Chlamydia Facts

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of the urethra in men, and the urethra, the cervix, or the upper reproductive organs (or all three) in women. Chlamydia can also infect the rectum and the conjunctiva of the eyes. Chlamydia is transmitted by sexual contact and is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States.

What causes chlamydia?

Chlamydia is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.

Up to 40% of women with untreated (undiagnosed) chlamydia will develop pelvic inflammatory diseases and about 20% of these women will become infertile. Many untreated cases (18%) result in chronic pelvic pain.

Women infected with chlamydia have a 3 - 5 fold increased risk of acquiring HIV.

How common is chlamydia?

Three million new cases of chlamydia occur each year. Since most people, especially women, do not have symptoms, they may unknowingly transmit the disease to their sex partners. In the United States, African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans are the most commonly infected ethnic groups.

Chlamydia is most prevalent in persons aged 15-24 years.

How is chlamydia spread?

Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or possibly oral sex with an infected partner. A pregnant woman may also pass the infection to her newborn during vaginal delivery.

Chlamydia can be transmitted anytime by an infected person, whether or not symptoms are present. An infected person is contagious until he or she has been treated.

Treatment

The mainstay of therapy for chlamydia includes appropriate antibiotic treatment -- these include: tetracyclines, azithromycin or erythromycin. All sexual contacts should be screened for >chlamydia.

Sexual partners must be treated to prevent passing the infection back and forth. There is no significant immunity following the infection and a person may become repeatedly infected.

Source: AllRefer Health, Chlamydia- Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Carolina and WebMD