What is chylamydia?

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is spread by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has the disease. Chlamydia has no symptoms and can only be detected through testing at a medical clinic. 

Though Chlamydia can easily be cured with antibiotics, it often goes unnoticed. When left untreated, Chlamydia can lead to severe health problems for women, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), pregnancy outside the womb and infertility.

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States, and experts estimate that 2.8 million new cases appear each year.

What are the symptoms of chylamydia?

Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease because about three quarters of infected women and about half of infected men have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear one to three weeks after exposure.

Women with symptoms usually experience an abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation while urinating. This is caused by a bacterial infection of the cervix and the urine canal. When the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes, they might experience lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between menstrual periods.
If men have symptoms, they might experience a discharge from their penis, a burning sensation while urinating or a burning and itching around the opening of the penis.

Men or women who have receptive anal intercourse may acquire chlamydial infection in the rectum, which can cause rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding. Chlamydia can also be found in the throats of women and men having oral sex with an infected partner.

Around 40 percent of women infected with Chlamydia develop chronic pelvic pain (PID), and 20 percent of those may become infertile. Additionally, women infected with Chlamydia are up to five times more likely to become infected with HIV, if exposed. Complications from Chlamydia among men are uncommon but can include pain, fever, and, in rare cases, sterility.

Who is most likely to get Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is diagnosed in women three times more often than in men, and chlamydia's consequences for men are far more serious. Experts still aren't sure yet whether more women actually have Chlamydia or if diagnoses are higher for them because they are more often screened. More Chlamydia cases appear in black women than in white women.

Like all STDs, the number of sex partners directly affects likelihood of infection.

How is Chlamydia treated?

Most cases of Chlamydia can be cured by taking antibiotics for a short time, and both sex partners must be treated to avoid re-infection.

How can I protect myself from Chlamydia?
 
The surest way to avoid transmission of Chlamydia and all STDs is to abstain from sexual contact or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.

Latex male condoms used consistently and correctly can also reduce your risk of infection.
If you experience genital symptoms such as discharge, burning during urination or an unusual sore or rash, stop having sex and contact your doctor immediately.  If you are diagnosed and treated for Chlamydia (or any other SDT), notify all recent sex partners so they can also be treated. Your notifying them will keep them from developing more serious complications and from infecting others.

If you are sexually active, be sure that you are tested regularly for Chlamydia and other sexually transmitted diseases. In almost all cases, earlier detection means more effective treatment.

To find out more about Chlamydia, check out the Centers for Disease Control web site, http://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/STDFact-Chlamydia.htm#symptoms, or ask your doctor.