Chlamydia

- the silent disease

Just because you can’t see it… doesn’t mean you don’t have it.

What is Chlamydia?

In the UK, Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI (sexually transmitted infection), which affects mainly young men and women.

How do you get Chlamydia?

You get chlamydia by having unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who is already infected. It can also be passed on by sharing sex toys which haven’t been washed or covered with a condom before each use.

It can also be passed by a pregnant woman to her baby during pregnancy or at the birth.
What are the symptoms?

Chlamydia is known as the ‘silent’ infection due to its lack of noticeable symptoms. If left untreated it can spread to other parts of the body and cause pain, especially in the abdomen, and may lead to infertility.

FACT: Up to 80% of women and up to 50% of men have it without knowing. Signs and symptoms can appear 1-3 weeks after coming into contact with Chlamydia, many months later or not all.

Chlamydia symptoms

Women may notice the following:

- Unusual vaginal discharge.
- Bleeding between periods.
- Bleeding after sex.
- Heavier periods (including those using hormonal contraception such as the pill)
- Pain (and/or bleeding) during sex.
- Pain when passing urine.
- Lower abdominal (pelvic) pain.

Men may notice the following:

- A white/cloudy or watery discharge from the penis.
- Burning and itching in the genital area.
- Pain when passing urine.
- Painful swelling of the testicles.

For both Men and Women:

- There are rarely any symptoms if the infection is in the rectum, but it can sometimes cause discomfort and discharge.
- Infection in the eyes can cause pain, swelling, irritation and discharge.
- Infection in the throat isn’t common and doesn’t produce any symptoms.

What can happen if you don’t know you have Chlamydia or you leave it untreated?

In women - Chlamydia can spread in the body and cause infection and inflammation inside the reproductive system.

It can cause pain, especially in the abdomen, and this may then cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). It can also lead to damage in the fallopian tubes (the tubes that take the eggs to your womb each month) and cause them to become narrowed or blocked. This could result in infertility (not being able to have a baby), or may cause an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy which is developing in the tube because the fertilised egg didn’t reach the womb). Ectopic pregnancy can be very serious and even life-threatening.

In men - Chlamydia can cause painful inflammation in one or both testicles. It’s thought that chlamydia might also lead to reduced fertility or infertility in men.

Both - If left untreated Chlamydia can cause Reiter’s syndrome. Reiter’s syndrome is a reaction to another infection within your body.

It causes: urethritis (inflammation of the urethra),
conjunctivitis (inflammation of the outer surface of the eye),
a form of arthritis (inflammation of the joints and tendons) known as seronegative arthritis.

Reiter’s syndrome is more commonly called reactive arthritis, because it develops as a reaction to an infection in part of your body other than your joints.

Reiter’s syndrome can affect men and women of all ages, but is most common in men aged 20-40.

Gettin’ tested

Free D.I.Y chlamydia tests are available to all 15 to 24 year olds in North East Essex. For girls a quick swab from the vagina is required and from blokes a simple urine test – nothing to be scared of! There is no examination required, you do the test yourself!

You can get tested at Cornerstone in St Isaac’s Walk, Colchester – call

01206 363003 or find your nearest NHS health centre.

You can also order a free chlamydia test online.

Test results & treatment

You will receive your Chlamydia test results in 10-14 days and can receive the result by your choice of contact method:

- Text message
- Telephone
- Letter

If you test positive - don’t worry - Chlamydia is easily cured with a short course of FREE antibiotic tablets and there should be no long-term effects if treated early.

Chlamydia and STI screenings are vital to be able to treat potential problems as early as possible. The best way to protect yourself against Chlamydia and other STIs is always to use a condom. Get free condoms here.

Useful Links

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