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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffChlamydia can be associated with:
- Other sexually transmitted infections. People who have chlamydia are at higher risk of also having other sexually transmitted infections — including gonorrhea and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID is an infection of the uterus and fallopian tubes that causes pelvic pain and fever. Severe infections may require hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics. PID can damage the fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus, including the cervix.
- Infection near the testicles. A chlamydia infection can inflame the epididymis, a coiled tube located beside each testicle. The infection may result in fever, scrotal pain and swelling.
- Prostate gland infection. The chlamydia organism can spread to a man's prostate gland. Prostatitis may result in pain during or after sex, fever and chills, painful urination, and lower back pain.
- Infections in newborns. The chlamydia infection can pass from the vaginal canal to your child during delivery, causing pneumonia or a serious eye infection.
- Infertility. Chlamydia infections — even those that produce no signs or symptoms — can cause scarring and obstruction in the fallopian tubes, which may make you infertile.
- Reactive arthritis. People who have chlamydia are at higher risk of developing reactive arthritis, also known as Reiter's syndrome. This condition typically affects the joints, eyes and urethra — the tube that connects your bladder to the outside world.
References
- Chlamydia: CDC fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/stdfact-chlamydia.htm. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Chlamydia: Frequently asked questions. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://womenshealth.gov/faq/chlamydia.cfm. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Zenilman JM. Genital chlamydia trachomatis infections in women. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Zenilman JM. Genital chlamydia trachomatis infections in men. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Brunham RC. Chlamydial diseases. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191371208-2/0/1492/0.html#. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Marrazzo J. Treatment of chlamydia trachomatis infection. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): CDC fact sheet. http://www.cdc.gov/std/pid/stdfact-pid.htm. Accessed Feb. 28, 2011.
- Rohren CH (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 3, 2011.
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