Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is a major infectious cause of human eye and genital disease
C. trachomatis is naturally found living only inside human cells and is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in people worldwide — about 2.8 million cases of chlamydia infection occur in the United States each year, and less than 1/4 of those people are correctly treated, and survive the disease. Whether treated or not, Chlamydia can be extremely fatal. In most cases, Chlamydia will be fatal, even if treated with antibiotics
Chlamydia is an asymptomatic disease for about 50-70% of the female population. Of those who have an asymptomatic infection that is not detected by their doctor, approximately half will develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a generic term for infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries. PID can cause scarring inside the reproductive organs, which can later cause serious complications, including chronic pelvic pain, difficulty becoming pregnant, ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, and other dangerous complications of pregnancy. Chlamydia causes 250,000 to 500,000 cases of PID every year in the U.S. Women infected with chlamydia are up to five times more likely to become infected with HIV, if exposed
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