ChlamydiaMedical Author:
Debra Houry, MD, MPH
Debra Houry, MD, MPHDebra Houry, MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and in the Department of Behavioral Science and Health Education at the Rollins School of Public Health. She is currently the Director for the Center for Injury Control, Rollins School of Public Health and teaches several courses on violence and injury prevention at Emory. Medical Editor:
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical EditorMelissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Chlamydia SymptomsWhat Are the Symptoms of Chlamydia in men and women?
Chlamydia is known as a "silent" disease because the majority of infected people have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure. In women, the bacteria initially infect the cervix and the urethra (urine canal). Women who have symptoms might have an abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. If the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes (tubes that carry fertilized eggs from the ovaries to the uterus), some women still have no signs or symptoms; others have lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, or bleeding between menstrual periods. Chlamydial infection of the cervix can spread to the rectum. Men with signs or symptoms might have a discharge from their penis or a burning sensation when urinating. Men might also have burning and itching around the opening of the penis. Pain and swelling in the testicles are uncommon. Men or women who have receptive anal intercourse may acquire chlamydial infection in the rectum, which can cause rectal pain, discharge, or bleeding. Chlamydia can also be found in the throats of women and men having oral sex with an infected partner. Read more in-depth information about the symptoms of chlamydia infection in men and women » SOURCE: CDC.gov. Chlamydia - CDC Fact Sheet. Chlamydia OverviewChlamydia is a bacterial infection disease transmitted when people have sexual relations. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States, with over 2.8 million affected individuals each year. Among adults, about 5% of the population is estimated to be infected. Among sexually active adolescent females, about 10% are infected. Infection with chlamydia is most commonly found among the following groups:
Chlamydia CausesChlamydia is an infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. The infection is transmitted in 2 ways:
Viewer Comments & ReviewsChlamydiaThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What was your treatment for chlamydia? Chlamydia - TreatmentThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What was the treatment for your chlamydia? Chlamydia - TreatmentThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What was your treatment for chlamydia? |
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Chlamydia
Ectopic Pregnancy Overview
An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that develops outside
a woman's uterus (womb). This happens when the fertilized egg from the ovary
does not implant itself normally in the uterus. Instead, the egg develops
somewhere else in the abdomen. The products of this conception are abnormal and cannot develop into fetuses.
- The most common place that ectopic pregnancy occurs
is in one of the fallopian tubes (a so-called tubal pregnancy).
These are the tubes that transport the egg from the ovary to the uterus.
Ectopic pregnancies also can be found on the outside of the uterus, on the
ovaries, or attached to the bowel.
- The most serious complication of an ectopic pregnancy is intra-abdominal hemorrhage (severe bleeding). In the case of a tubal pregnancy, for example, as the products of conception continue to gr...
Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape
Chlamydial Genitourinary Infections »
Chlamydiae are small gram-negative obligate intracellular microorganisms that preferentially infect squamocolumnar epithelial cells.
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