Chlamydia is caused by a small, intracellular bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is by far the most common sexually transmitted infection in Finland.
- Chlamydia can spread through unprotected vaginal intercourse, oral sex or anal intercourse.
- Almost all chlamydia infections are asymptomatic.
- If chlamydia is left untreated for a long time, it may cause infertility.
A large proportion of chlamydia infections do not cause any symptoms, which contributes to the spread of the infection. The incubation period of chlamydia from infection to the possible development of symptoms is about 10–14 days.
The most common symptoms of chlamydia include:
In men:
- pain and a burning sensation when urinating
- slight mucous discharge from the urethra
In women:
- pain when urinating
- frequent need to urinate
- increased vaginal discharge
In women, chlamydia can also cause pelvic inflammatory disease, the symptoms of which are lower abdominal pain, menstrual disorders and increased body temperature.
Chlamydia is treated with an antibiotic, usually a single dose of azithromycin. Treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease requires two weeks of medication with, for example, doxycycline. The infected person’s sexual partner should also be tested and treated at the same time. In addition to taking the prescribed course of antibiotics, it is important to not have sex during the first week of treatment and to use a condom or dental dam during all forms of intercourse until a follow-up examination confirms the infection has cleared up.
The complications from chlamydia can be problematic. These include pregnancy complications and infertility caused by blocked fallopian tubes. In the case of a single infection, the risk of complications is small, but the risk increases significantly if the infection recurs.
The expert for this article was Veli-Jukka Anttila, a specialist in infectious diseases and internal medicine.
The majority of chlamydia infections do not cause any symptoms, which is why the infection spreads easily. The incubation period of chlamydia from infection to the possible development of symptoms is about 10–14 days. The most common symptoms of chlamydia in men are pain and a burning sensation when urinating as well as slight mucous discharge from the urethra. In women, the typical symptoms of chlamydia are pain when urinating, frequent need to urinate and increased vaginal discharge. In women, chlamydia can also cause pelvic inflammatory disease, the symptoms of which are lower abdominal pain, menstrual disorders and increased body temperature.
If you think you may have chlamydia, it’s a good idea to get a laboratory test about a week after you had unprotected sex, in which case chlamydia can be diagnosed reliably. Using a urine sample is the easiest way to test for chlamydia, but chlamydia tests can also be done using samples collected with a cotton swab from the urethra of a male patient or the cervix of a female patient.
Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. Chlamydia is usually treated with a single dose of azithromycin, but the treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease requires two weeks of medication with, for example, doxycycline. The infected person’s sexual partner should also be tested and treated at the same time. In addition to taking the prescribed course of antibiotics, it is important to not have sex during the first week of treatment and to use a condom or dental dam during all forms of intercourse until a follow-up examination confirms the infection has cleared up.
If chlamydia is left untreated for a long time, it may cause infertility. Chlamydia can cause pregnancy complications and infertility due to blocked fallopian tubes. In the case of a single infection, the risk of complications is small, but the risk increases significantly if the infection recurs.
If you think you may have chlamydia, it’s a good idea to get a laboratory test.
Chlamydia can be diagnosed reliably about a week after infection. The easiest way to do so is to analyse a urine sample. You should not urinate for at least two hours before the sample is collected.
Chlamydia tests can also be done using samples collected with a cotton swab from the urethra of male patients or the cervix of female patients.
Sexually transmitted infections and genital skin diseases are included in the area of expertise of a dermatologist.
