<<return to table of contentsWhat it is: Chlamydia is a bacterial infection in the genitals.
How you get it: Skin-to-skin contact. Oral, anal, or vaginal contact.
Symptoms: Burning sensation when peeing, change in texture and smell of discharge, itchy genitals, possibly abdominal pain.
Prevention: Make sure you and your partner are screened. Use condoms (male or female) with spermicide when having oral, anal, or vaginal sex to reduce risk.
Treatment: Easily treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early. Increasingly, the trend among gynecologists is toward routine screening for chlamydia.
Long-term Implications: Undiagnosed and untreated, it can cause further damage in urinary tract and reproductive organs leading to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women and possible sterility.