chlamydia infection in women

Last reviewed 06/2021

Chlamydia is the most prevalent STD in the western world. In over 70% of cases women with this disease are asymptomatic (1).

Presentation:

  • vaginal discharge in 30%
  • women may present with pyuria, dysuria and a negative bacterial culture
  • postcoital or intermenstrual bleeding
  • mucopurulent cervical discharge
  • inflamed or friable cervix which may bleed on contact
  • deep dyspareunia
  • reactive arthritis in sexually active (1)
  • pelvic inflammatory disease

Investigations:

  • endocervical swab for ELISA is a sensitive test
  • cell culture - expensive and difficult to culture
  • DNA amplification techniques of polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and ligase chain reaction reaction on first-catch urine specimens are acceptable to patients and are non-invasive

Reference: