Chlamydia
Chlamydia (pronounced kla-mid-ee-ah) is a very common bacterial sexually transmitted infection - and one of the more serious.
It can spread silently in females and cause a painful, long-term condition called PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) and infertility (the inability to have children). Pregnant women can pass this infection on to their babies at birth, who can then get infections of their eyes or lungs.
You can get chlamydia from oral, vaginal or anal sex.
The symptoms and signs
A woman may never know she is infected with chlamydia until she has a test for it or decides to have a baby and has problems trying to become pregnant.
For those who develop symptoms, they usually appear two to six weeks after sex with an infected person. Sometimes, the symptoms are so mild that a person may not notice them. Men often have no symptoms and can spread the infection without knowing they have it. It is very important that chlamydia be treated right away.
What to look for
Females:
- a new or different discharge from the vagina
- a burning feeling when urinating
- pain in the lower abdomen, sometimes
- with fever and chills
- pain during sex
- vaginal bleeding between periods
- vaginal bleeding after intercourse
Males:
- a watery or milky drip from the penis
- an itchy feeling inside the penis
- a burning feeling when urinating
- pain or swelling in the testicles
A quick and reliable urine test is available for chlamydia in most centres for both men and women.
If you are having sex and have taken chances, see a health professional or go to a clinic and ask to be tested.
How chlamydia is treated
Chlamydia can often be treated with just one dose of antibiotics taken by mouth. But you can get it again right away from your partner if he/she isn't treated as well.
You must get a prescription for the right antibiotic from your doctor. Don't borrow medicine from your friends, and you cannot buy the medicine on the street.
Treatment is important
Your doctor or nurse may ask you for the name of your partner or ask you to tell your partner so that this STI will not be spread further. Make sure you take your medication until it is finished. Ask your doctor or nurse how soon after treatment you can have sexual intercourse.
If you are a female with chlamydia and you don't get treated, this could happen to you:
- you might develop a pain in your abdomen or belly that never seems to go away
- the infection could spread to all your reproductive organs and cause PID
- you may have problems later in life getting pregnant or during your pregnancy.
The long-term effects of chlamydia on males are not well known.
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