Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common STD in the United States, and also the most invisible.
Chlamydia is a microscopic parasite that can cause sterility in women and men. Four million American men and women become infected every year.
In women, chlamydia infects the cervix and can spread to the urethra, Fallopian tubes and ovaries. It can cause bladder infections and serious pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), sterility and ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg implants in tissue outside of the uterus, and the placenta and fetus begin to develop there. Up to 40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia will develop PID. Of those with PID, 20 percent will become infertile. In men, chlamydia infects the urethra and may spread to the testicles, causing epididymitis, which can cause sterility.
Chlamydia can also lead to Reiter's syndrome, especially in young men. Reiter's syndrome involves eye infections, urethritis and arthritis.
Symptoms and how chlamydia is spread
Symptoms of chlamydia include the following:
- Discharge from the penis or vagina
- Pain or burning while urinating, more than usual urination
- Excessive vaginal bleeding
- Painful intercourse for women
- Spotting between periods or after intercourse
- Abdominal pain, nausea, fever
- Inflammation of the rectum or cervix
- Swelling or pain in the testicles
Seventy-five percent of women with chlamydia have no symptoms. Many women discover they have chlamydia only because their partners are found to be infected. Other women discover that they must have had it for some time when they are treated for the infertility that it can cause.
If symptoms appear, they do so in seven to 21 days. If your partner is a man, and he has a urinary tract infection, you may have chlamydia.
Only one in four men with chlamydia have no symptoms.
Chlamydia is spread by vaginal and anal intercourse or from the birth canal to the fetus. In rare cases, it can be spread from the hand to the eye. Condoms offer very good protection against chlamydia.
Chlamydia can be confused with gonorrhea and other conditions. Examination of tissue samples or urine is necessary for correct diagnosis.
Both partners can be treated successfully with antibiotics.