Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection spread through sexual contact. It's one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Most people who get chlamydia don't have symptoms. But they can still infect their sex partners.
Antibiotics can cure chlamydia. Your sex partner or partners also need treatment so they don't spread the infection.
Tell your doctor if you might be pregnant. Some antibiotics should not be used during pregnancy.
Treatment is important. If chlamydia isn't treated, it can cause a severe infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. (This is called pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID.) PID can make it hard to get pregnant.
Symptoms
What are the symptoms of chlamydia?
Many people with chlamydia don't have symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they can include pain when you urinate, cloudy urine, or an abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina.
Diagnosis
How is chlamydia diagnosed?
To diagnose chlamydia, your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and your sexual history. You may also have a physical exam. Several types of tests can be used to diagnose chlamydia. Most use a sample of urine or a swab from the cervix, vagina, or rectum.
Treatment
How is chlamydia treated?
Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. Early treatment can cure the infection and help prevent long-term problems.
To make sure that the medicine works, you need to take all of it as directed. After you start taking the medicine, you'll need to avoid sex for a week.
As soon as you find out that you have chlamydia, be sure to let your sex partner or partners know. Experts recommend that you tell everyone you've had sex with in the past 2 months. If you haven't had sex in the past 2 months, contact the last person you had sex with.
You and any sex partners need to take the antibiotics. If only one person takes the medicine, you may keep passing the infection back and forth.