Chlamydia Infection
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease.
Sexually transmitted diseases are infections spread mainly by contact with genitals or bodily fluids. Also called STDs, STIs or venereal disease, sexually transmitted infections are caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites.
Chlamydia is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria and spread through oral, vaginal or anal sex.
You might not know you have chlamydia because many people don’t have symptoms, such as genital pain and discharge from the vagina or penis. Chlamydia trachomatis affects mostly young women, but it can occur in both men and women and in all age groups.
It’s not difficult to treat, but if left untreated it can lead to more-serious health problems.
The Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium is most commonly spread through vaginal, oral and anal sex. It also is possible for the bacterium to spread in pregnancy, during delivery of the baby. Chlamydia can cause pneumonia or a serious eye infection in the newborn.
The incubation period for primary syphilis is 14 to 21 days. Symptoms of primary syphilis are:
- Small, painles
Early-stage Chlamydia trachomatis infections often cause few symptoms. Even when symptoms occur, they’re often mild. That makes them easy to overlook, which is why regular screening is important.
Symptoms of Chlamydia trachomatis infection can include:
- Painful urination.
- Vaginal discharge.
- Discharge from the penis.
- Painful vaginal sex.
- Vaginal bleeding between periods and after sex.
- Testicular pain.
Depending on a person’s sexual activity, Chlamydia trachomatis can infect the eyes, throat or rectum.
Eye infections, called conjunctivitis, cause the inside of the eyelid to be red and irritated. In the throat, an infection may have no symptoms, or a person may have a sore throat. An infection in the rectum may have no symptoms or may cause rectal pain, discharge or bleeding.
s open sore or ulcer (called a chancre) on the genitals, mouth, skin, or rectum that heals by itself in 3 to 6 weeks - Enlarged lymph nodes in the area of the sore
The bacteria continue to grow in the body, but there are few symptoms until the second stage.
The symptoms of secondary syphilis start 4 to 8 weeks after the primary syphilis. The symptoms may include:
- Skin rash, usually on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet
- Sores called mucous patches in or around the mouth, vagina, or penis
- Moist, warty patches (called condylomata lata) on the genitals or in skin folds
- Fever
- General ill feeling (malaise)
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle and joint pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Vision changes
- Hair loss
Primary and secondary syphilis usually resolve without treatment. At that point, syphilis becomes latent and may have no symptoms for many years. But, during this time, it may be damaging organs leading to tertiary syphilis.
Tertiary syphilis develops in untreated people. The symptoms depend on which organs have been affected. They vary widely and can be difficult to diagnose. Symptoms include:
- Damage to the heart, causing aneurysms or valve disease
- Central nervous system disorders (neurosyphilis)
- Masses of dead, inflamed tissue in the skin, bones, or liver (gummas)
People who have sex before age 25 are at higher risk of chlamydia than are older people. That’s because younger people are more likely to have more than one risk factor.
Risk factors for chlamydia include:
- Not using a condom or incorrect condom use.
- Less use of health services to prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections.
- New or multiple sex partners.
- Changing sex partners before learning about a chlamydia infection.
Chlamydia trachomatis can be associated with:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease, also called PID. PID is an infection of the uterus and fallopian tubes. Severe infections might require care in the hospital. PID can damage the fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus, including the cervix.
- Infection near the testicles. A chlamydia infection can inflame the coiled tube located beside each testicle, called the epididymis. The infection can result in fever, scrotal pain and swelling.
- Prostate gland infection. Rarely, the chlamydia bacteria can spread to the prostate gland. Prostatitis can cause pain during or after sex, fever and chills, painful urination, and lower back pain.
- Infections in newborns. The chlamydia infection can pass from the vaginal canal to your child during delivery, causing pneumonia or a serious eye infection.
- Ectopic pregnancy. This occurs when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside of the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. The egg needs to be removed to prevent life-threatening complications, such as a burst tube. A chlamydia infection increases this risk.
- Infertility. Chlamydia infections can cause scarring and obstruction in the fallopian tubes, which might lead to infertility.
- Reactive arthritis. People who have Chlamydia trachomatis are at higher risk of developing reactive arthritis, also known as Reiter syndrome. This condition typically affects the joints, eyes and urethra — the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside of your body.
See your healthcare professional if you have a discharge from your vagina, penis or rectum, or if you have pain during urination. Also, see your healthcare team if you learn your sexual partner has chlamydia. Your healthcare professional will likely prescribe an antibiotic even if you have no symptoms.
The surest way to prevent chlamydia infection is to abstain from sexual activities. Short of that, you can:
- Use condoms. Use a male latex condom or a female polyurethane condom during each sexual contact. Condoms used properly during every sexual encounter lower but don’t eliminate the risk of infection.
- Limit your number of sex partners. Having multiple sex partners puts you at a high risk of contracting chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections.
- Get regular screenings. If you’re sexually active, particularly if you have multiple partners, talk with your healthcare professional about how often you should be screened for chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections.
A medicine called doxycycline may be an option to prevent infection among people at higher risk than average of getting chlamydia. Higher risk groups include men who have sex with men and transgender women.
Taking doxycycline within 3 days of sexual activity lowers the risk of an infection with the bacteria that cause chlamydia. Your healthcare professional can prescribe doxycycline and any testing you need while taking the medicine.
References
- WHO guidelines for the treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/rtis/chlamydia-treatment-guidelines/en/. Accessed Feb. 19, 2024.
- Goldman L, et al., eds. Diseases caused by chlamydiae. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Elsevier; 2024. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Feb. 19, 2024.
- AskMayoExpert. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and nongonococcal urethritis. Mayo Clinic; 2023.
- Chlamydia: CDC fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/stdfact-chlamydia.htm. Accessed Feb. 19, 2024.
- Chlamydial infections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/chlamydia.htm. Accessed March 31, 2023.
- Medical review (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Feb. 26, 2024.
- Bachmann LH, et al. CDC clinical guidelines on the use of doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis for bacterial sexually transmitted infection prevention, United States, 2024. MMWR Recommendations and Report 2024;doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7302a1.
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