Dayna Malek, Gainesville Sun
March 20, 2008

As students resume their studies and return from the spring break vacation, health officials are urging people - young people especially - to avoid exposing themselves to the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia.

Chlamydia is increasing in incidence and is the most frequently reported infectious disease in Alachua County, according to the Florida Department of Health.

"It's not a visual infection," said Staci Fox, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of North Central Florida. "It can be passed without symptoms, so a lot of people have it and don't realize they do."

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease that can remain dormant for years and cause irreparable damage to the reproductive system. If left untreated, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.

The infection, which is more prevalent in women, is known as a "silent disease" because about three-fourths of infected women and one-half of infected men have no symptoms and so the disease can easily spread through sex.

According to the state Department of Health, last year chlamydia in Alachua County increased to 2,247 new infections, up 865 cases from the year before.

Emily Wilson, Alachua County Health Department disease control administrator, said chlamydia has been rising at a higher rate in Alachua County since 1997. The county has a higher incidence rate than the state itself.

"It may have something to do with our population age, but we are now above the state rate and we are continuously climbing higher," Wilson said.

The disease is most common in the 15-24 year old age group: more specifically 15-19 year old women, and 19-24 year old men.

Chlamydia is treatable and can be cured with antibiotics if detected within a timely matter. Those diagnosed with the infection can be cured usually within a week, said Robert L. Cook, University of Florida associate professor of epidemiology, biostatistics and medicine.

"However, the treatment won't work if the person's partner isn't being treated as well," he said, "Otherwise they will just keeping getting each other infected."

To help reduce the risk of chlamydia, it is encouraged that all sexually active individuals age 25 and younger get screened at least annually for chlamydia and for all other sexually transmitted diseases, Cook said.

Chlamydia can be diagnosed with a routine gynecology exam that includes a urine test and at times a swab sample from the cervix for women, according to the UF Student Health Care Center Web site.

To prevent getting infected with chlamydia, Cook said the standard advice is abstinence and using condoms.

With the recent announcement of the rise in incidence of the disease, health professionals and county officials are gearing up to raise awareness of chlamydia's silent growth.

"Schools in Alachua County are working hard to provide comprehensive sexual education to their students so that students learn about the diseases, including chlamydia," Fox said.

There is no statistical information available that is truly representative of the UF student body with regards to those infected with chlamydia, but according to Samantha Evans, Student Health Care Center sexual health educator, the women's clinic has seen a slight spike in the number of students infected with chlamydia.

"This is not truly representative of the entire student body. People shouldn't get scared," Evans said. "But they should know how important it is to get tested and treated."

Students can seek treatment and consultation at the Student Health Care Center and Shands Hospital. Clinical tests are not free of charge, but tests are offered at pretty competitive prices, Evans said.

For now, according to Fox, the best defense against chlamydia is knowledge.

"Knowledge leads to power; young people need to know how to protect themselves so they can make the right decisions," Fox said.