Chlamydia - CDC Fact Sheet What is chlamydia? Chlamydia is a
common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a bacterium.
Chlamydia can infect both men and women and can cause serious,
permanent damage to a woman's reproductive organs. How common is
chlamydia? Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial
sexually transmitted infection in the United States. In 2011,
1,412,791 cases of chlamydia were reported to CDC from 50 states
and the District of Columbia, but an estimated 2.86 million
infections occur annually. A large number of cases are not
reported because most people with chlamydia do not have symptoms
and do not seek testing. Chlamydia is most common among young
people. It is estimated that 1 in 15 sexually active females
aged 14-19 years has chlamydia. How do people get chlamydia?
People get chlamydia by having sex with someone who has the
infection. “Having sex” means anal, vaginal, or oral sex.
Chlamydia can still be transmitted even if a man does not
ejaculate. People who have had chlam