How many people have chlamydia

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease STD caused by infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. It can cause cervicitis in women and urethritis and proctitis in both men and women. Chlamydial infections in women can lead to serious consequences including pelvic inflammatory disease PID , tubal factor infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. Lymphogranuloma venereum LGV , another type of STD caused by different serovars of the same bacterium, occurs commonly in the developing world, and has more recently emerged as a cause of outbreaks of proctitis among men who have sex with men MSM worldwide.

CDC estimates that there were four million chlamydial infections in Chlamydia is most common among young people. Two-thirds of new chlamydial infections occur among youth aged years. Disparities persist among racial and ethnic minority groups. Among MSM screened for rectal chlamydial infection, positivity has ranged from 3.

Chlamydia is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus of an infected partner. Ejaculation does not have to occur for chlamydia to be transmitted or acquired. Chlamydia can also be spread perinatally from an untreated mother to her baby during childbirth, resulting in ophthalmia neonatorum conjunctivitis or pneumonia in some exposed infants.

People who have had chlamydia and have been treated may get infected again if they have sexual contact with a person infected with chlamydia. Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. It is a very common STD, especially among young people.

Sexually active young people are at high risk of acquiring chlamydia for a combination of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons. The higher prevalence of chlamydia among young people also may reflect multiple barriers to accessing STD prevention services, such as lack of transportation, cost, and perceived stigma.

Men who have sex with men MSM are also at risk for chlamydial infection since chlamydia can be transmitted by oral or anal sex. However, given the relatively slow replication cycle of the organism, symptoms may not appear until several weeks after exposure in those persons who develop symptoms.

In women, the bacteria initially infect the cervix, where the infection may cause signs and symptoms of cervicitis e. Infection can spread from the cervix to the upper reproductive tract i. Men who are symptomatic typically have urethritis, with a mucoid or watery urethral discharge and dysuria.

A minority of infected men develop epididymitis with or without symptomatic urethritis , presenting with unilateral testicular pain, tenderness, and swelling. Chlamydia can infect the rectum in men and women, either directly through receptive anal sex , or possibly via spread from the cervix and vagina in a woman with cervical chlamydial infection. Sexually acquired chlamydial conjunctivitis can occur in both men and women through contact with infected genital secretions.

While chlamydia can also be found in the throats of women and men having oral sex with an infected partner, it is typically asymptomatic and not thought to be an important cause of pharyngitis. The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydial infections can lead to serious health problems with both short- and long-term consequences. In women, untreated chlamydia can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease PID.

Symptomatic PID occurs in about 10 to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia. Both acute and subclinical PID can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, and surrounding tissues.

The damage can lead to chronic pelvic pain, tubal factor infertility, and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy. In pregnant women, untreated chlamydia has been associated with pre-term delivery, 34 as well as ophthalmia neonatorum conjunctivitis and pneumonia in the newborn.

Screening and treatment of chlamydia in pregnant women is the best method for preventing neonatal chlamydial disease. All pregnant women should be screened for chlamydia at their first prenatal visit. Pregnant women under 25 and those at increased risk for chlamydia e. Pregnant women with chlamydial infection should be retested 3 weeks and 3 months after completion of recommended therapy.

Anyone with genital symptoms such as discharge, burning during urination, unusual sores, or rash should refrain from having sex until they are able to see a health care provider about their symptoms.

Also, anyone with an oral, anal, or vaginal sex partner who has been recently diagnosed with an STD should see a health care provider for evaluation. Because chlamydia is usually asymptomatic, screening is necessary to identify most infections. Screening programs have been demonstrated to reduce rates of adverse sequelae in women. Routine screening is not recommended for men. But some alternative treatments may help ease symptoms. Home remedies for chlamydia that may be effective for symptoms, not the infection itself include:.

If there are none, they may ask why you have concerns. If symptoms are present, the doctor may perform a physical exam. This lets them observe any discharge, sores, or unusual spots that may be related to a possible infection.

The most effective diagnostic test for chlamydia is to swab the vagina in women and to test urine in men. Results may take several days. If the test returns positive, a follow-up appointment and treatment options will be discussed. STI testing can be done in several ways. Read more about each type and what it will tell your doctor.

If a healthcare provider is seen as soon as chlamydia is suspected, the infection will likely clear up with no lasting problems. Some women develop PID, an infection that can damage the uterus , cervix , and ovaries.

PID is a painful disease that often requires hospital treatment. Women can also become infertile if chlamydia is left untreated because the fallopian tubes may become scarred.

Pregnant women with the infection can pass the bacteria to their babies during birth, which can cause eye infections and pneumonia in newborns. Men can also experience complications when chlamydia is left untreated. The epididymis — the tube that holds the testicles in place — may become inflamed, causing pain.

This is known as epididymitis. The infection can also spread to the prostate gland , causing a fever, painful intercourse, and discomfort in the lower back. Another possible complication is male chlamydial urethritis. Most people who get treatment quickly have no long-term medical problems.

STIs can also be transmitted and contracted during oral sex. Contact with the mouth, lips, or tongue may be enough to transmit chlamydia. If you contract chlamydia from oral sex, you may experience no symptoms. Other STIs can develop in the throat. Each type of STI in the throat cause unique symptoms and concerns. A chlamydia infection is most common in the genital area, but it can occur in less common places like the anus, throat, and even the eyes.

It can occur in the eyes through direct or indirect contact with the bacterium. The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems. If you are a woman, untreated chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes tubes that carry fertilized eggs from the ovaries to the uterus.

This can cause pelvic inflammatory disease PID. PID often has no symptoms, however some women may have abdominal and pelvic pain. PID can lead to long-term pelvic pain, inability to get pregnant , and potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy pregnancy outside the uterus. Men rarely have health problems linked to chlamydia. Infection sometimes spreads to the tube that carries sperm from the testicles, causing pain and fever. Rarely, chlamydia can prevent a man from being able to have children.

Box Rockville, MD E-mail: npin-info cdc. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Basic Fact Sheet Detailed Version Basic fact sheets are presented in plain language for individuals with general questions about sexually transmitted diseases. STDs Home Page. It can cause severe and sometimes permanent damage to the reproductive system. A person can pass on chlamydia through unprotected oral, anal, or vaginal sex or through genital contact.

As chlamydial infection often has no symptoms, a person may have the infection and pass it on to a sexual partner without knowing. According to the National Institutes of Health NIH , a mother who has chlamydia infection can pass it on to her baby during childbirth.

Sometimes, the infection leads to complications for the infant, such as eye infections or pneumonia. A female who has a diagnosis of chlamydia during pregnancy will need a test 3—4 weeks after treatment to ensure the infection has not returned. In some cases, chlamydial PID can lead to an inflammation of the capsule that surrounds the liver.

The main symptom is pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. The CDC also indicate that pregnant women who have chlamydia or their baby may experience:.

This is an infection of the urethra. The urethra is a tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. Chlamydia can inflame the urethra, resulting in pain and difficulty urinating. Sometimes this occurs alongside conjunctivitis and reactive arthritis, which is a chronic type of inflammatory arthritis.

This can affect males. It is an inflammation of the epididymis , a structure inside the scrotum. Chlamydia is a common, sexually-transmitted bacterial infection. It often produces no symptoms, but screening can show if a person needs treatment. Without treatment, it can lead to complications that may have permanent effects.

For this reason, treatment and screening are essential for those who may be at risk. Sexually transmitted infections STIs usually spread through sexual contact.