Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis that can infect both men and women. Chlamydial infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease, with a higher incidence in people under 25 years of age and/or with multiple sexual partners.
The infection is transmitted during unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person. It can also be transmitted during oral sex, causing throat infections.
It usually causes no symptoms, but may cause increased vaginal discharge, itching during urination and pain during sexual intercourse.
If untreated, in two out of three people, symptoms disappear in about 4 weeks. However, chlamydial infections can have serious long-term consequences for women, even when symptoms are mild or absent. Therefore, detection and treatment of the infection is very important, even if there are no symptoms.
In severe cases, the infection can spread to the reproductive tract and infect the tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus, the fallopian tubes. This infection is called salpingitis and causes pain in the lower abdomen. Peritonitis occurs when the infection spreads into the peritoneum that lines the pelvis and abdominal cavity, causing severe pain in the lower abdomen. In cases of long-standing infection, it can lead to sterility, increased risk of ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain.
Chlamydia is usually diagnosed with a culture of the vaginal discharge and/or a urine study, where genetic material (DNA) unique to the bacteria is detected. Tests for other sexually transmitted infections should also be performed, as it is not uncommon to have more than one infection at a time.
Treatment consists of oral antibiotics, usually doxycycline or azithromycin. This may be done in a single dose, or you may have to take the antibiotic for seven days. These antibiotics will treat the active infection but will not cure any permanent damage caused by the disease.
If a person is diagnosed with chlamydia, all sexual partners for the past 6 months should be tested for chlamydia.
