do you have it?

Why is it a big deal?

If you have Chlamydia and it’s not treated, the infection can spread in your body and can cause health problems.

Not everyone who has chlamydia will develop these complications. The risk of developing serious health problems increases if a person becomes infected more than once.

In women

Chlamydia can spread in the body and cause infection and inflammation inside the reproductive system. This can cause pain in the abdomen (area below the belly button) and may cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

It can also lead to damage in the fallopian tubes (the tubes that take the eggs to your womb each month). This could result in infertility (not being able to have a baby), or may cause an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy which is developing in the tube because it didn’t reach the womb).

Ectopic pregnancy can be very serious and even life-threatening.

In men

Chlamydia can cause painful inflammation in one or both testicles. It’s thought that Chlamydia might also lead to reduced fertility or infertility in men, but less is known about whether this happens.

In men and women

If left untreated Chlamydia can cause Reiter’s syndrome. This is a form of arthritis which causes swelling of the joints, inflammation of the urethra (the tube which carries your wee from your bladder) and the eyes.

The risk of developing serious health problems increases if a person becomes infected more than once.