Chlamydia

Symptoms

Women
In women, genital chlamydia does not often cause any symptoms. However, some women may have 'non-specific symptoms' such as:

• cystitis, 
• a change in their vaginal discharge, and
• mild lower abdominal pain.

If you visit your GP, or family planning doctor with any of these symptoms, you can ask to have a chlamydia test taken, even if you are not offered one.
If left untreated, the chlamydia infection may lead to the following symptoms:

• pelvic pain,
• pain during sexual intercourse, or occasionally, 
• bleeding between periods.

The chlamydial infection can also spread to the womb, and cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. This is a major cause of infertility, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.

Men
A man with chlamydia commonly experiences a urethral discharge from the penis.
You may also have inflammation of the tube leading from the bladder to the tip of the penis, and inflammation of the tube leading from the testes to the penis.
You may also experience mild irritation at the end of your penis that will usually disappear after two or three days. However, after the discomfort disappears, you may still have the chlamydia infection. This means that you can pass it on to a sexual partner. You also risk the complication of inflamed and swollen testicles.

Causes

As chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), it is transmitted (passed on) from one person to another during intimate sexual contact. You can catch chlamydia through:

• having unprotected vaginal sex, 
• having unprotected anal sex,
• having unprotected oral sex, or
• having genital contact with an infected partner.

As it is common for someone with the chlamydia infection not to have symptoms, it is possible for him or her to infect a partner without knowing.
You cannot catch chlamydia by using the same toilet seat as someone who is infected, and it cannot be transmitted through swimming pools or saunas.

Prevention

Chlamydia can be successfully prevented by using condoms. If you have a new partner it is a good idea for you both to be tested for STIs before having sexual intercourse. You should visit your local sexual health or GUM clinic to have them checked out.

Treatment