Chlamydia infection: What you need to know

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacteria (germ) called chlamydia trachomatis. Most women have no symptoms so they do not seek health care.

Untreated chlamydia can cause:

pelvic inflammatory disease
infertility (being unable to have a baby)
ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus)
chronic (long-lasting) pelvic pain

Having an STD, such as chlamydia, causes changes to the tissue in the genital area. It can put you at a higher risk of getting HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) if your sexual partner is HIV-positive.

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial STD in the United States. About 3 million women in the U.S. are infected each year.

Who can get chlamydia?

Anyone having sexual contact -- through sexual intercourse, anal sex and oral sex -- can become infected. People most at risk include:

adolescents (teens) and young adults
anyone who has a sexually transmitted disease (STD)
anyone with a sex partner who has an STD
anyone who has more than one sex partner

Even if you have one sex partner, you should be screened. You or your partner's body can store the germ for years and spread it at any time.

Chlamydia can also be spread at birth, from an infected mother to her baby.

How is chlamydia found?

Your health care provider can test you for chlamydia by taking a small sample of cells from your cervix. You should receive your results within 2 weeks.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that all women between the ages of 16 to 25 years, who have been sexually active, be tested for chlamydia every year.

How is chlamydia treated?

Chlamydia is easy to cure when treated. Your health care provider will give you a prescription for an antibiotic. Take the medicine as directed. Do not stop taking it even if you feel better. If you stop taking the antibiotic, the chlamydia bacteria will not be killed.

How long can the germ be spread?

A chlamydia infection can last for years if it is not treated. It's important that you call your health care provider if you are in the at-risk group or if you have concerns about your sex partner(s).

You can get chlamydia again any time you are exposed — even if you've been treated for it before.

How is chlamydia prevented?

You can keep yourself from getting chlamydia, and possibly other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), in these ways:

Have sex with one partner in a committed relationship. This means the two of you only have sex with each other.
Use a condom (male or female) and a spermicidal lubricant during sex. This will also help protect you from other STDs. (You can have more than one STD at a time.)
Do not have any sexual activity until your treatment is done.
Have your sex partner(s) during the past 3 months tested for chlamydia. Anyone who has chlamydia that goes untreated can keep infecting other sex partners and be at risk for serious side effects.