chlamydia (say "kluh-mid-ee-uh") is an infection spread through sexual contact. this disease infects the urethra in men. in women it infects the urethra and the cervix and can spread to the reproductive organs. it is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases ( stds ). chlamydia does not cause problems if you treat it right away. but left untreated it can lead to serious problems especially for women: if it spreads it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease. this serious infection can make it hard or impossible for a woman to get pregnant. pregnant women who have chlamydia often pass it to their babies at birth. if the infection gets in a baby’s eyes it can cause blindness. they can also have other problems like pneumonia. pneumonia can be deadly in a newborn. having chlamydia makes a person more likely to get hiv from someone who is infected with hiv. hiv is the virus that causes aids. webmd medical reference from healthwise this information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information. © 1995-2011 healthwise incorporated. healthwise healthwise for every health decision and the healthwise logo are trademarks of healthwise incorporated.
what is chlamydia?