Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Symptoms of chlamydia
Men and women with chlamydia infections may experience abnormal genital discharge or pain during urination. These early symptoms may be absent or very mild, but if they occur, they will do so within 1 to 3 weeks of exposure. One of every two women and one of every four infected men may have no symptoms at all. As a result, the disease is often not diagnosed until complications develop. In addition to pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydia can cause an inflamed rectum and conjunctivitis (inflammation of the lining of the eye). The bacteria have also been found in the throat as a result of oral sexual contact with an infected partner.
Like other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), chlamydia is spread during sexual intercourse via the exchange of bodily fluids through mucous membranes in the anus, mouth, and genital areas. Because there are often no symptoms for chlamydia infection, people who are infected may unknowingly pass the bacteria to their sexual partners.