Complications from Untreated Chlamydia

If untreated, chlamydia infection can cause serious reproductive and other health problems. Like the disease itself, the damage that chlamydia causes is often "silent."

In women, the chlamydia bacteria often infect the cells of the cervix. If not treated, the infection can spread into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID occurs in up to 40 percent of women with untreated chlamydia. PID can cause:

• Infertility, the inability to get pregnant. The infection scars the fallopian tubes, keeping eggs from being fertilized.

• An ectopic or tubal pregnancy. This means that a fertilized egg starts developing in the fallopian tube instead of moving into the uterus. This is a dangerous condition that can cause the death of the mother.

• Chronic pelvic pain.

In pregnant women, chlamydia infections may lead to premature delivery. Babies born to infected mothers can get infections in their eyes and respiratory tracts. Chlamydia is a leading cause of pneumonia and conjunctivitis (pinkeye) in newborns.

Women who have chlamydia may also be more likely to get HIV, the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), from an infected partner. Chlamydia can cause proctitis (an infection of the lining of the rectum) in persons having anal sex. The bacteria can also be found in the throats of people who have oral sex.

Untreated chlamydia in men typically causes infection of the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the body). Infection sometimes spreads to the epididymis (a tube that carries sperm from the testis). This may cause pain, fever, and even infertility.