prevent this from happening, it is enough to put on a condom, and this must be done before the start of sexual intercourse, and not in the process.

Transmission by oral and anal-genital contact

With oral-genital sexual intercourse, the likelihood of contracting chlamydia is higher in a woman. During a blowjob, discharge from the genital tract of a man falls on the mucous membrane of the pharynx of a woman. If they are infected, she may develop chlamydial pharyngitis. If a woman is sick, the chance of infection is lower, but it is still possible. The easiest way to avoid this is to use a condom, even for oral-genital contact.

During anal-genital contact, as a rule, a woman or a passive partner becomes infected. The scheme is the same as for traditional sexual intercourse. Again, the problem can be solved very easily: put on a condom.

Is it possible to get infected by kissing

So, as we have already found out, for infection, contact of a sufficient number of microorganisms with a certain type of mucous membrane is necessary. For this to happen with a kiss, the saliva of an infected person must contain chlamydia, and in a sufficiently high concentration. This happens in very rare cases, with severe forms of generalized chlamydia.

In addition, the stratified epithelium of the oral cavity is unsuitable for reproduction; relatively acceptable conditions for the fixation of bacteria exist only in the pharynx. It turns out that the partner's infected saliva must be swallowed. At the same time, the bacteria must leave the oral cavity quickly enough, because the own protective factors contained in saliva are able to neutralize them in the shortest possible time. But in the throat you need to stay longer so as not to slip further into the aggressive acidic environment of the stomach.

It turns out that the probability of infection during a kiss is almost zero, although theoretically it exists.

Species of the Chlamydia family and the transmission routes of the diseases they cause (Table 1)

Extragenital chlamydia: ways of infection

In addition to the external and internal genital organs, chlamydia can affect the mucous membrane of the pharynx, rectum, as well as the conjunctiva and synovial membrane of the joints. For these types of chlamydia, contact-household and airborne transmission is more characteristic.

What forms are transmitted by household

Using a towel and linen of a sick person, it is very easy to get chlamydial conjunctivitis, or trachoma. Chlamydia live on moist matter for a long time, from where they get on the skin of a healthy person. It remains only to rub your eyes with your hands, and the microbe falls on your favorite cubic epithelium. For urogenital chlamydia, this route of transmission is less likely, except perhaps in childhood. In girls, the vaginal epithelium is immature, so it is easily affected by chlamydia.

Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye caused by Chlamydia felis is a type of chlamydia that is transmitted from cats to humans. It occurs in close contact with animals affected by chlamydial conjunctivitis or nasopharyngitis. When caring for a sick pet, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use protective gloves. Children need to be explained that it is impossible to touch stray animals, especially those that have an unhealthy appearance, as this can lead to illness.

Airborne infection

Airborne transmission of chlamydial bronchitis and pneumonia (Chlamydia pneumoniae), as well as psittacosis, atypical pneumonia and other lesions of the internal organs of chlamydia species psittaci. When coughing and sneezing, bacteria enter the external environment and settle on the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, causing their damage.

Prevention measures for chlamydial infection are simple: safe sex, individual linen and towels, and good personal hygiene.

https://youtu.be/ScsznIuS5ho

Sources:

1. Dermatovenereology: national guidelines short edition. Butov Yu.S., Skripkina Yu.K., Ivanova Yu.L. – 2013.
2. Dermatovenereology: a textbook for students of higher educational institutions. Chebotarev V.V. and others - 2013.
3. Urogenital chlamydia. Kokolina V.F. – 2007.

Not so long ago, WHO published data from which it follows that every year chlamydia is found in more than 80 million people. There is nothing surprising in the fact that many thought: is chlamydia transmitted through a condom or not? Optimists believe that chlamydia is not transmitted through a condom, pessimists think that a chlamydia condom does not help, and realists doubt it. How are things really? Who wins the battle between chlamydia and the condom?

On the one hand, a contraceptive would have to reliably protect both partners from most STDs, because this sluggish disease was recently attributed to this category. So why can people who protect themselves during intercourse still be able to detect this pathogen? Can chlamydia be transmitted through a condom?

There may be several reasons for this:

• chlamydia infection occurred through a kiss;
• the microorganism was transmitted along a vertical route of infection;
• household route of infection;
• the contraceptive turned out to be of poor quality;
• oral caresses;
• the infection was brought through the hands at the time of donning.

At the same time, of course, one can optimistically say that this pathogenic microorganism lives outside the human body for no more than a minute and, buying high-quality contraceptives, there is nothing to fear. However, this is far from the truth. Chlamydia, of course, will not last more than 1 minute, but only if the ambient temperature is about 90-100 degrees, and no one will certainly boil their hands and genitals. At an average room temperature, the pathogen will remain alive from several hours to two days, therefore, if infection is detected in one of the partners, the best way to prevent infection of the second, as well as re-infection, is immediate treatment and abstinence from sex during therapy.

Although according to statistics, chlamydia is transmitted through a condom in 13% of cases, nevertheless, this is a fairly effective protection against various STDs. You just need to follow a few recommendations:

This is necessary, because by wearing it in bed, you can become infected even before sexual intercourse, and then nothing will help you.

Based on the foregoing, it is possible to answer in the affirmative the question of whether a condom protects against chlamydia, but only if the necessary conditions are met.

Anal sex with chlamydia
Chlamydia is an STD that affects the human genitourinary system. This disease is caused by an intracellular virus, for which it is impossible to develop a specific ...