Welcome to our guest blogger of the week – Sue the CEO from Family Planning Tasmania answering a What Is It? on Chlamydia, because lets face it your not going to ask the person sat on the bus next to you….

Fifty years ago they were called Venereal Diseases (VD)

Twenty five years ago they were called Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Now they are called Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs)

Why the name changes?  I haven’t a clue but I do know that they are not a popular topic of conversation.

When you’re in the mall, at the bus stop or just hanging out you will hear people talking.

“Hi, how have you been?”

“I had the flu last week.  I was sneezing and coughing and had aches and pains and felt like crap.”

“Did you go to the doctor?”

“Yep – she told me to drink lots of water, get lots of sleep and to take some stuff I got from the chemist and I feel fine now”.

This is a common conversation but have you heard…..

“Hi, how have you been?”

“ I had a bit of stuff coming out of my penis last week.  It scared the hell out of me cos I didn’t know what it was”

“Did you go to the doctor?”

“Yeah – I went to the Family Planning Clinic and did a leak in a jar and they tested it for chlamydia.  They found out I had it and gave me two tablets and said I’d be OK in a few days”

My guess is that you haven’t heard anything like the second conversation because people don’t openly talk about having an STI or chlamydia.  This makes people think that it’s not a common problem but these days it is – especially among young people.

• Some people do get symptoms but most people don’t!
• Some people think that if they get treated they won’t ever get it again – but they can!
• Some people think that it’s so easy to treat that it doesn’t matter if they get it again.  It does matter because the infection can damage some of those genital bits!
• This damage may not even be noticed – until the time comes when you want to a parent but those genital bits are blocked so the sperm and the egg can’t meet.  OK – you don’t want to be a parent now but you do want to know that it will happen if and when you change your mind.

So – how can you tell if you’ve got Chlamydia?

1. You might get some symptoms!
2. Someone you’ve had sex with will tell you that they’ve given it to you or you’ve given it to them!
3. You can go to your GP or a Family Planning clinic and get tested and treated if you have it.  It’s private and confidential and saves worry and embarrassment.

Option 3 is the way to go!

Sue

Also check out this Triple J Hack podcast on Safe Sex amongst backpackers, which features Sue.

Visit Family Planning Tasmania for further information and our topic page for a full factsheet, community comments and podcasts.