Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in Canada and the US, particularly among men and women under 25 years of age, although it can affect anyone who is not in a monogamous relationship. That includes anyone in a sexual relationship with a new (to them....) partner.
Unfortunately, most women who carry chlamydia do not even know that they are infected. You can have the infection without any visible symptoms, but the disease can cause long term inflammation of the pelvis leading to scarring and chronic pain, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and infertility.
Fortunately diagnosing and treating chlamydia is easy. Chlamydia can be detected using a urine test, or with a swab taken during a pelvic exam. Treatment is with a single dose of the antibiotic azithromycin, which is both safe and effective (98% cure rate). However it is important that your sexual partner(s) are also treated at the same time, otherwise you will develop a "ping-pong" infection, passing the infection back and forth. Consider informing any partners you have had in the past two months so that they can also get treated if necessary.
If you have been treated for chlamydia, we recommended getting retested in three months to make sure that there is no reinfection. Also, if you are pregnant and plan to proceed with your pregnancy, then it is important to have follow-up testing as chlamydia can infect a newborn during labour and delivery with possible serious consequences.
At Bloor West Village Women's Clinic we routinely test all women for chlamydia before your abortion procedure or D&C. We will contact you if your test is positive and provide treatment; all communication is confidential.
For more information about chlamydia and your health please see:
https://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/chlamydia.htm