Chlamydia

What is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, which can damage a person’s reproductive organs.

How common is Chlamydia?


According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. In 2009, 1,244,180 Chlamydia infections were reported to CDC from 50 states and the District of Columbia. This is the largest number of cases ever reported to the CDC for any condition. Under-reporting is substantial because most people with Chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing. Also, testing is not often done if patients are treated for their symptoms. An estimated 2,291,000 non-institutionalized U.S. civilians ages 14-39 are infected with Chlamydia based on the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Women are frequently re-infected if their sex partners are not treated.
 

How can I get I get Chlamydia?

Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth. Babies who are born to infected mothers can get Chlamydia infections in their eyes and respiratory tracts. Chlamydia is a leading cause of early infant pneumonia and conjunctivitis (pink eye) in newborns.


Any sexually active person can be infected with Chlamydia. The greater the number of sex partners, the greater the risk of infection. Because the cervix (opening to the uterus) of teenage girls and young women is not fully matured and is probably more susceptible to infection, they are at particularly high risk for infection if sexually active. Since Chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex, men who have sex with men are also at risk for Chlamydia infection.

Chlamydia is NOT passed through things like shaking hands or toilet seats.

What are the symptoms of Chlamydia?

It is important to understand that focusing on signs and symptoms is not very useful in determining if someone is infected with Chlamydia. Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease because about three quarters of infected women and about half of infected men have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure.

Men, Women and Infants

  • Both men and women can experience proctitis (inflamed rectum), urethritis (inflamed urethra) and conjunctivitis (inflamed eyelid).
  • Most infections of the mouth and throat have no symptoms. If present, symptoms are soreness and redness in the throat or mouth.
  • The most common complications in newborns include conjunctivitis (pink eye) and pneumonia.
     

Women

  • Most women do not experience any symptoms, but if symptoms are present they may be minor.
  • Symptoms may include:
  1. vaginal discharge, or
  2. burning sensation during urination.
  • If the infection spreads to the fallopian tubes, women may experience lower abdominal and lower back pain,
    pain during intercourse, bleeding between menstrual periods, or nausea or fever.

 Men

  • Men may either have no symptoms or symptoms may be minor. When men do have symptoms, they may experience one or more of the following:
  1. pus (thick yellow-white fluid) or watery or milky discharge from the penis
  2. pain or burning during urination
  3. pain or swelling of the testicle


Chlamydia infection of the cervix can spread to the rectum if bacteria are spread from the vaginal area, such as when wiping with toilet paper.


Men or women who have receptive anal intercourse may acquire Chlamydia infection in the rectum, which can cause rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding. Chlamydia can also be found in the throats of women and men having oral sex with an infected partner.


Are there complications of Chlamydia?

If untreated, Chlamydia infections can progress to serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences. Like the disease itself, the damage that Chlamydia causes is often "silent."

Untreated Chlamydia infections in women may lead to:

  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). (PID is a serious infection of a woman's reproductive organs. Left untreated, PID can lead to chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus)). Up to 40% of women with untreated Chlamydia will develop PID.
  • Cystitis (inflammation of the urinary bladder)
  • A condition called mucopurulent cervicitis, characterized by a yellow discharge from the cervix
  • Women infected with Chlamydia are up to five times more likely to become infected with HIV, if exposed.

Untreated Chlamydia in men may lead to:

  • Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland)
  • Scarring of the urethra
  • Infertility
  • Epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymis, which is the elongated, cord-like structure that runs along the back of each testes)

Untreated Chlamydia in infants may lead to:

  • Blindness
  • Complications of pneumonia, which can include death

In some cases, untreated Chlamydia may lead to Reiter's Syndrome, a disorder that causes three seemingly unrelated symptoms:

  • arthritis (joint inflammation),
  • redness of the eyes, and
  • urinary tract problems.

Most men and women with Chlamydia do not develop RS. RS usually affects men between the ages of 20 and 40. Women can develop the disorder, though less often than men and with symptoms that are milder and less noticeable.

Is Chlamydia Treatable?

YES! Chlamydia is a Bacterial infection and can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics.

A single dose of Azithromycin or seven to 14 days of Doxycycline (twice daily) are the most commonly used treatments. HIV-positive persons with Chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV negative.

All sex partners should be evaluated, tested, and treated. Persons with Chlamydia should abstain from sexual intercourse until they and their sex partners have completed treatment, otherwise re-infection is possible.

Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection.

Having multiple infections increases a woman's risk of serious reproductive health complications, including infertility. Re-testing is encouraged for women three to four months after treatment. This is especially true if a woman does not know if her sex partner received treatment.

Can Chlamydia be Prevented?

YES! The surest way to avoid transmission of STDs is to abstain from sexual contact, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.

  • Using latex condoms consistently and correctly for vaginal and anal sex can reduce risk of transmission.
  • Water-based spermicides are not recommended for the prevention of Chlamydia. Recent studies have shown that nonoxynol-9 (N-9), which is found in most water-based spermicides, is not effective in preventing Chlamydia.
  • Since Chlamydia can be transmitted even if the penis or tongue does not completely enter the vagina, mouth or rectum, using latex condoms at the beginning of sexual contact until there is no longer skin contact is the best form of prevention.
  • Several barrier methods can be used to reduce the risk of transmission of Chlamydia during oral sex. A non-lubricated condom can be used for mouth-to-penis contact. Household plastic wrap, a dental dam, or a latex condom cut-up and opened flat can reduce the risk of transmission during mouth-to-vulva/vagina or oral-anal (rimming) contact.

CDC recommends yearly Chlamydia testing of all sexually active women age 25 or younger, older women with risk factors for Chlamydia infections (those who have a new sex partner or multiple sex partners), and all pregnant women.

An appropriate sexual risk assessment by a health care provider should always be conducted and may indicate more frequent screening for some women.

Any genital symptoms such as an unusual sore, discharge with odor, burning during urination, or bleeding between menstrual cycles could mean an STD infection. If a woman has any of these symptoms, she should stop having sex and consult a health care provider immediately. Treating STDs early can prevent PID. Women who are told they have an STD and are treated for it should notify all of their recent sex partners (sex partners within the preceding 60 days) so they can see a health care provider and be evaluated for STDs. Sexual activity should not resume until all sex partners have been examined and, if necessary, treated.

Need more Information?

Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/std


CDC-INFO Contact Center
1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
Email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov


www.cdc.gov/std
www.idph.state.il.us
www.nlm.nih.gov