Chlamydia is a common STD that can infect both men and women. It can cause serious, permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive system. This can make it difficult or impossible for her to get pregnant later on. Chlamydia can also cause a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that occurs outside the womb).

Family Health Services of East Central Ohio

Fairfield Community Health Center

Adolescents, young adults, and men who have sex with men are at higher risk of getting STIs. And people who have an STI may be at higher risk of getting HIV. Promoting behaviors like condom use can help prevent STIs.

Strategies to increase screening and testing for STIs can assess people’s risk of getting an STI and help people with STIs get treatment, improving their health and making it less likely that STIs will spread to others. Getting treated for an STI other than HIV can help prevent complications from the STI but doesn’t prevent HIV from spreading.³