The most recent provincial statistics (2021) show that Chlamydia is one of the most common STIs in Nova Scotia. It has an incidence rate of 220.5 cases per 100,000 people. This means that for every 100 people living in Nova Scotia over 2 of them will have chlamydia.

Like all STIs there are a number of things you can do to reduce your chances of getting or passing along chlamydia. Take a look through this section to learn more about chlamydia.

What is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is an infection that is caused by a bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis). It is passed from person to person primarily through sexual contact, and does not get passed through casual contact (holding hands, sharing a toilet seat, kissing etc.).

There are a number of different strains of C. trachomatis, and they each have different risks associated with them, but these strains are generally separated into two categories: LGV and non-LGV genotypes. Chlamydia strains with the LGV genotype infect your body differently than the non-LGV types. They infect your lymph nodes, an important piece of your body’s defence against infections. This may sound like really technical language, but basically what it means is LGV types of chlamydia are more aggressive infections that can cause symptoms that reach your whole body (fever, pain, fatigue, etc.).

While chlamydia can lead to some quite serious long term health impacts, it is often known as the ‘silent infection’ because it doesn’t show symptoms in so many cases. The fact that it is so often asymptomatic is a part of what makes it so easy to pass on. For folks who develop symptoms they can commonly include:

• Itching, pain, and unusual bleeding or discharge from the genitals or anus
• Swelling of the testicles
• Sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, cough or fever
• Pain in the abdomen for folks with vulvas/vaginas
• Pain while urinating
• Pain, itching, redness, or discharge from the eye (in rare cases where chlamydia infection happens in the eyes).

How can I prevent transmitting Chlamydia?

Chlamydia can be passed from one person to another regardless of whether penetration occurs. Chlamydia is passed primarily through the close sexual contact of genitals (vaginal sex, anal sex, and oral sex). While more rare, it is also possible to pass chlamydia through fingering or handjobs if folks don’t take precautions to wash their hands after sex or touch themselves before or after touching a partner’s genitals.

The best way to prevent chlamydia is to use barrier protection. Internal or external condoms can be used for any forms of penetrative sex involving a penis or sex toy that is shared (anal sex, vaginal sex, and oral sex). Dental dams can be used for oral sex involving a vulva and for tribbing (also known as scissoring, or rubbing vulvas/clits). Rubber gloves can also be used for extra caution when using your fingers for sex, but taking care not to touch your partner then yourself (or the other way around) and washing your hands after touching yours or their genitals can be quite effective as well. To learn more about protection and protection options check out our section ‘Barrier Protection and Contraception’.

Another super important piece of preventing the transmission of Chlamydia is getting tested.

How do I know if I have/get Chlamydia?

The only way to know for sure you have chlamydia is to get tested. You can keep an eye out for the signs and symptoms listed above, but remember, many chlamydia infections don’t cause any short term symptoms.

Chlamydia is tested for through the collection of genital, oral, and anal swabs and/or urine samples. These samples are then tested with NAAT tests. You can get tested for chlamydia at sexual health clinics, by requesting a test from your family doctor, or some walk-in clinics.

Can Chlamydia be treated?

Yes! Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics that are highly effective at clearing the infection. The vast majority of people will make a full recovery after a single course of treatment (sometimes given as daily pills for 7 days or as a one time treatment). It is a good idea to wait 7 days after completing treatment before having sex to ensure the infection has cleared from your system.

Most places recommend that you retest for chlamydia 6 months after treatment to ensure the infection is gone.

What happens if Chlamydia is left untreated?

For folks with a uterus the long term risks of Chlamydia can be more severe. The bacteria can travel up the vagina into the cervix and uterus, and even the fallopian tubes. This is called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The symptoms of PID can include:

• Fever and chills
• Pain, aching and/or cramping in the abdomen, lower back, and during sex
• Unusual vaginal discharge, bleeding, or urination (peeing)
• PID can be quite painful and sometimes lead to infertility or make it more difficult to conceive.

For folks with (non-surgically constructed) penises the long term risks of Chlamydia are considerably less severe. Still, it can make you feel quite unwell before you treat it. And, untreated chlamydia can increase your likelihood of contracting other infections such as HIV.

You can learn more about where HEAL NS got this information from at:
https://novascotia.ca/dhw/cdpc/cdc/documents/Chlamydia.pdf
https://www.actioncanadashr.org/resources/sexual-health-hub/sexually-transmitted-infections/types-sexually-transmitted-infections/chlamydia?gclid=CjwKCAiA8YyuBhBSEiwA5R3-E8Oe6_-B4ruzSlUIunjgdA70zs7Y9Zmvs_18iOSa9Ft2h74D4AET0hoCMdUQAvD_BwE
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chlamydia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355349
*disclaimer: we do not necessarily endorse all of the information, content, or language used in these references