What is chlamydia

Chlamydia is transmitted by vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected partner. A pregnant woman passes the infection to newborn during childbirth.

Risk Factors

Risk factors for chlamydial infection include:

- Unprotected sex

- More than one sexual partner

- Start sex before age of 18

- Weak immune system.

Chlamydia does not provoke life long effects if treated in time and completely before complications arise. Untreated, it can cause multiple complications, especially in women. If a woman was infected, the infant may be infected also.

If you were treated for chlamydia, this does not mean that you cannot get infected again. New exposure can lead to a new infection, even if the previous time the disease was cured.

Chlamydia infection increases risk of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) if exposed to the virus.

Talk to your doctor in case of the following symptoms:

In women:

- Sudden onset of severe pain in lower abdomen

- Lower abdominal pain, hypothermia, vaginal discharge.

- Dysuria (burning on urination), frequent urination

- Intermenstrual bleeding occurring more than once when cycles are regular.

- Pain at intercourse

- Bleeding after intercourse

In men:

- Penis discharge

- Pain, swelling or tenderness of the scrotum.

Doctors that can diagnose chlamydia include:

- Medical interns

- gynecologists

- Dermatologists.

We recommend annual screening of all adolescents and women up to age 25. We recommend testing pregnant women with sexual risky behavior, not to transmit infection to infants.

It also recommended retesting after 4-6 months of treatment.

In general, the identification of IgG in serum of patients means contact with the disease.

During pregnancy, genital Chlamydia infection may have adverse effects on further development, especially on newborn, harmful action is manifested also in post-partum (after birth).

Thus, Chlamydia can cause: abortion (miscarriage may be caused by such infections), premature labor, premature rupture of membranes.

But the main effect is on the newborn at birth: in 20-50% of cases the fetus presents conjunctivitis in the first 2 months of life in 10-20% of pneumonia cases can occur even at 3-4 months after birth. It can also cause otitis media (ear infection) or severe nasal obstruction or ophthalmia.