the majority of women with chlamydia do not have symptoms. cervicitis (infection of the uterine cervix) is the most common manifestation of the infection. while about half of women with chlamydial cervicitis have no symptoms others may experience vaginal discharge or abdominal pain. infection of the urethra is often associated with chlamydial infection of the cervix. women with infection of the urethra (urethritis) have the typical symptoms of a urinary tract infection including pain upon urination and the frequent and urgent need to urinate. chlamydia is very destructive to the fallopian tubes. it can also cause severe pelvic infection. if untreated about 30% of women with chlamydia will develop pelvic inflammatory disease. symptoms of pelvic infection include fever pelvic cramping abdominal pain or pain with intercourse. pelvic infection can lead to difficulty in becoming pregnant or even sterility. occasionally if the infection is severe enough a localized area of infection and pus (an abscess) forms and major surgery may be necessary and even lifesaving. because it is common for infected women to have no symptoms chlamydial infection is often untreated and results in extensive destruction of the fallopian tubes fertility problems and tubal pregnancy. chlamydial infection like gonorrhea is associated with an increased incidence of premature births. in addition the infant can acquire the infection during passage through the infected birth canal leading to serious eye damage or pneumonia. for this reason all newborns are treated with eye drops containing an antibiotic that kills chlamydia. treatment of all newborns is routine because of the large number of infected women without symptoms and the dire consequences of chlamydial eye infection to the newborn.
what are the symptoms of chlamydia?