Chlamydia: Signs, Symptoms & Diagnosis

People with chlamydia usually don't know they have it. Chlamydia is often called a "silent" disease because about 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men infected have no symptoms, according to the National Women's Health Resource Center. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within one to three weeks of exposure and may be mild.

Some signs and symptoms that may be present in women infected with chlamydia are:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge
• Burning sensation during urination
• Lower-abdomen pain
• Lower-back pain
• Nausea
• Fever
• Pain during intercourse
• Bleeding between menstrual cycles
• Inflammation of the rectum (proctitis)
• Inflammation of the eyelid (conjunctivitis)

Diagnosing chlamydia

Because chlamydia often produces no symptoms, the way to diagnose chlamydia is a laboratory test. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all sexually active women ages 25 and under receive an annual screening test, whether they have symptoms or not. An annual screening test is also recommended for older women with risk factors for chlamydia, such as having a new sexual partner or multiple sexual partners.

To determine if a person has chlamydia, a physician may perform a culture swab. For women, the physician may take a sample of discharge from the cervix. In some cases, a sample may be taken from the anus.

The sample is then sent to a laboratory, where it is studied for the presence of bacteria. Urine tests may also be performed. After a sample of urine is collected, it is sent to a laboratory, where it is studied for the presence of bacteria.

If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, you should inform any current and past sexual partners immediately. Treatment of partners reduces the risk of complications and may prevent further spread of the infection to other people.

Chlamydia: Fast Facts

• Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) reported by physicians and other health providers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with gonorrhea and syphilis second and third in frequency. However, there are other STDs that physicians are not required to report to the CDC that are also common, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes.
• In 2003, 877,478 chlamydia infections were reported to the CDC. But since many people are not aware of their infections and are not tested, health officials estimate that the actual number of infections is somewhere between 2.8 and 4 million infections per year.
• According to the CDC, from 1987 through 2003 the reported rate of chlamydia infection in women increased from 78.5 cases to 466.9 cases per 100,000 people. The jump in reported figures is likely the result of increased screening, use of more sensitive screening tests and improved reporting, as well as the continued high incidence of the disease.
• Although the disease affects women and men, reported cases for women are much higher than those for men.
• Chlamydia is particularly common among teenagers and young adults, although it affects people in all age groups.
• Chlamydia can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs). This happens in up to 40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia.
• About 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men infected have no symptoms, according to the National Women's Health Resource Center.