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Female Condom to Protect Against STD

 

chlamydia transmission A female condom developed by researchers not only provides contraception but also wards off sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).


Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) developed the condom from tiny microfibres through a method called 'electrospinning'. They are then designed to dissolve after use, either within minutes or over several days.


Not only would the condom block sperm, it could time-release a potent mix of anti-HIV drugs and hormonal contraceptives, the Daily Mail reported.


Kim Woodrow, assistant professor of bio-engineering at Washington, said: "Our dream is to create a product women can use to protect themselves from HIV infection and unintended pregnancy. We have the drugs to do that. It's really about delivering them in a way that makes them more potent, and allows a woman to want to use it."


Woodrow presented the idea, and co-authors Emily Krogstad and Cameron Ball, both first-year graduate students, agreed to pursue the project, at a meeting held last year.


Ball added: "This method allows controlled release of multiple compounds. We were able to tune the fibres to have different release properties."


One of the fabrics dissolves within minutes, offering users immediate protection, while another fabric dissolves gradually over a few days, providing an alternative to the birth-control pill, to provide contraception and protect against HIV.

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Chlamydia Damages Sperm, Experts Found

 

chlamydia transmission , which is often known as the silent disease because it has few symptoms, reduces a man's ability to produce children, they found.


 
Research has found Chlamydia damages sperm
 The disease, which is still on the rise in the UK, is more well known for making women infertile if left untreated.


But now researchers, led by Dr Jose Fernandez from Canalejo University Hospital in La Coruna, Spain, have discovered how chlamydia also affects men.


They looked at the damaged sperm of 143 men from infertile couples and compared it with sperm from 50 fertile men.


 


The infertile men had chlamydia and another common urinary tract infection called Mycoplasma.


The level of damage - or DNA fragmentation - in the infertile men's sperm was more than three times higher than in healthy men.


The concentration of their sperm, its ability to swim quickly and defects in the shape of it were also poor when compared with the healthy volunteers.


The experts then treated 95 of the infertile men with antibiotics and found their DNA sperm damage improved an average of 36% after four months.


During that period, 13% of the couples got pregnant and, after the treatment was finished, 86% got pregnant.


The findings were released today at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in Washington DC.


Figures published in July by the Health Protection Agency showed a 4% rise in chlamydia between 2005 and 2006, from 109,418 cases to 113,585.


Experts have been particularly concerned about rates of chlamydia among young people, with the NHS launching a national screening programme.


In 2006/07, 115,073 women under 25 were screened but experts are urging more young men to get tested, with only 31,126 screened during the same period.


Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield and Secretary of the British Fertility Society, said more needed to be done to target the younger generation.


He said: "The message is that we might think of chlamydia as a disease that damages female fertility, but we need to think again.


"It does damage female fertility, but it appears to damage male fertility too.


"The thing that drives most men to sexual health clinics is symptoms, and chlamydia is often symptom-free.


"Chlamydia is getting out of control. We have got to encourage men as well as women to go for screening, but men are more reluctant to do this if they don't have symptoms.


"It is the 18 to 25 age group that is of most concern. There should be a page on Facebook you can log onto and sort screening out."


Dr Fernandez said more research was needed to follow up his study.


And he added: "We've developed a new technique that allows us to look at the extent of DNA fragmentation in sperm cells using a microscope. "The purpose of our work was to analyse if there's an increase in fragmentation of DNA with infection.


"It was found after four months of treatment there was a significant decrease in DNA damage that could improve pregnancy rates in these couples.


"Fertility clinics should check for these infections."


Antibiotics for Chlamydia - Clindamycin

What is clindamycin?

Clindamycin is used to treat certain types of bacterial infections, including infections of the lungs, skin, blood, female reproductive organs, and internal organs. It can be used for treating chlamydia infection but it's not one of the common ones. Clindamycin is in a class of medications called lincomycin antibiotics. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics such as clindamycin will not kill the viruses that cause colds, flu, and other infections.

Important information about clindamycin

Many antibiotics, including clindamycin, may cause overgrowth of dangerous bacteria in the large intestine. This may cause mild diarrhea or may cause a life-threatening condition called colitis (inflammation of the large intestine). As a antibiotic for chlamydia, clindamycin is more likely to cause this type of infection than many other antibiotics, so it should only be used to treat serious infections that cannot be treated by other antibiotics. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had colitis or other conditions that affect your stomach or intestines.

Before taking clindamycin,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to clindamycin, lincomycin (Lincocin), or any other medications. If you will be taking clindamycin capsules, tell your doctor if you are allergic to aspirin or tartrazine (a yellow dye found in some medications).
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention erythromycin (E.E.S, E-Mycin, Erythrocin, others). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had asthma, allergies, eczema (sensitive skin that often becomes itchy or irritated) or kidney or liver disease.
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking clindamycin, call your doctor.
- if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking clindamycin.

What are clindamycin side effects?

Clindamycin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- nausea
- vomiting
- joint pain
- pain when swallowing
- heartburn
- white patches in the mouth
- thick, white vaginal discharge
- burning, itching, and swelling of the vagina

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:
- blisters
- rash
- hives
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- yellowing of the skin or eyes
- decreased urination

Clindamycin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.


Chlamydia Antibiotics Side-effects

chlamydia transmission is always treated by antibiotics. Popular antibiotics for chlamydia infection including Erythromycin, Levofloxacin, Tetracycline, Azithromycin, Doxycycline, and so on. A single dose of antibiotics is good to treat chlamydia infection in most cases. You will get a negative result of chlamydia test after the treatment. If you are sill suffering from chlamydia symptoms, or have got a positive result again, visit your doctor.

While antibiotics are treating your infection, they may bring you a serious of side effects.

Below is a list of the most common side-effects of chlamydia antibiotics:
- Hives;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Dizziness and/or headache
- Mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain

Below is a list of rare side-effects of chlamydia antibiotics:
- Stomach or bowel upsets
- Mild skin rash or itching
- Vaginal itching or discharge
- Abnormal liver tests
- Allergic reactions
- Nervousness

Some of chlamydia antibiotics are harmful to your kidneys or liver. Besides, taking antibiotics overloads your kidneys and liver while metabolizing. So do not ask for antibiotics from your doctor unless there's no better alternatives.


Antibiotics for Pregnant Women with Chlamydia

Chlamydia Infection is a bacterial infection that is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria and can be transmitted through oral, anal and vaginal sexual contact. Men and women can both be affected by Chlamydia, but symptoms of the infection are not always present. In fact, up to 75% of women and 50% of men experience no symptoms of Chlamydia.

However, long-term complications can develop if left untreated. Left untreated, Chlamydia in women can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which in turn can cause infertility and damage to the reproductive organs. Untreated Chlamydia in men can cause epididymitis, which can lead to sterility. While it is possible to cure Chlamydia through antibiotics, this treatment cannot undo any damage that may have already occurred in your reproductive organs. Therefore, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as you suspect you may have Chlamydia.

Pregnant women with untreated chlamydia infections are at high risk for pregnancy and labor complications, as well as transmitting eye infections and pneumonia to newborn babies.

A review found eleven trials, involving 1449 women, on erythromycin, amoxycillin, azithromycin and clindamycin, and the overall trial quality was good. However, all the trials assessed 'microbiological cure' (that is they looked for an eradication of the infection) and none assessed whether the eye or lung problems for the baby were reduced. Also, none of the trials were large enough to assess potential adverse outcomes adequately. The review found amoxycillin was an effective alternative to erythromycin but lack of long-term assessment of outcomes caused concern about its routine use in practice. If erythromycin is used, some women may stop taking it because of adverse effects. Azithromycin and clindamycin are potential alternatives.

Pregnant women with chlamydia are commonly treated with amoxicillin or erythromycin. These are not the only antibiotics prescribed, but they are the most commonly prescribed medications for treatment of chlamydia in pregnant women. Tetracyclines taken in pregnancy are known to be associated with teeth and bone abnormalities in babies, and some women find erythromycin unpleasant to take because of feeling sick and vomiting.

 

Notice
- Take all prescribed medication as directed until gone, even if your symptoms disappear. Notify your doctor if you began to feel worse or develop new symptoms after taking medication. This can be an indication of possible side effects.
- Contact your physician if the symptoms do not disappear within 2 weeks of completing your prescription.