Effects of Chlamydia - In Men & Women

 Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection. Chlamydia usually has no symptoms, can leave a woman unable to have children, and can be passed from the mother to child during vaginal childbirth. Having an active sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia increases the risk you will get HIV or give it to someone else. HIV is incurable and can be fatal. Fortunately, chlamydia can be diagnosed with a test and cured with antibiotics.

You can have chlamydia without knowing it. If you think you may have been exposed to or infected with any sexually transmitted infection, see a doctor and get tested whether or not you have any symptoms. All pregnant women should be checked for chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections.

Chlamydia is transmitted by vaginal, oral or anal sexual contact. Chlamydia can also be transmitted from mother to child during vaginal delivery.

Signs and Symptoms of Chlamydia

Chlamydia usually has no symptoms. If you have symptoms, they usually appear one to three weeks after infection.

When a woman has a chlamydia infection in her vagina, symptoms may include:
⢠abnormal vaginal discharge
⢠"a burning sensation when urinating"
⢠"lower abdominal pain"
⢠"low back pain"
⢠"nausea"
⢠"fever"
⢠"pain during" sex
⢠"bleeding between menstrual periods"

When a man has a chlamydia infection, his symptoms may include:
⢠abnormal discharge from his penis
⢠"burning sensation when urinating"
⢠"burning and itching around the opening of the penis"
⢠rarely, "pain and swelling in the testicles"

If the penis is put into a person's anus during intercourse, that person may get a chlamydia "infection in the rectum, which can cause rectal pain, fluid discharge, or bleeding."

Men or women who perform oral sex on an infected partner may get a chlamydia infection in their throat.

Effects of Untreated Chlamydia in Women

When not treated, chlamydia can cause a woman to develop:
⢠pelvic inflammatory disease
⢠"permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues"
⢠"chronic pelvic pain"
⢠"infertility" (inability to have a baby)
⢠ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus) which can be fatal

If a woman is infected multiple times with chlamydia, her risk of serious complications, including infertility (not being able to have a baby), increases.

Chlamydia in Pregnant Women

If you are a woman who is pregnant or who may become pregnant, it is important that you be tested for chlamydia. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all pregnant women be tested for chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections including HIV, syphilis, and Hepatitis B and that pregnant women who are at risk for gonorrhea or live where it is common be tested for gonorrhea. The World Health Organization recommends that all pregnant women be tested for HIV and syphilis and checked for symptoms of other sexually transmitted infections.

If you are pregnant, have chlamydia, and don't get treated, your baby may have problems including:
⢠premature delivery
⢠infections of the eyes and lungs
⢠pneumonia

By getting tested for chlamydia and treated if you need it, you can protect your own health and your baby's health too. So if you are pregnant, talk to your doctor right away, get tested for chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections, and follow the doctor's instructions.

Effects of Untreated Chlamydia in Men

Rarely, men can develop complications including pain, fever, and even sterility (not being able to make a woman pregnant).

Testing for Chlamydia

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that:
⢠"[A]ll sexually active women age 25 years and younger" should be tested annually for chlamydia.
⢠Older women who have risk factors for chlamydia, such as a new sex partner or multiple sex partners, should be tested for chlamydia.
⢠All pregnant women should be tested for chlamydia.
⢠All people who have chlamydia should be retested three months after they are treated, whether or not they believe that their sex partners were treated.