STI Information

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a common STI/STD that can infect both men and women.

• Chlamydia can cause serious, permanent damage to a woman's reproductive system, making it difficult or impossible for her to get pregnant later on.
• You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia.
• If you've had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can still get infected again if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia.
• The only way to avoid STI/STDs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting chlamydia:

• Being in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and has negative STI/STD test results;
• Using condoms the right way every time you have sex.
• Have an honest and open talk with your health care provider and ask whether you should be tested for chlamydia or other STI/STDs. If you are a sexually active woman younger than 25 years, or an older woman with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has a sexually transmitted infection, you should get a test for chlamydia every year.
• Gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with men should also be tested for chlamydia.
• Most people who have chlamydia have no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may not appear until several weeks after you have sex with an infected partner. Even when chlamydia causes no symptoms, it can damage your reproductive system.

Women with symptoms for Chlamydia may notice:

• An abnormal vaginal discharge;
• A burning sensation when urinating.

Chlamydia symptoms in men can include:

• A discharge from their penis;
• A burning sensation when urinating;
• Pain and swelling in one or both testicles (although this is less common).
• You should be examined by your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms or if your partner has an STI/STD or symptoms of an STI/STD, such as an unusual sore, a smelly discharge, burning when urinating, or bleeding between periods.
• There are laboratory tests to diagnose chlamydia. Your health care provider may ask you to provide a urine sample or may use (or ask you to use) a cotton swab to get a sample from your vagina to test for chlamydia.
• Chlamydia can be cured with the right treatment. It is important that you take all of the medication your doctor prescribes to cure your infection. When taken properly it will stop the infection and could decrease your chances of having complications later on. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone.

For more information about Chlamydia, click here.