Why are we worried about chlamydia infection?
If left untreated, chlamydia infection can cause serious health complications, particularly in women. Women may develop an infection of the womb (uterus) called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause infertility in women (inability to become pregnant) – up to 20% of women with PID will become infertile. For men, infection with chlamydia may cause pain and swelling of the testicles. It can also cause infertility in men, but this is much more common in women. Are there any other problems with chlamydia infection? Yes, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can last a long time – sometimes months and can be very painful. PID can also damage the fallopian tubes (the tubes that connect a woman’s ovaries with her womb (uterus), causing a fertilized egg to get stuck in her fallopian tubes resulting in an ectopic pregnancy – a pregnancy in the fallopian tube rather than the womb. This is an uncommon, but very serious problem for women. How do you catch chlamydia? • Chlamydia is usually se
