Chlamydia
What are the symptoms of chlamydia?
Chlamydia is sometimes called the "silent disease" because you can have it without knowing it. As many as 8 in 10 women and 5 in 10 men who have chlamydia don't have any obvious signs of infection.
If you do get symptoms, they start one week to three weeks after you've been infected.
1
Source:
Horner P, Boag F.
2006 UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.
British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. 2006; 24: 1-24.
Horner P, Boag F.
2006 UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.
British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. 2006; 24: 1-24.
The most common symptoms in women are:
1
Source:
Horner P, Boag F.
2006 UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.
British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. 2006; 24: 1-24.
Horner P, Boag F.
2006 UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.
British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. 2006; 24: 1-24.
- Unusual discharge from your vagina
- Bleeding between periods
- Pain when passing urine
- Pain in the lower abdomen.
Source:
Horner P, Boag F.
2006 UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.
British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. 2006; 24: 1-24.
Horner P, Boag F.
2006 UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.
British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. 2006; 24: 1-24.
- Discharge from your penis
- Burning and itching around your genitals
- Pain when passing urine.
inflammation
If your skin or some other part of your body becomes red, swollen, hot or sore, we say it is inflamed. It means that your body is trying to protect you from germs, from something in your body tissues that can hurt you (like a thorn or sliver), or from things that cause allergies (allergens). Inflammation is part of the way the body heals an infection or injury.
If your skin or some other part of your body becomes red, swollen, hot or sore, we say it is inflamed. It means that your body is trying to protect you from germs, from something in your body tissues that can hurt you (like a thorn or sliver), or from things that cause allergies (allergens). Inflammation is part of the way the body heals an infection or injury.
rectum
The rectum is the last six to eight inches of the large intestine, ending with the anus (where you empty your bowels).
The rectum is the last six to eight inches of the large intestine, ending with the anus (where you empty your bowels).
Source:
Waalboer R, van der Snoek EM, van der Meijden WI, et al.
Analysis of rectal chlamydia trachomatis serovar distribution including L2 (lymphogranuloma venereum) at the Erasmus MC STI clinic, Rotterdam.
Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2006; 82: 207-211.
Waalboer R, van der Snoek EM, van der Meijden WI, et al.
Analysis of rectal chlamydia trachomatis serovar distribution including L2 (lymphogranuloma venereum) at the Erasmus MC STI clinic, Rotterdam.
Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2006; 82: 207-211.
constipated
When you're constipated, you have difficulty passing stools (feces). Your bowel movements may be dry and hard. You may have fewer bowel movements than usual, and it may be a strain when you try to go.
When you're constipated, you have difficulty passing stools (feces). Your bowel movements may be dry and hard. You may have fewer bowel movements than usual, and it may be a strain when you try to go.
Symptoms of chlamydia may carry on, but sometimes they disappear after a few days.
If you're at risk of chlamydia and have one or more symptoms, you should see your doctor or visit your local sexual health clinic (also known as an STD clinic). You'll be offered a simple test that will show whether you have the infection.
The test for chlamydia can be done on either a sample of your urine or a swab sample. A swab is a twist of cotton at the end
of a thin stick. Your nurse or doctor uses the swab to take a sample of fluid. The fluid can then be tested for the
bacteria that cause chlamydia.
bacteria
Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.
Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.
- If you're a woman, your doctor or nurse will usually take the swab sample from the neck of your womb (
cervix
The cervix is a piece of tissue that sits between a woman's womb and her vagina. It has a small opening in it that gets much bigger when a woman is having a baby.cervix). There are tests that allow you to take your own swab sample at home. But these tests may not be available everywhere.Source:
Black CM.
Current methods of laboratory diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infections.
Clinical Microbiology Review. 1997; 10: 160-184.
3Source:
Ostergaard L, Andersen B, Olesen F, et al.
Efficacy of home sampling of Chlamydia trachomatis: randomised study.
BMJ. 1998; 317: 26-27.
