Chlamydia Description

Chlamydia Description

C. trachomatis can be transmitted between sexual partners during oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse. It can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth and cause an eye infection or a type of pneumonia in the newborn. Chlamydia is sometimes called a silent disease, because it may not produce any noticeable symptoms. For women who do feel sick following infection, the most common symptoms are bleeding between menstrual periods, abdominal cramps, pain during intercourse, and a discharge of pus from the vagina. Men may notice inflammation or soreness in their testicles, pain during urination, or a discharge from the penis. One reason why chlamydia is a dangerous disease in spite of the lack of early warning symptoms in many people is that it can lead to long-term complications for men as well as women. Women with untreated chlamydia are at risk of pelvic inflammatory dis- ease (PID), a condition that can cause lifelong infertility. Some infected people are at risk of developing a type of chronic arthritis called Reiter’s syndrome.

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