Chlamydia trachomatis

Chlamydia is a common, but fortunately, detectable and treatable STI.

What is it?

Chlamydia trachomatis is a species of bacterium responsible for chlamydia. It’s one of the most common bacterial STIs in the world, affecting more women than men overall. The rate of chlamydia infections has risen since 1989 from merely 79 per 100,000 people to 687.4 in 2017. Many people have it asymptomatically — meaning they do not know they are infected. In people who have chlamydia, it can be asymptomatic in an estimated 80% of women and 50% of men. In both men and women, chlamydia causes inflammation of the urethra. What does this mean in practical terms? Painful urination and discharge.

What are the bad consequences of chlamydia?

Dangerous complications can arise if the bacterium travels up the genital tract: endometritis (infection of the uterus), mucopurulent cervicitis (inflammation of the cervix, when there’s also discharge) and inflammation of the coating of the liver, pelvic inflammatory disorder (PID).
Mucopurulent cervicitis caused by chlamydia has some unfortunate complications as well: PID, infertility, and for pregnant women, infection of the membranes that surround the fetus, ectopic pregnancy and infection of the baby itself.

Infertility comes about due to regular damage both from the bacterium and the antigens it releases to the fallopian tube. Long-term damage to the reproductive system can cause infertility.

Untreated chlamydia can also increase the risk of contracting HIV

Risk factors for chlamydia include being young, female, unmarried, not having ever given birth. Other factors include having regular unprotected sex with new partners, and having gonorrhea at the same time.

So how do you know if you have it?

For both men and women, symptoms include

It hurts to pee
Sex is painful
Anus hurts or is bleeding
For women, symptoms include
Abnormal discharge from vagina
Irregular vaginal bleeding
For men, symptoms include
Painful or swollen testicles
Milky penile discharge

Chlamydia is often symptomless - especially in women. Therefore, it is a good idea to get tested if you have unprotected sex with a new partner. You can get tested by a sexual health professional or using a home test kit which you then send off to get your results.

How can I avoid chlamydia?

You can protect yourself from chlamydia by always using barrier methods of contraception when you have sex - including oral or anal sex. If you have sex without condoms, you and your partner should both get tested for chlamydia.

You should take care to avoid chlamydia, but if you do get chlamydia it is important to get treatment with antibiotics to avoid any of the complications of this infection and to avoid spreading to others