Factsheet
Chlamydia
Date 16 November 2007
WHAT IS CHLAMYDIA?
Chlamydia is a sexually transmissible infection (STI) caused by a bacteria. It affects both men and women. Often people don't know they have Chlamydia, because they don't have any symptoms. This means that they can pass it on to a partner during sex, without knowing it. It also means that Chlamydia can cause serious long-term problems in a person's body before they find out they have it.IN WOMEN Chlamydia can infect the cervix (the end of the uterus or womb, inside the vagina). Some women have an unusual discharge from the vagina, or pain during sex. Some have irregular bleeding from the vagina, especially after sex, but most women have no symptoms at all.
The problem is that if it isn't treated, Chlamydia can spread up into the uterus and Fallopian tubes causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). With PID you can have pain in the abdomen and a fever, and feel quite sick, but even if the symptoms are very mild, PID can damage or block the Fallopian tubes. This can cause infertility, which means never being able to have children. It can also cause ectopic pregnancies (in the Fallopian tubes) and chronic pain low in the abdomen.
Chlamydia can stay in the cervix without symptoms for months, but the infection can flare up at any time. It may be more likely to do this if a woman has a medical procedure such as the insertion of an IUD or termination of a pregnancy.
Chlamydia can pass from mother to baby during birth, and cause lung and eye infections. Pregnant women with Chlamydia are at risk of having smaller or premature babies and of getting PID after the birth.
IN MEN Chlamydia can infect the urethra (the passage for urine and semen in the penis). Some men have pain when they pass urine, and a watery or pussy discharge from the penis, but a lot of men have no symptoms at all. If it isn't treated, Chlamydia can spread to the prostate and the tubes that carry sperm, causing chronic pain and fertility problems.
Chlamydia is passed on by having oral, anal, or vaginal sex with someone who already has it. It can also be transmitted to the eyes, causing conjunctivitis. The bacteria cannot live long outside the body so you can't catch it from toilets, swimming pools or spas, or from normal contact with people. To reduce your chances of catching Chlamydia and other STIs - use condoms every time you have sex!
HOW CAN YOU FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE CHLAMYDIA?
If you or your partner has any of the symptoms listed above, or even if you just think that you could have been infected, go to a doctor for a Chlamydia test.HOW DO THEY TEST FOR CHLAMYDIA?
Men can have a simple urine test. The chances of finding Chlamydia in urine are higher if you have not passed urine for a few hours before the test. So if you might need this test, 'hold on' for a while before you see the doctor.Women can have a urine test as well, but a more accurate test involves a swab being taken the opening of the cervix. This can be done on its own, as part of other testing for STIs, or as an extra test with a Pap test.
SHOULD I HAVE A CHLAMYDIA TEST?
You should think about having a Chlamydia test if there is any chance you could have Chlamydia and:- you are under 25 years of age - people under 25 have high rates of infection.
- you are thinking of having an IUD inserted.
- you have symptoms such as discharge, pain when you pass urine, pain low in your abdomen, pain during sex or irregular bleeding from the vagina, especially after sex.
- you have another STI, eg gonorrhoea, herpes or wart virus
- your partner has chlamydia or another STI.
- you or your partner have more than one sexual partner or have recently changed partners
- you have had unprotected sex (no condom) with a casual partner.
HOW IS CHLAMYDIA TREATED?
Most people with Chlamydia take antibiotics by mouth for a few days. Women who have PID need a longer course of antibiotics. Sexual partner/s should be checked and treated as well. It is important to avoid having sex while you are taking the antibiotics and for one week after they are finished, so that you don't pass on the infection to someone else, or become infected again yourself.WHERE CAN I GO FOR ADVICE AND TESTING?
- Family Planning NSW Centre or other family planning clinic
- Sexual health clinic
- A local doctor
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For further information
- Contact the Healthline on 1300 658 886.
