Overview

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of the genital tract that is spread very easily through sexual contact. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in North America. The majority of people infected with chlamydia have no symptoms thus serving as a "silent" reservoir for the spread of the infection. Chlamydia can be effectively treated with an appropriate oral antibiotic.

Causes

Chlamydia is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and can be spread through sexual contact between genitals the rectal area and the mouth. If you're pregnant and have chlamydia it's possible you may pass it on to your baby during vaginal childbirth. If you're not receiving appropriate treatment your baby could develop a serious eye infection or pneumonia.

Symptoms

A lack of obvious symptoms makes chlamydia difficult to detect although men are more likely than women to notice the signs. If you've had sexual contact with someone who has chlamydia you can start to develop symptoms one to three weeks after being exposed. Common symptoms can include one or more of the following:

• Vaginal discharge
• Lower abdominal pain
• Painful urination
• Painful sexual intercourse in women
• Discharge from penis
• Testicular pain

Treatment

If you're sexually active and you're experiencing any of the signs and symptoms mentioned above make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. Because chlamydia is a condition that may not necessarily exhibit obvious signs and symptoms be sure to see your doctor if you find out your partner has or has had the conditioneven if you don't have any symptoms. If you do have it the quicker you get treatment the lower your risk of developing other health problems.

Screening tests for chlamydia are very simple. Your doctor will either choose to take a culture swab or a urine sample.

Culture swab. If you're a woman your doctor will take a culture swab from vaginal discharge. This can be done at the same time your doctor performs your Pap test. If you're a man your doctor will insert a very narrow swab into the end of your penis to get a sample of the discharge from your urethra. If you've been having anal sex your doctor may swab your anus for testing as well. The culture swabs will then be sent to a laboratory for testing.

Urine test. You'll be asked to urinate in a plastic sample cup which will be sent to a laboratory for testing.

If your doctor determines you have chlamydia he or she will probably prescribe antibiotics such as azithromycin erythromycin tetracycline or doxycycline. It will take approximately one to two weeks for your infection to go away. You should tell your partner that you're being treated for the condition so he or she can get treated for it too. Otherwise the infection will continue to be passed back and forth and possibly to others.

If you think you may have been exposed to chlamydia getting treated right away is very important. Otherwise you may increase your risk for developing serious health conditions such as:

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Approximately 40 per cent of women who aren't treated for chlamydia develop PID. PID is an infection of your reproductive organs. Quite often it won't cause any symptoms but if left untreated it can damage your fallopian tubes ovaries uterus and cervix. The infection often leaves scars that may cause you to have an ectopic pregnancy (a fertilized egg in one of your fallopian tubes). Some women become infertile or develop chronic pelvic pain as a result of PID.

Epididymitis. Women aren't the only ones who need to be concerned about untreated chlamydia. When a man gets infected with chlamydia his epididymisa coiled tube located beside each testiclecan become inflamed. This may result in fever scrotal pain and swelling.

Prostatitis. If you're a man chlamydia infection can affect your prostate gland. As a result you may develop prostatitis that can cause pain during or after sex fever chills painful urination and lower back pain.

Rectal inflammation. If you become exposed to chlamydia and you engage in anal sex your rectum may become inflamed. As a result you may feel rectal pain and may develop a mucus-like discharge.

Eye infections. If you touch discharge infected with chlamydia and then touch your eyes you could develop an eye infection. If this happens and you don't seek treatment it's possible you could go blind.

Prevention

The best way to avoid becoming exposed to chlamydia is by not being sexually active. However if you are having sex here are some tips to help reduce your risk:

Always use condoms. Using a male latex condom or a female polyurethane condom during sexual contact will reducebut won't eliminateyour risk of infection.

Have one sex partner. The more sex partners you have the higher your risk of becoming exposed to chlamydia or any other sexually transmitted disease.

Get screened regularly. If you're having sex and you have more than one partner ask your doctor how often you should get screened for chlamydia or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Don't douche. Many women feel `cleaner' by using a vaginal douche after sex. This isn't a good ideaparticularly if you have more than one sexual partner. Douching tends to decrease the number of good bacteria present in the vagina which can increase the risk of infection.

Additional Resources

In Ontario for the location of a sexual health clinic near you call the AIDS and Sexual Health Infoline at 1-800-668-2437 or contact your local public health unit.