Long-Term Impacts Of Chlamydia

If you’re experiencing burning with urination or vaginal discharge, you may be concerned about many different conditions, including sexually transmitted diseases. Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, and it can have profound impacts on your health. Learn how to identify and treat this sexually transmitted infection (STI) so that you can minimize any long-term impacts of chlamydia.

What Is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection and is among the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The estimated worldwide prevalence was 4.0% for women and 2.5% for men in 2020. [1] Chlamydia is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. The infection can be transmitted through sexual contact, including oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse. It can also be transmitted by sex toys that were not washed or by contact between the genital fluid and the eyes. Chlamydia can also be transmitted during pregnancy or delivery from a pregnant woman to her baby. [2]

What Are the Symptoms of Chlamydia?

For many people, chlamydia has no symptoms. Unfortunately, even without symptoms, chlamydia can have detrimental effects on your health, both short-term and long-term. [3] However, chlamydia can have significantly uncomfortable symptoms.

Some of the symptoms a woman or person assigned female at birth (AFAB) may experience with chlamydia include [4]:

• Foul-smelling white, yellow, or gray vaginal discharge
• Pus in the urine
• Urinary frequency
• Pain with urination
• Irregular bleeding between periods
• Pain with intercourse
• Pain with menses
• Vaginal itching or burning
• Abdominal or pelvic pain

Signs that a man or someone assigned male at birth (AMAB) has chlamydia include [4]:

• Penile discharge
• Pain with urination
• Pain or swelling in the testicles

If chlamydia affects other parts of the body, such as the anus, throat, or eyes, pain or discharge may be present in these areas. Signs of chlamydia are a reason to seek urgent medical attention.

Who Is at Risk for Chlamydia?

Anyone sexually active is at risk for chlamydia, but especially those who don’t use condoms consistently or use them incorrectly. Other things that put someone at risk for chlamydia include [4,5]:

• Having multiple sexual partners
• Having sex at a younger age
• Having a new sexual partner
• Men who have sex with men
• Being of a higher-risk ethnic group, such as non-Hispanic black populations
• Having had a previous infection with chlamydia

Certain higher-risk populations should consider regular screening tests for chlamydia due to the risk of infection without symptoms. The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends routine testing for sexually active women and people AFAB age 24 or younger, as well as women and people AFAB who are at increased risk for infection. [6] There is no USPSTF routine screening recommendation for men and people AMAB due to insufficient evidence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that high-risk people in this group, such as those who live in an area with a high chlamydia rate or men who have sex with men, be tested yearly. If you’re concerned about your risks, you should talk with your healthcare provider about how often to consider testing.

How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed?

Chlamydia can be diagnosed by either a swab or a urine sample. If you have symptoms or are just getting routine screening, your healthcare provider can collect the appropriate sample (or instruct you to collect it yourself) and send it to the lab. Molecular testing is generally considered the most accurate, but some rapid tests are also available. [1] Urine samples can test for vaginal or penile chlamydia, but a swab may be necessary to rule out anal, oropharyngeal (mouth or throat), or eye infections from chlamydia.

How Is Chlamydia Treated?

Chlamydia is common, but fortunately, it’s also treatable. If you’re wondering how to treat chlamydia, there are several options. The current recommendations from the CDC for treatment of chlamydia include [7]:

• Doxycycline 100 mg two times daily for seven days
• Azithromycin 1,000 mg for one dose
• Levofloxacin 500 mg once daily for seven days

The choice of antibiotic may vary depending on what part of the body is infected with chlamydia and other health factors such as allergies or pregnancy. Chlamydia infection can increase your risk for other sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV or gonorrhea, so it is important to consider testing for other STDs.

If you have tested positive for chlamydia, your sexual partners should be treated as well. Some health departments offer expedited partner therapy, which allows partners to be treated without seeing a healthcare provider. In expedited partner therapy, you receive a prescription for your partner, which you can fill at a participating pharmacy. [8]

What Are the Complications of Chlamydia?

