Chlamydia infection is
a curable sexually transmitted bacterial disease (STD), which is caused by a
bacterium called Chlamydia Trachomatis. You can get genital chlamydia infection
during oral, vaginal, or anal sexual contact with an infected partner. It can
cause serious problems in men and women as well as in newborn babies of infected
mothers. Because symptoms of chlamydia are mild or absent, serious complications
that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur "silently"
before a woman ever recognizes a problem.
How do people get
Chlamydia?
Chlamydia can be transmitted
during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected
mother to her newborn during vaginal childbirth.
How common is Chlamydia?
Chlamydia is the most
frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United
States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that
5 percent of the young sexually active people are infected with Chlamydia, or
one in twenty high school girls may have Chlamydia. Under-reporting is
substantial because most people with chlamydia are not aware of their infections
and do not seek testing. Chlamydia is so common in young women that,
by age 30, 50% of sexually active women have evidence that they have had
chlamydia at some time during their lives.
What are the symptoms of
chlamydia?
The infection is frequently
not diagnosed or treated until complications develop. In women, the bacteria
initially attack the cervix (opening to the uterus) and the urethra (urine
canal). The few women with symptoms might have an abnormal vaginal discharge or
a burning sensation when urinating. When the infection spreads from the cervix
to the fallopian tubes, some women still have no signs or symptoms; others have
lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, and
bleeding between menstrual periods. Whenever the infection spreads past the
cervix into the upper reproductive system, permanent and irreversible damage can
occur. Men with signs or symptoms might have a discharge from the penis and a
burning sensation when urinating. Men might also have burning and itching around
the opening of the penis or pain and swelling in the testicles, or both.
How soon after exposure do
symptoms appear?
If symptoms do occur, they
usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks of exposure.
How is chlamydia
diagnosed?
There are two kinds of
laboratory tests to diagnose chlamydia. One involves collecting a specimen from
an infected site (cervix or penis) to detect the bacterium directly. Another
test accurately detect chlamydia bacteria in a urine sample. A Pap test is not a
test for chlamydia; it is a test for abnormal cervical cells.
Who is at risk for
chlamydia?
Sexually active men and women
can be exposed to chlamydia bacteria during sexual contact with an infected
person. The more sex partners a person has, the greater the risk of chlamydia
infection. Babies are at risk of acquiring a chlamydia infection from their
infected mother.
Sexually active teenagers and
young women are especially susceptible to chlamydia bacteria because of the
characteristics of the cells that form the lining of the cervical canal.
What complications can
result from untreated chlamydia?
If untreated, chlamydia
infection can progress to serious reproductive and other health problems with
both short-term and long-term consequences. Like the disease itself, the damage
that chlamydia causes is often "silent." Untreated chlamydia in men typically
causes urethral infection. Infection sometimes spreads to the epididymis (a tube
that carries sperm from the testis), causing pain, fever, and, potentially,
infertility.
In women, the chlamydia
bacteria often infect the cells of the cervix. If not treated, the infection can
spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes (egg canals) and cause an infection
called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This happens in up to 40% of women
with untreated chlamydia. PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes,
uterus, and tissues surrounding the ovaries. This damage can lead to chronic
pelvic pain, infertility, and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy
outside the uterus).
In pregnant women, there is
some evidence that chlamydia infections can lead to premature delivery. Babies
who are born when their mothers are infected can get chlamydia infections in
their eyes and respiratory tracts. Chlamydia is a leading cause of early infant
pneumonia and conjunctivitis (pinkeye) in newborns.
Compared to women who do not
have chlamydia, women infected with chlamydia may also have higher risk of
acquiring HIV infection from an infected partner. Chlamydia can cause proctitis
(an infection of the lining of the rectum) in persons having receptive anal
intercourse. The bacterium also can be found in the
throats of women and men having oral sex with an infected male partner.
If you are young, sexually
active, and do not use condoms correctly every time you have sex, you should be
screened for chlamydia at least once a year. It has been shown that screening
and treatment of women with chlamydia infection of the cervix reduces the
likelihood of PID. All pregnant women should have a screening test for chlamydia
If you are told you are
infected, notify all your sex partners immediately.
If you are told you have
chlamydia or any other STD and receive drug treatment, you should notify all of
your recent sex partners so that they can see a health care provider and be
treated. A sex partner needs treatment even if (s)he has no symptoms. This will
reduce the risk that your partners will develop serious complications from
chlamydia and reduce your risk of becoming re-infected. Do not have sex until
both you and your sex partner complete your chlamydia drug treatment.
STDWeB provides only health screening services. Tests are provided only for
personal information and/or risk identification purposes. STDWeB does not
diagnose or treat medical conditions. STDWeB screenings do not take the
place of a physician care. Transactions with STDWeB are confidential and
will not be shared with third parties. Tests with "positive" or "indeterminate"
result may require confirmatory testing and may involve additional charges.
