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Chlamydia

Chlamydia (klah MIH dee ah) is the most common and most invisible sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the United States. Its full name is Chlamydia Trachomatis (trah-ko-MAH-tis). It is a kind of bacteria that can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, eye, or throat.

Chlamydia is the name of several types of bacteria. Chlamydia trachoma, for example, has been a major cause of blindness for centuries. Chlamydia trachomatis is sexually transmitted. One strain occurs primarily in the tropics and causes lymphogranuloma venereum — symptoms include skin lesions and swelling of certain glands
in the genital area. The other strain we simply call “Chlamydia,”
a very common infection in the United States.

What are the symptoms of Chlamydia?

Usually, there are no symptoms. Seventy-five percent of women and 50 percent of men with Chlamydia have no symptoms. Most people are not aware that they have the infection.

When symptoms do occur, they may begin in as little as five to 10 days after infection.

When women have symptoms, they may experience:

• abdominal pain
• abnormal vaginal discharge
• bleeding between menstrual periods
• cervical or rectal inflammation
• low-grade fever
• mucopurulent cervicitis (MPC) — a yellowish discharge from the cervix that may have a foul odor
• vaginal bleeding after intercourse
• painful intercourse
• painful urination
• the urge to urinate more than usual

When men have symptoms, they may experience:

• pain or burning feeling while urinating
• pus or watery or milky discharge from the penis
• swollen or tender testicles
• rectal inflammation

These symptoms are like the symptoms of gonorrhea. They are called nongonococcal urethritis (NGU). Men often don't take these symptoms seriously because the symptoms may appear only early in the day and can be very mild.

In women and men, chlamydia may cause the rectum to itch and bleed. It can also result in a discharge and diarrhea. If it infects the eyes, it may cause redness, itching, and a discharge. If it infects the throat, it may cause soreness.

How is Chlamydia spread?

Chlamydia is spread by vaginal and anal intercourse. It can also spread from a woman to her fetus during birth, and rarely, from the hand to the eye and during oral sex.

About three million American women and men become infected with chlamydia every year. It is:

• five times as common as gonorrhea
• more than 30 times as common as syphilis
• most common among women and men under 25

Is Chlamydia dangerous?

Chlamydia is a serious health threat. In women, the infection usually begins on the cervix. It can spread to the fallopian tubes or ovaries. Especially if left untreated, chlamydia may cause PID — pelvic inflammatory disease — in up to 40 percent of infected women.

PID can scar and block the fallopian tubes. That can make a woman sterile and unable to get pregnant. Fertilized eggs may not reach the uterus because tubes are blocked. If they develop in the tubes, this is called an ectopic pregnancy. A woman may die if a pregnancy develops outside her uterus unless it is removed with medication or surgery. Women with PID of the fallopian tubes are seven to 10 times more likely than other women to have ectopic pregnancies. Testing and treatment for Chlamydia cuts the incidence of PID by 56 percent.

The symptoms of PID include:

• abnormal mucus discharge
• fever
• longer and/or heavier periods
• more cramping during periods
• pain during pelvic exam
• pain during vaginal intercourse
• pain in lower abdome
• tiredness, weakness
• vomiting

Chlamydia can also make men sterile. It can spread from the urethra to the testicles. Then it can result in a condition called epididymitis. Acute epididymitis can cause sterility. Chlamydia is the cause of about 250,000 cases of acute epididymitis in men under 35 each year. Symptoms include fever as well as swelling and extreme pain in the scrotum.

Six percent of men with acute epididymitis develop reactive arthritis (15,000) — a syndrome that usually only occurs in young men. Symptoms usually appear in this order:

• urethritis
• lesions that form hard crusts on the penis
• ulcers in the mouth or throat
• eye infection
• reactive arthritis — swelling and pain of the joints

How does Chlamydia affect pregnancy?

Between 20 and 50 percent of children born to women with Chlamydia will be infected. Every year more than 180,000 babies are born with eye infections or pneumonia. Chlamydia is the leading cause of neonatal conjunctivitis — an eye infection that can cause blindness if untreated. Symptoms usually begin within four weeks of birth.

These children can also develop Chlamydial pneumonia, a kind of pneumonia that can be fatal. This infection is harder to treat in infants than adults.

Chlamydia may cause heavy bleeding before delivery. It may also cause premature delivery. It also may be connected to miscarriage, stillbirth, or low birth weight.

Fortunately, treatment of Chlamydia is highly successful.

How is Chlamydia diagnosed?

• examination of the cervix and cervical discharge
• laboratory tests of cells from the penis, cervix, urethra, or anus
• examination of urine samples

Is there a cure?

Yes. Chlamydia is easy to treat. Various antibiotics kill Chlamydia bacteria. One is taken in one dose. Others must be taken for seven days. Your clinician can help you decide which is the best treatment. Both partners must be treated before having sex again to avoid reinfection. Some clinicians will provide their patients with medications to take home to their partner. Follow-up testing three to four months after treatment may be suggested.

If you are treated for Chlamydia, or any other sexually transmitted infection, remember:

• Take all the prescribed medicine. Even if the symptoms go away, the infection may still be in your body until treatment is complete.
• Schedule follow up visits to make sure you've been cured before you have sex again.
• Make sure your partner(s) is/are treated before having sex again so you don't reinfect each other.
• Do not share your medicine with anyone.

Who is most likely to get Chlamydia?

• people who have a number of different sex partners
• people whose sex partners have a number of different sex partners
• people who don't use condoms
• people with a history of other sexually transmitted infections
• sexually abused children
• Young adults have the highest rates of Chlamydia.

How can people who have Chlamydia avoid spreading it?

• Inform sex partners of the infection.
• Have no sex until treatment is complete.
• Be sure sex partners are screened and treated before having sex again.
• Use female or latex condoms every time.

Anyone with a sex partner who has a condition or symptoms described in this pamphlet should be checked for chlamydia and other infections.

Any woman who thinks that she or her partner has chlamydia should tell her clinician immediately. This is especially important for pregnant women.

How can I avoid getting Chlamydia?

• Use female or latex condoms every time.
• Abstain from sexual intercourse
• Transmission of Chlamydia during oral sex is rare, but people can reduce their risk by using condoms or latex or plastic barriers.

Does using birth control increase my risk of getting it?
There is some evidence that hormonal methods of birth control may change the cervix in ways that make Chlamydia infections more likely. However, women who take hormonal methods have a lower risk of developing PID from Chlamydia than women who don’t. Nonetheless, women should use a condom with partners who may have sexually transmitted infections.

Women who have Chlamydia when an IUD is inserted, or who get it within the first few weeks following IUD insertion, are at higher risk of developing PID. To reduce your risk of PID, tell your clinician if you may be at risk of having Chlamydia before having an IUD inserted.

Latex condoms reduce the risk of getting Chlamydia.

Where can I get tested and treated for Chlamydia?

Planned Parenthood® health centers, other clinics, doctors, and health departments offer testing, treatment, and counseling.