Chlamydia trachomatis is an infection which commonly co-exists with gonorrhoea. It is a very common cause of urethritis (also known as non-gonococcal urethritis or NGU). Like gonorrhoea, chlamydia can ascend in the male urethra to cause prostatitis and epididymitis.
In women, the infection can be a cause of discharge, but more importantly may spread via the cervical canal to be a cause of PID (see below). If the baby develops the infection during passage through the birth canal, conjunctivitis and pneumonia can result.
Chlamydia infections are treated with a different class of antibiotics to gonorrhoea. Oxytetracycline or doxycycline are most commonly prescribed, to be taken by mouth for 1-2 weeks. Ideally, sexual contacts should be traced and treated also.
In Chinese medicine chlamydia infection, like gonorrhoea, is a manifestation of Damp - Heat in the Lower Jiao.
