How Do You Know If You Have Chlamydia Symptoms?

Unfortunately, many times there are no early symptoms of chlamydia, so you don't know you have it, and that can turn into a big problem. Often, symptoms of chlamydia don't appear at all, and when they do they're so mild you can fail to notice them.

Studies estimate that three of four people who have contracted chlamydia don't have early symptoms.

Chlamydia is often described as the "silent STD" (sexually transmitted disease).

Symptoms of chlamydia, when they appear, usually begin one to three weeks after exposure to an infected person. They are somewhat different for men and women.

Women will experience intermittent vaginal bleeding or discharge caused by an inflamed cervix, pain during urination from a bladder infection, and a general feeling of discomfort in their abdomen. They'll also notice irregular menstrual bleeding, pain during intercourse. Eye irritation and swelling are also possible.

Men who have symptoms of chlamydia may get an inflammation in the urinary tract named nongonococcal urethritis (NGU). This produces an unpleasant (if not downright frightening) discharge of mucus or pus from the penis. There will be a burning sensation during urination and the scrotum may also become swollen. As with women, there may be some swelling and pain in the area of the eyes.

Testing for Chlamydia

Once symptoms of chlamydia appear, or once someone suspects they've been exposed to chlamydia, a clinical diagnosis is the next step.

Traditionally, women would undergo a pelvic examine, including cervical and urethral swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhea. In men, a urethral swab is taken. However, even if the cultures come back negative, chlamydia might still be present. Negative cultures or screenings do not completely rule out infection.

Lately, some new and highly accurate urine tests have been developed that work for both men and women. Check with your doctor.

If you find out you've had sexual contact with someone who is infected, don't wait for symptoms of chlamydia to appear. Get treatment immediately. It's especially important for women because chlamydia can spread into the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease or PID. PID can cause permanent damage, including infertility.