Chlamydia Test

Chlamydial infection is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis. It affects men as well as women.

In women, chlamydial infection usually affects the lower tubular part of the uterus referred to as the cervix and usually spares the vagina. Symptoms may be absent in the initial stages. Chlamydial infection may cause an increase in odorless vaginal discharge with or without itching. The cervix may appear inflamed and may bleed easily when examined with a swab or a spatula.

Health Animation - Female Reproductive System

The infection may spread upwards to affect the inner lining of the uterus, a condition called endometritis. If the fallopian tubes are affected, the condition is called salpingitis. Endometritis and salpingitis result in a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease. Symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease include severe abdominal pain, high fever, pain during intercourse, prolonged menses, and bleeding between menstrual periods. Pelvic inflammatory disease can result in infertility, chronic pelvic pain and ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy occurring outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes). These complications make it very important to diagnose the condition in high-risk women preferably before the onset of any symptoms.

Chlamydial infection can also affect the urethra or the lower part of the bladder through which the urine is excreted, the condition being called urethritis. The patient experiences pain during urination.

Chlamydial infection spreads through vaginal, anal or oral sex. If the mother is infected, the infection could spread to the eyes of a newborn during delivery resulting in blindness. It may also cause pneumonia in the newborn.

Chlamydia can also affect men, causing urethritis (inflammation of the urethra) and epididymitis (inflammation of a part overlying the testis), though routine screening is not recommended in men. Inflammation of the rectum referred to as proctitis may occur in men indulging in anal intercourse.

Chlamydial infection may rarely cause a condition called Reiter’s syndrome which is characterized by arthritis, conjunctivitis (inflammation of the outer lining of eyes) and urethritis. This condition affects men more often than women.