Chlamydia is an infection caused by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis. A person can get chlamydia more than once in their lifetime.
What is chlamydia?
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in North America and Europe. It is caused by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis. This STI is becoming increasingly common and the number of cases has been rising for about fifteen years.
Why get tested?
This infection is difficult to diagnose because the majority of infected people have no symptoms, and therefore do not consult. People infected with gonococcus, the bacterium causing gonorrhea, are often also infected with chlamydia. This is why screening for both diseases should be done systematically.
A person who has chlamydia can avoid transmitting it to others and prevent complications.
When to consult for chlamydia?
If you have had risky, unprotected sexual contact, you should consult a healthcare professional for screening tests.
Chlamydia is often called a 'silent disease' because more than 50% of infected men and 70% of infected women have no symptoms and don't know they have it. Symptoms usually appear after a few weeks, but they can take even longer to manifest.
Signs and symptoms
The majority of people with chlamydia feel no symptoms. However, some symptoms may be present in the affected parts of the body, often 2 to 3 weeks after transmission:
Unusual vaginal discharge
Pain during sexual intercourse
Tingling or burning sensation when urinating
Clear or colored discharge from the urinary meatus or anus
Vaginal bleeding after sex or between periods
Pain in the testicles, anus area, or lower abdomen
Newborns can be infected by their mother at the time of delivery. The infection can affect their eyes (conjunctivitis) or their lungs (pneumonia). They may have the following symptoms:
*in cases of conjunctivitis: discharge and redness in the eyes developing when the child is between 1 and 2 weeks old;
*in cases of pneumonia: cough, difficult or wheezing breathing, rapid pulse developing before the child is 6 months old.
Transmission
Chlamydia is transmitted in different ways:
- Oral sex (contact of the mouth with the penis, vulva, vagina or anus)
- Vaginal intercourse (penetration of the penis into the vagina)
- Anal sex (penetration of the penis into the anus)
- Contact between genitals
- Sharing sex toys
- Transmission from mother to baby at birth
Window or incubation period (time interval before the disease is detectable during screening)
- 14 days
Prevention
The main protection against chlamydia is wearing a condom. It must be used during any contact between genitals and during every oral, vaginal or anal sexual encounter. Using a latex barrier to cover the vulva or anus during oral sex is also a reliable means of protection. To make a latex barrier, simply unroll a condom, cut off the ends and cut it lengthwise. It is also recommended not to share sex toys, or to cover them with a condom when possible, being sure to change the condom between each partner.
Possible complications
If left untreated, chlamydia can lead to the following problems:
• Infertility
• Testicular pain
• Chronic pain in the lower abdomen
• Chronic prostate infection (prostatitis)
• Ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy located in the fallopian tubes)
Chlamydia treatment
Since chlamydia is a bacterial infection, it can be treated with antibiotic tablets.
Since the infected person can transmit the disease even during treatment, it is important to avoid all sexual contact during treatment, as well as for the 7 days following. If sexual contact cannot be avoided during this period, it is essential to use a condom.
After receiving the diagnosis, it is also recommended to contact current sexual partners and those from the 60 days prior to the onset of symptoms, so they too can be tested and treated if necessary. This will help break the chain of transmission of the disease.
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