What is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is an infection that you can get when you have sex. If you have chlamydia, you probably won't feel sick and may not know you have it. That's why it's often called the "silent disease."

Chlamydia is an

infection
You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.

infection caused by

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 (germs) called Chlamydia trachomatis. The bacteria can be passed from person to person during sex.

Most people who have chlamydia don't know they have it and can pass it on to other people.

If you're a man, it can affect 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
Your bladder is the hollow organ at the top of your pelvis that stores urine. It is similar to a balloon, only with stronger walls. It fills up with urine until you go to the bathroom.

bladder to the outside.
If you're a woman, it can affect 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) or your urethra, or both.
The infection can be passed on by oral sex or anal sex as well as vaginal sex. So it can also affect your throat and your back passage (

rectum
The rectum is the last six to eight inches of the large intestine, ending with the anus (where you empty your bowels).

rectum).
If you touch your eyes after touching infected fluid from your genitals you can get eye infection.

Source:
Association of Medical Microbiologists.
The facts about Chlamydia trachomatis.
Available at http://www.amm.co.uk/files/factsabout/fa_chlam.htm (accessed on 27 October 2008).

¹

Newborn babies can also be affected by chlamydia. This is because women who have the infection can pass it on during childbirth. If you're pregnant and you have chlamydia, your baby may be born with eye infections or

pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection in your lungs. Anything that causes infections (bacteria, viruses or fungi, for example) can give you pneumonia.

pneumonia. Both of these problems can be treated with

antibiotics
These medications are used to help your immune system fight infection. There are a number of different types of antibiotics that work in different ways to get rid of bacteria, parasites and other infectious agents. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.

antibiotics.

Source:
British Association of Sexual Health and HIV.
2006 UK national guideline for the management of genital tract infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.
Available at http://www.bashh.org/guidelines (accessed 27 October 2008).

Here we've looked at treatments for uncomplicated chlamydia. This is when the infection hasn't spread beyond your urethra if you're a man or the neck of your womb if you're a woman.

Source:
Low N.
Chlamydia (uncomplicated, genital).
June 2008. Clinical Evidence. (Based on January 2007 search.) http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/conditions/seh/1607/1607.jsp (accessed on 28 October 2008).

You're most likely to get chlamydia if:

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.

⁴

You're younger than 25
You have a new sex partner or more than one sex partner
You don't use condoms during sex.

If you're a woman, you are also more likely to get chlamydia if you're taking the contraceptive pill.

Chlamydia is sometimes called the "silent disease" because you can have it without knowing it. Up to 8 in 10 women with chlamydia and 5 in 10 men don't have any obvious signs of infection.

² This is a problem for two reasons.

People who don't know they are infected can keep on infecting other people.
If it isn't diagnosed and treated, chlamydia can cause more serious health problems. (See What will happen to me?)

Sources for the information on this page:

Association of Medical Microbiologists.The facts about Chlamydia trachomatis.Available at http://www.amm.co.uk/files/factsabout/fa_chlam.htm (accessed on 27 October 2008).

British Association of Sexual Health and HIV.2006 UK national guideline for the management of genital tract infection with Chlamydia trachomatis.Available at http://www.bashh.org/guidelines (accessed 27 October 2008).

Low N.Chlamydia (uncomplicated, genital).June 2008. Clinical Evidence. (Based on January 2007 search.) http://clinicalevidence.bmj.com/ceweb/conditions/seh/1607/1607.jsp (accessed on 28 October 2008).

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.

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.
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