Chlamydia

Chlamydia bacteria in the lining of the cervix can cause a slimy, watery or pus-like discharge. If the bacteria get into the urethra, the person might need to pee more often and experience pain and stinging when they do. If the rectum is infected, they might have itching or a rash around their anus, or blood and mucus in their poo.

Having said that, lots of infected people don’t have any symptoms: about 80 percent of women and 50 percent of men. There are hardly ever any symptoms when the infection happens through oral sex and the bacteria get into the mouth or throat. It might cause a sore throat, but that’s not very common.

Chlamydia only rarely affects the eyes. One way it could happen is by touching an infected part of a sexual partner’s body and then transferring the infection with your hand to your eye. That can result in conjunctivitis with red, itchy, or stingy eyes.

Chlamydia are a type of bacteria. They enter cells, reproduce there, and then infect neighboring cells. The chlamydia bacteria that cause STIs are mostly found in the cells lining the genitals. The bacteria tend to infect the urethra and cervix, but they can also get into the rectum, mouth, throat, or eyes.

You can get chlamydia by having sex with an infected person. The risk is higher if you have sex with lots of different partners and don’t use condoms.

In most cases, the bacteria are passed on during direct contact with sexual partners, but it’s also possible to catch chlamydia from sex toys. Infection through things like contact with surfaces such as sauna benches or shared towels is very unlikely.

It is also possible to spread the infection from one part of your body to another. One way this can happen is by touching your eyes with your hands.

Chlamydia can be passed on during birth too. This happens when bacteria pass from an infected woman’s genitals to her newborn baby.

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Experts believe that around 100 million people worldwide get it every year. There are no exact figures available for Germany.

Slightly more women are diagnosed with a chlamydia infection than men. Most infections occur between the ages of 15 and 25 in women and up to the age of 35 in men.

Some other chlamydia types can cause an STI too – called lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV). They’re rare in Germany though and tend to occur more in tropical countries.

If there are any symptoms, they usually start one to two weeks after the person was infected.

If the infection goes unnoticed and untreated, it can last a long time. The infected person can pass it to their sexual partners during that time. Another danger is that the bacteria can spread and cause complications in other parts of the body.

People who have been treated successfully for chlamydia can get it again. A past Infection does not make you immune.

Chlamydia infections don’t usually continue to spread in the body. But something known as “ascending infection” is possible. That’s when the bacteria spread from the mucous membrane that was initially infected and then work their way up (ascend) the genital tract.

If the infection started in the penis, it can spread and cause inflammation in the prostate gland, seminal vesicles, sperm duct and epididymis.

If it started in the cervix, the bacteria can go on to infect the lining of the womb (endometrium), fallopian tubes and ovaries, and cause inflammation. Sometimes the inflammation spreads throughout a woman’s pelvis or around the liver.

This kind of inflammation can cause bleeding and scarring in the womb or fallopian tubes, which can result in the women becoming infertile or in an ectopic pregnancy (where the egg gets stuck in one of the fallopian tubes), miscarriage or premature birth.

In rare cases, joints can also become inflamed.

If you have symptoms like an unusual discharge or problems when you pee and you think you might have caught something during sex, it’s a good idea to get yourself tested for STIs (including chlamydia). It is also advisable for people with an increased risk of STIs to get themselves tested regularly – no matter whether they have symptoms.

You usually have to give a urine sample for the test. This should be the first urine that comes out when you pee (first-catch urine). You can also do a smear test for chlamydia. The test sample can be taken from the cervix, vagina, urethra, rectum, throat or eyes. The samples are sent to a lab to be tested for chlamydia.

Chlamydia tests can be done at family doctors’ or specialist practices (dermatology, urology or gynecology, for example). Local health departments and AIDS information centers offer tests too. Sometimes, you can take these tests anonymously. It is also possible to get advice over the phone and have a test kit sent to your home. Then you do the smear or collect the urine sample at home, send it to a lab for analysis and get the result by text message or phone.

Condoms, femidoms (condoms for women) and dental dams can reduce the risk of chlamydia infection. But they can’t always prevent it. If you do develop typical chlamydia symptoms, it makes sense to get a test done quickly. A fast diagnosis means you can get treatment fast too. That stops the bacteria being passed on to others and prevents complications.

Chlamydia tests are also free for pregnant women. They’re offered as part of the first prenatal check-up. Antibiotic treatment is recommended if you test positive. That can prevent the baby from being infected during birth.

Regular testing is also a good idea for people who have an increased risk of infection for other reasons (like having unprotected sex with lots of different partners). They usually pay for these tests themselves.

Effective treatment is available for chlamydia infections. It typically involves taking antibiotic (doxycycline) tablets for a week. Sometimes, other antibiotics might be prescribed – if you are pregnant, for instance. Then the treatment is longer or shorter (sometimes just one day), depending on the antibiotic and the dosage. If there are complications, the treatment tends to last longer and involve a combination of medications.

It is important you don’t have sex until you finish the treatment or, if you’re given a one-day course of antibiotics, for one week afterward. Experts recommend that anyone you had sex with in the last six months should also get tested – and treated, if necessary.

The standard procedure is to go back to your doctor for another test six to eight weeks after you started treatment. This is to check whether the bacteria are completely gone. These check-ups are a particularly good idea for pregnant women and people who still have symptoms despite treatment.

Please note that the services mentioned below are specifically for people living in Germany. Similar services are available in other countries. Germany’s Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG) (formerly the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA)) runs a website (www.liebesleben.de) that provides information about STIs like chlamydia and practical advice on how to prevent them. An English version of the website is also available. You can also get advice from the Federal Institute of Public Health online or over the phone.

The Deutsche Aidshilfe organization has information and telephone/online advice services too.

It also has an online search tool to help people find their nearest test center for chlamydia or other STIs.