4Source:
Hook EW 3rd, Smith K, Mullen C, et al.
Diagnosis of genitourinary Chlamydia trachomatis infections by using the ligase chain reaction on patient obtained vaginal swabs.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 1997; 35: 2133-2135.
5 - If you're a man, your doctor or nurse will take the swab sample from the tube (
urethra
Your urethra is the tube that carries urine from your bladder out of your body. In a man, the urethra runs through the inside of the penis. In a woman, the urethra is shorter, and opens onto the top of the vagina.urethra) that carries urine down from your bladder. You many find that a urine sample is best for you because taking a swab can be hard and uncomfortable for men.Source:
Quinn TC, Welsh L, Lenz A, et al.
Diagnosis by AMPLICOR PCR of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in urine samples from women and men attending sexually transmitted disease clinics.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 1996; 34: 1401-1406.
6Source:
Chernesky MA, Jang D, Lee H, et al.
Diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in men and women by testing first-void urine by ligase chain reaction.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 1994; 32: 2682-2685.
7
If your test shows you have chlamydia, your last sex partner, and any other partners you've had within the past few months,
should be tested too.
8 Your recent partners need to have a test even if they don't have any signs of infection. And they may be offered treatment
even if the test shows they don't have chlamydia, just in case. This will stop you from getting infected again and help to prevent the disease from spreading to other people.
1
Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines.
April 2007. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/STD/treatment/default.htm (accessed on 28 October 2008).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines.
April 2007. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/STD/treatment/default.htm (accessed on 28 October 2008).
Source:
Horner P, Boag F.
2006 UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.
British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. 2006; 24: 1-24.
Horner P, Boag F.
2006 UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.
British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. 2006; 24: 1-24.
Most people with chlamydia don't know they've got it, so it's important for people who are at risk to have regular screening tests.
In the United States, doctors recommend screening for certain groups of people who are more at risk of getting infected with
chlamydia:
9
Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Diseases characterized by urethritis and cervicitis. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines 2006.
Available at http://www.cdc.gov (accessed on 28 October 2008).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Diseases characterized by urethritis and cervicitis. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines 2006.
Available at http://www.cdc.gov (accessed on 28 October 2008).
- Adolescents girls or women younger than 25 who're sexually active should get tested once a year, whether or not they have symptoms
- Older women who're more at risk (for example, those who've had a new sex partner or those who have more than one sex partner) should also get tested once a year
- Pregnant women.
Sources for the information on this page:
- Horner P, Boag F.2006 UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.British Association of Sexual Health and HIV. 2006; 24: 1-24.
- Waalboer R, van der Snoek EM, van der Meijden WI, et al.Analysis of rectal chlamydia trachomatis serovar distribution including L2 (lymphogranuloma venereum) at the Erasmus MC STI clinic, Rotterdam.Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2006; 82: 207-211.
- Black CM.Current methods of laboratory diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infections.Clinical Microbiology Review. 1997; 10: 160-184.
- Ostergaard L, Andersen B, Olesen F, et al.Efficacy of home sampling of Chlamydia trachomatis: randomised study.BMJ. 1998; 317: 26-27.
- Hook EW 3rd, Smith K, Mullen C, et al.Diagnosis of genitourinary Chlamydia trachomatis infections by using the ligase chain reaction on patient obtained vaginal swabs.Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 1997; 35: 2133-2135.
- Quinn TC, Welsh L, Lenz A, et al.Diagnosis by AMPLICOR PCR of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in urine samples from women and men attending sexually transmitted disease clinics.Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 1996; 34: 1401-1406.
- Chernesky MA, Jang D, Lee H, et al.Diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in men and women by testing first-void urine by ligase chain reaction.Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 1994; 32: 2682-2685.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines.April 2007. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/STD/treatment/default.htm (accessed on 28 October 2008).
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diseases characterized by urethritis and cervicitis. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines 2006.Available at http://www.cdc.gov (accessed on 28 October 2008).
This information was last updated on Jan 08, 2009
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
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