What is chlamydia? Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, serious complications that can cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur without notice before a woman ever recognizes a problem.
Chlamydia also can cause discharge from the penis of an infected man. How common is chlamydia? In , a total of , chlamydial infections were reported to CDC from 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Underreporting is substantial because the majority of persons with chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing. Also, testing is not often performed if patients are treated for their symptoms. An estimated 2. Women are frequently re-infected if their sex partners are not treated. How do people contract chlamydia? Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal childbirth.
Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. The greater the number of sex partners, the greater the risk for infection. Because the cervix opening to the uterus of teenage females and young women is not fully matured, they are at particularly high risk for infection if sexually active. Because chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex, men who have sex with men are also at risk for chlamydial infection.
(mh=R0oRAryiTE2mKRvL)1.jpg "Woman in Columbia")
What are the symptoms of chlamydia? If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1β3 weeks after exposure. Among women, the bacteria initially infect the cervix and the urethra urine canal. Women who have symptoms might have an abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. When the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes the tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus , certain women still have no signs or symptoms; others have lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between menstrual periods.
