Chlamydia | WomensHealthSpecialists.org

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that affects both men and women. It is currently the most common STI, infecting approximately four million persons a year.

What are the health problems associated with Chlamydia?

In women, chlamydia usually begins with an inflammation of the cervix. The long-term health effects of chlamydia remain unclear. The medical profession speculates that chlamydia could be a cause of sterility in women if the chlamydia infection were to spread into the uterus and tubes, causing a pelvic infection and scarring in the tubes. Many women that have chlamydia do not get PID and not all women with PID have a chlamydia infection.
Chlamydia is passed to sexual partners during unprotected intercourse.
A woman can also transmit chlamydia to her infant during birth. This can cause pneumonia if it spreads to the lungs or blindness if it infects the eyes.
In men, chlamydia may cause urethritis, which is an inflammation of the urethra referred to as NGU or NSU. If this remains untreated, it may also cause sterility in men.

What are the symptoms of chlamydia?

About 70% of the women with chlamydia have no symptoms. Women may have it for years without being diagnosed. For women who do have symptoms, they include an unusual vaginal discharge, irregular vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, painful urination, or swollen glands near the groin. About 10% of men have no symptoms. In men whose symptoms include a drip or discharge from the penis or painful urination.

If you are diagnosed as having chlamydia, your sexual partners(s) should be treated as well. You are at risk to be re-infected without treating sexual partners or using condoms.