Chlamydia is the nation’s most common sexually transmitted disease and untreated, it can lead to serious infections of the pelvic, ectopic pregnancies and infertility. And it’s on the rise.
At Kids First, we’re trying to screen more teenagers…even if they say they’re not having sex. Because, not all teenagers feel comfortable confiding in us. But researchers have a novel idea that they’re exploring. Exposing the gut to chlamydia can prevent infections in the genital tract later. The infection that takes place in the gut itself is quite benign (not worrisome)– Crazy, right? Exposing the gut to the disease caused a “transmucosal immunity”. That means the protection extended beyond the infected site- to both the genitals and the lungs. So interesting. In the future, we might be giving ‘chlamydia in a pill’ to prevent a sexually transmitted disease later on. Wow!
Susan Badaracco, pediatrician and author of “The Oath” series.
