Lecture Notes

Chlamydia is the most common STI in the US and affects more than 2.8 million Americans each year. It is transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral sex, and perinatally. It can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, rectum, urethra, throat, and eyes, as well as respiratory tracts of infants. Chlamydia, aka the silent disease, is referred to that because three-fourths of women and half of men infected have no symptoms. Symptoms for chlamydia appear in one to three weeks after exposure. Unusual discharge, burning sensation when urinating or frequent urination as well as a low grade fever are common symptoms of chlamydia.

The CDC recommends yearly chlamydia testing for all sexually active women aged 25 and younger, older women with risk factors such as new sex partner or multiple sex partners, and all pregnant women. There are two lab tests to diagnose chlamydia, a urine sample or fluid from the man's penis or the woman's cervix. Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics. Untreated chlamydia for women can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease can also lead to ectopic pregnancy and sterility. Receptive anal intercourse may lead to chlamydial infection in the rectum, which can cause rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding. Oral sex with an infected partner can lead to chlamydia in the throats of women and men.