Symptoms of Chlamydia
Chlamydia Fact Sheet (PDF 80 KB)
Often, there are no symptoms of chlamydia; 75% of women and
50% of men will have no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they may
appear within 1 to 3 weeks after infection.
When women have symptoms, they may experience:
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Burning sensation when urinating
- Lower abdominal pain
- Pain during sex
- Low-grade fever
- Bleeding between periods
- Vaginal bleeding after intercourse
- Untreated chlamydia in women can be a serious health threat. The
infection can spread to the fallopian tubes or ovaries and cause PID—pelvic
inflammatory disease—in up to 40 percent of infected women. PID can scar
and block the fallopian tubes, leading to infertility and potentially
fatal ectopic pregnancies (pregnancy occurring in the tubes). Women
infected with chlamydia are also up to five times more likely to become
infected with HIV, if exposed.
When men have symptoms of chlamydia, they may experience:
- Pain or burning during urination
- Pus or milky discharge from the penis
- Swollen or tender testicles
- Rectal swelling
Complications among men are rare, but infection can sometimes spread to
the epididymis (the tube carrying sperm from the testis), causing extreme
pain in the scrotum, fever, and in some cases, sterility.
In women and men who engage in receptive anal sex, chlamydia may cause
the rectum to itch and bleed. Chlamydia can also be found in the throats of
women and men having oral sex with an infected partner. |
