also result. These complications of Chlamydia are a major cause of infertility in women.
Untreated chlamydia in men may lead to prostatitis (inflammation
of the prostate gland), urethral scarring and epididymitis (inflammation
of the tube that conveys sperm from your testes). These may cause infertility.
Reiter's syndrome (inflammation of the joints) may occur in either sex.
More recently, there has been speculation that undiagnosed chlamydia may
be involved in other disease processes - for instance, people with heart
disease have been found to be three to five times more likely to have
a positive blood test for chlamydia.
Crabs (pubic lice)
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What are they? Crabs are parasites that live in
the pubic hair. They are not the same thing as body or head lice. They
occur as 'nits' - eggs - and as adult lice (singular = louse). The adults
bite and cause itching.
How are they transmitted?
Crabs need blood to survive, but can live up to 24 hours off a human body.
So, while you usually contract crabs from close skin-to-skin contact with
a person
who has them, you don't have to have sex. You can also
get them from sleeping in an infested bed, using infested towels or wearing
infested clothing.
The symptoms?
Itching in your pubic area. The itching is an allergic reaction to the
bites, and usually starts about five days after you get crabs. If you
look closely enough, you may see small crab-like parasites that may be
whitish-grey or rust-coloured. They may resemble freckles and you might
need a magnifying glass to help you identify them.
Crab eggs, sometimes called nits, are small and oval-shaped. They are
attached firmly to the base of the hair (close to where it comes out of
your body).
You may see "blue spots" for several days; these are the result of the bites. Crabs are sometimes also found in your armpits, eyelashes, facial hair, or occasionally in the hair
