Chlamydia

Chlamydia is the most common and fastest spreading sexually transmitted disease in the UK. It is caused by a bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis. Symptoms usually appear approximately 7 to 21 days after infection and differ for men and women. In women, the cervix is the most common site of infection. However, the disease can also spread to the uterus (womb) and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to infertility. In pregnant women, Chlamydia can be passed from an infected woman to her newborn infant during delivery if left untreated.

Symptoms in women;
• There may be no symptoms (up to 80%)
• Stinging feeling when passing water
• Unusual vaginal discharge
• Pain in the pelvis if the infection spreads upwards to the pelvic organs (pelvic inflammatory disease)
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Irregular bleeding between periods.

Symptoms in men include;
• May be no symptoms (up to 50%)
• Inflammation of the urethra (the tube carrying urine and sperm within the penis) can cause a stinging feeling when passing water or clear discharge from penis
• Pain tenderness, and swelling in the testicles.

Testing for Chlamydia
Your specialist will test for Chlamydia by either collecting a cell sample from the infected area (cervix or penis) with a cotton swab or testing the urine. This is then sent to a laboratory for evaluation. Home testing kits are also available. Chlamydia testing for women can be done completely at home using a indicator stick which changes colour. Alternatively kits are available for women and men for both Chlamydia and gonorrhoea where samples, taken your self at home, are sent to a laboratory. Men send a urine sample and women take a swab from the vagina or a urine sample. colour. However it is important to use the most accurate tests available, which are currently nucleic acid amplification test (NAATS) such as PCR tests.

Treatment of uncomplicated Chlamydia
Treatment consists of antibiotics, and should also be given to your partner. A further swab is not normally recommended once treatment has ended to check whether the infection has cleared, unless you are pregnant, or had problems adhering to treatment.