Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections.
It's passed on from one person to another through unprotected sex (sex without a condom) and is particularly common in sexually active teenagers and young adults.
Causes
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection. The bacteria are usually spread through sex or contact with infected genital fluids (semen or vaginal fluid).
You can get chlamydia through:
• Unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex
• Your genitals coming into contact with your partner's genitals – this means you can get chlamydia from someone even if there is no penetration, orgasm or ejaculation
• Infected semen or vaginal fluid getting into your eye
It can also be passed by a pregnant woman to her baby
Chlamydia can't be passed on through casual contact, such as kissing and hugging, or from sharing baths, towels, swimming pools, toilet seats or cutlery.
Symptoms
Most people with chlamydia don't notice any symptoms and don't know they have it.
If you do develop symptoms, you may experience:
• Pain when urinating
• Unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or rectum
• In women, pain in the abdomen, bleeding during or after sex, and bleeding between periods
• In men, pain and swelling in the testicles
.
Treatments
Chlamydia can usually be treated easily with antibiotics. You may be given some tablets to take all on one day, or a longer course of capsules to take for a week.
You shouldn't have sex until you and your current sexual partner have finished your treatment. If you had the one-day course of treatment, you should avoid having sex for a week afterwards.
It's important that your current sexual partner and any other sexual partners you've had during the last six months are also tested and treated to help stop the spread of the infection.
Prevention
Anyone who is sexually active can catch chlamydia. You're most at risk if you have a new sexual partner or don't use a barrier method of contraception, such as a condom, when having sex.
You can help to prevent the spread of chlamydia by:
• Using a condom
