CHECK-UP:Chlamydia can be easily treated with a course of antibiotics, writes Marion Kerr
My ex-partner has just told me he has been treated for an infection called chlamydia. He's not sure when he got it, and says I should go and be tested. Surely if I was infected I would have experienced some symptoms by now?
Genital chlamydia infection is caused by a bacteria that is transmitted from one person to another through sexual contact. It can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during delivery.
The condition commonly goes unnoticed as it is possible to be infected with the bacteria without experiencing any obvious symptoms.
In fact, it has been estimated that up to 70 per cent of women and up to 50 per cent of men infected with chlamydia experience no symptoms at all.
Women who experience symptoms can complain of pain when passing urine, vaginal discharge, tummy pain, bleeding between periods and bleeding after intercourse.
Men with symptoms commonly experience discharge from the penis and pain on urination.
The condition is most common among young, sexually active people.
Testing for the presence of chlamydia involves examining a sample of cells taken using a swab or by testing a urine sample.
Can chlamydia infection clear up without treatment?
Although chlamydia infection can, in some cases, clear up by itself, the majority of people require treatment with antibiotic medication.
Please don't leave it to chance, as the condition responds well to treatment, but can, if left untreated, result in complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease which can cause chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy and infertility.
Men with untreated chlamydia may, in rare cases, develop complications, such as painful swelling of the scrotum.
So, if I do have chlamydia, all I need is a simple course of antibiotics?
The condition is easily treated with appropriate antibiotic medication. However, the risk of re-infection is high and you therefore run the risk of contracting it again if your current sexual partner is not treated simultaneously.
If you do test positive for chlamydia and you have had sexual contact with other partners, your doctor will discuss the steps needed to notify them.
This will allow them to consult their own doctor or local sexual transmitted infection (STI) clinic for testing and treatment if necessary.
You should discuss with your doctor the need for a screening for other sexually transmitted diseases and for advice on safe sexual practices.