COMMON SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS: CHLAMYDIA
Chlamydia (cla-MIH-dee-ah) is a microscopic parasite that can cause sterility in women and men.
In women, chlamydia infects the cervix and can spread to the urethra, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. It can cause bladder infections and serious pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy, and sterility.
In men, chlamydia infects the urethra and may spread to the testicles, causing epididymitis, which can cause sterility. Chlamydia can also lead to Reiter’s syndrome—especially in young men. Reiter’s syndrome includes eye infections, urethritis, and arthritis. One in three men who develop Reiter’s syndrome becomes permanently disabled.
In infants, chlamydia can cause pneumonia, eye infections, and blindness.
Chlamydia is the most common and most invisible sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Four million American men and women become infected every year.
Common Symptoms
• discharge from the penis or vagina
• pain or burning while urinating; urinating more than usual
• spotting between periods or after intercourse
• excessive vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, nausea, fever
• painful intercourse for women
• inflammation of the rectum
• swelling or pain in the testicles
• bleeding after vaginal intercourse
Seventy-five percent of women and 25 percent of men with chlamydia have no symptoms. Many women discover they have chlamydia only because their partners are found to have the disease. Other women discover they must have had it for some time when they are treated for the infertility that it can cause.
Symptoms appear in seven to 21 days—if they appear. If your partner is a man and he has a urinary tract infection, you may have chlamydia.
How Chlamydia Is Spread
• vaginal and anal intercourse
• from the birth canal to the fetus
• rarely, from the hand to the eye
Diagnosis: Can be confused with gonorrhea and other conditions. Laboratory tests of tissue samples or urine are necessary for correct diagnosis.
Treatment: Both partners can be treated successfully with antibiotics.
Protection: Condoms offer very good protection.
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