Chlamydia

VOL 116 / NO 5 / NOVEMBER 2004 / POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE

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If you have had unprotected sex, you may want to consider getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). One of the most common STDs in the United States is chlamydia, a treatable disease that many people are not even aware that they have until it damages their reproductive organs.

What is chlamydia?
Chlamydia, which can be spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex, is an infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. This bacterium, which infects more than 2.8 million people in the United States each year, can harm both women's and men's reproductive organs.

Chlamydia can also be spread from an infected mother to her baby. The baby's eyes and respiratory tract become infected, which may lead to conjunctivitis (pinkeye), blindness, or pneumonia.

Who is at risk?
Anyone who has unprotected sex can become infected with chlamydia, but people who have more than one sexual partner are at greater risk. Teen girls and young women are at higher risk because their cervix, the opening to the uterus, is still maturing.

What are the symptoms?
Chlamydia causes no symptoms in three quarters of women and half of men with the infection. People who do have symptoms usually notice them about 2 to 3 weeks after becoming infected.

Some women may feel pain when they urinate or notice an unusual discharge from their vagina. If the infection spreads, women may feel pain in their lower abdomen and low back, pain during sex, nausea, or fever, or they may notice bleeding in between their menstrual periods. Some men may notice a discharge from their penis, feel a burning sensation when they urinate, or have a burning or itching sensation around the opening of the penis. Some men have pain and swelling of the testicles, but these symptoms are uncommon.

Men and women who have anal intercourse may have rectal pain or notice discharge or bleeding from the rectum. Vaginal or penile infections can also spread to the rectum. Rarely, oral sex with someone who is infected can lead to a chlamydia infection in the throat.

Why should I be concerned about chlamydia?
In about 40% of women who have chlamydia, infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus) or uterus and causes pelvic inflammatory disease. If this occurs, the reproductive organs can be damaged beyond repair. Long-term pelvic pain and the inability to have children may result.

Men also should be concerned about chlamydia. Although spread of the infection to the epididymis (the tube that carries sperm from the testes) is rare, pain, fever, and the inability to father children can result from untreated chlamydia.

Women who have chlamydia also are more likely than other women to become infected with HIV if they are exposed to the virus.

How often should I be tested for chlamydia?
All sexually active women aged 25 years and younger should be tested each year. Women older than 25 who have a new sexual partner or have had more than one sexual partner within the last year also should be tested annually. Pregnant women are routinely tested for chlamydia.

Screening tests require either a urine sample or a specimen collected from the cervix or the penis.

How is chlamydia treated?
Chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics. Take all of the antibiotic that your doctor prescribes. You need to tell your sexual partner or partners so they can seek treatment--even if they don't have any symptoms. To avoid spreading the infection or getting infected again, you need to wait to have sex until after you have finished taking all of your antibiotic.

How can chlamydia be prevented?
Chlamydia can be prevented by not having sex or by staying in a long-term relationship with a partner who has been tested for chlamydia and is known to not be infected. If you are sexually active outside of a long-term relationship, use latex condoms each time you have sex.

For more information on chlamydia Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS hotlines 800-342-2437 or 800-227-8922 En Español: 800-344-7432 Deaf and hard of hearing: 800-243-7889 http://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/stdfact-chlamydia.shtml American Social Health Association PO Box 13827 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3827 800-783-9877 http://www.ashastd.org Questions about sexually transmitted diseases may be e-mailed to std-hivnet@ashastd.org.

This information is not a substitute for medical treatment.

Please send technical questions related to the Web site to Ann Harste