What happens if chlamydia goes untreated? Many complications can occur from chlamydia, and they are more likely to happen the longer you go untreated. [1] These long-term side effects of chlamydia can be life-threatening in some cases.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease is associated with nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, pain with intercourse, pain with urinating, bleeding after intercourse, and back pain. It’s caused by the chlamydia bacteria moving up into the upper reproductive tract, such as the uterus and fallopian tubes. [9] Pelvic inflammatory disease can be life-threatening and cause scar tissue and abscesses to form. It can also cause problems with fertility. [10]

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome is a type of liver inflammation, also called perihepatitis. In this condition, chlamydia causes infection of the liver and surrounding areas. [9] It usually occurs in combination with pelvic inflammatory disease. Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome usually presents with abdominal pain.

Reactive Arthritis

Reactive arthritis is a rare complication of chlamydia occurring in about 1% of men and people AMAB. It causes painful joints and joint inflammation. This will frequently occur as part of a trio of conditions called the reactive arthritis triad (formerly called Reiter syndrome). The reactive arthritis triad includes reactive arthritis, urethritis (infection of the urethra), and uveitis (inflammation of the eyes). [9]

Pneumonia

Chlamydia pneumonia is more common in infants who are born to mothers with a cervical infection. It usually presents 4 to 12 weeks after birth. [9]

Lymphogranuloma Venereum

Lymphogranuloma venereum is a type of painless ulcer that occurs in the genital region. People with this complication also get swollen lymph nodes. [9]

Infertility

Infertility usually results from scar tissue in the reproductive tract. It can occur in both men and women. [1]

How long can you have chlamydia before it causes damage? Chlamydia should be treated as soon as possible to minimize the potential for complications. Since it is sometimes asymptomatic, chlamydia can be present for months or even a year without being detected, which underscores the importance of routine screening in high-risk individuals.

How Can You Prevent Chlamydia?

If you have chlamydia or the symptoms of chlamydia, it is important not to have sex until you have been treated. The CDC recommends waiting at least 7 days after treatment to have sex. [7] It’s also important for your partner to be treated because even if you get treated, chlamydia can come back. You should always take the antibiotics as prescribed.

The National Health Service (NHS) recommends the following steps to protect yourself from getting chlamydia. These include [2]:

• Always use a condom for vaginal or anal sex
• Cover the penis with a condom during oral sex
• Do not share sex toys (or wash them well between uses)
• Use a dam to cover female genitals during oral sex
• Avoid douching and spermicides
• Limit your sexual partners
• Get screened regularly

How Can You Get Tested for Chlamydia?

There are many ways to get tested for chlamydia. Your regular medical clinic is a good option for testing. In many places, you can also get tested at the health department. If these options aren’t convenient for you, at-home tests are also available. These usually involve collecting a sample in the comfort of your own home and sending it to a lab for testing. Getting treatment for chlamydia requires a prescription, so if you do home testing, you will likely need a telehealth appointment to get treatment if appropriate.

Your Sexual Health With Everlywell

Chlamydia and other STDs are serious and can have a long-term impact on your health and, in some cases, can be life-threatening. If you are concerned about STDs, Everlywell has at-home lab tests to evaluate for chlamydia and gonorrhea, as well as other STDs. We also have clinicians who can provide telehealth visits to discuss your situation and give you advice on how to protect yourself. Take control of your sexual health with Everlywell today.

1. World Health Organization: WHO, World Health Organization: WHO. Chlamydia. Published July 17, 2023. Accessed August 26, 2024. Medical Citation URL
2. Website N. Chlamydia. nhs.uk. Published May 23, 2024. Accessed August 26, 2024. Medical Citation URL
3. About Chlamydia. Chlamydia. Published February 20, 2024. Accessed August 26, 2024. Medical Citation URL
4. Chlamydia. Cleveland Clinic. Published May 1, 2024. Accessed August 26, 2024. Medical Citation URL
5. Chlamydia trachomatis - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. Published July 20, 2024. Accessed August 26, 2024. Medical Citation URL
6. Chlamydia and gonorrhea: screening. Published September 14, 2021. Medical Citation URL
7. Chlamydial Infections - STI treatment Guidelines. Medical Citation URL
8. Expedited Partner Therapy. Medical Citation URL
9. Mohseni M, Sung S, Takov V. Chlamydia. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. Published August 8, 2023. Accessed August 27, 2024. Medical Citation URL
10. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic. Published April 30, 2022. Accessed August 27, 2024. Medical Citation URL