Chlamydia 

General Information

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacteria that can cause several types of infections in humans. It is primarily transmitted from one person to another through sexual contact.  It is also possible for an infected mother to pass the infection to her infant at birth.

Symptoms

Many people who are infected with Chlamydia have no symptoms so a person can "carry" the bacteria for many years without knowing they are infected, and can unknowingly infect others over time.

Although the majority of women infected with Chlamydia have NO symptoms, some of the possible symptoms are:

• Yellow vaginal discharge
• Bleeding after intercourse
• Pain with intercourse
• Burning in the pelvis or genitals
• Burning with urination
• Dull aching in the lower abdomen
• Swollen glands in the groin
• Irregular menstrual bleeding
• Inflammation/ reactive changes on Pap smear
• Symptoms of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which may combine some of the above with a fever and a general feeling of illness

Men infected with Chlamydia are more likely than women to have symptoms, but it is still important to remember that men may not be aware of the infection either.  Symptoms that men may have are:

• Burning with urination
• Slight discharge from the penis
• Swollen glands in the groin
• Pain in the testicles

Who is at risk?

Young, sexually active women and men have the highest rates of infection but anyone who is sexually active may be at risk.

• The more partners you have, the higher you risk for infection.
• Having a partner(s) who has genital HPV or other sexually transmitted infections increases your risk.
• Not consistently practicing safe sex increases your risk.
• Mothers who have a Chlamydial infection during the birth of their baby are likely to pass the infection to the baby during a vaginal birth.  A baby who contracts Chlamydia during birth could develop an eye infection or pneumonia.

Possible Complications

If someone has Chlamydia and does not receive proper treatment they could have the following complications:

Women

• PID (infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and surrounding tissues)
• Inflammation of the liver
• Difficulty or inability to become pregnant
• Increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, or stillbirth for women with Chlamydia during a pregnancy

Men

• May develop an infection of the prostate gland
• Other complications could develop that cause infertility

Prevention

• Get tested for Chlamydia if you have a new sexual partner(s) or if you think your partner(s) may not be monogomous.
• Know the signs and symptoms of the infection.
• Always practice safe sex:
• Have your partner(s) tested
• Use a barrier method like condoms and spermicide, which can offer some protection against Chlamydia.

Testing

• If you would like to be tested for Chlamydia a culture will be taken from your cervix if you are a woman, and from your urethral canal if you are a man. 
• Chlamydia testing can also be done from a urine specimen. 
• If one person tests positive for Chlamydia ALL of her/his current/recent sexual contacts should be notified, tested and treated.

Treatment

• Antibiotics like Azithromycin, Doxycycline, and Erythromycin are used to treat Chlamydia. Take as directed.
• The above medications can be irritating to your stomach and may decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control.  Use a back-up method until you start your next cycle. 
• Abstain from intercourse during the time that you and/or your partner are being treated for Chlamydia.
• Continue to abstain or use condoms until the infected party has had their 6-week follow-up test-of-cure. This test will show if the treatment was successful.

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