Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) | BD Women's Health

Chlamydia – caused by infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) bacterium – is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States.^1-3

It spreads through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected person.³

CT is most common among young people.^1-3

1 in 20 sexually active young
women aged 14-24 has CT.³

2 out of 3 new CT infections occur
among youth aged 15-24 years.¹

CT causes a silent infection, which means that most people have no symptoms, no abnormal physical findings and do not seek care.³

Symptomatic
6% Asymptomatic
94%

Only 6%of women with a confirmed CT infection develop symptoms.⁴

2013 2018

25% Increase in CT rates between 2013 and 2018 despite control efforts.^5*

If untreated, CT infections increase the risk of serious health problems for women.³

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

Chlamydia can spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes, causing PID. Long-term damage can include chronic pelvic pain, tubal factor infertility, and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy.³

Problems in pregnancy

Untreated chlamydia can lead to preterm delivery, ophthalmia neonatorum (conjunctivitis), and pneumonia in newborns.³

Fitz-Hugh-Curtis (FHC) Syndrome

Some patients with PID develop perihepatitis, or FHC, leading to inflammation of the liver capsule and surrounding peritoneum.³

Reiter’s Syndrome

A combination of urethritis, conjunctivitis, and reactive arthritis resulting from untreated CT.³

Screening is necessary to identify most CT infections

Screening for CT is critical for healthcare providers to detect infection, since CT usually has no symptoms.²

Yearly chlamydia screening is recommended for all sexually active women under age 25 and older women at risk of infection.²

Chlamydia screening programs can dramatically improve health outcomes and have been shown to reduce pelvic inflammatory disease rates among women.^2,6

There are 3 common screening methods for CT

Swab

A swab of the discharge from the cervix is taken for culture or antigen testing for chlamydia and may be done during a routine Pap test.

Self-swab

Some women prefer to swab their vagina themselves in the healthcare setting. Patient-collection of vulvovaginal swabs has excellent sensitivity in women with and without symptoms, when associated with nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), like the BD CTGCTV2 assay.⁷

Urine test

A urine sample is analyzed in the laboratory.

The BD CTGCTV2 assay is cleared for all 3 screening methods and is designed to detect CT, GC, and TV—the 3 most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infections—in a single test.^5,8,9

Learn More

*In 2020, CT rates decreased by 13% compared to 2019, likely due to decreases in STD screening and underdiagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.1

CT, Chlamydia trachomatis; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; FHC, Fitz-Hugh-Curtis; GC, Neisseria gonorrhoeae; NAAT, nucleic acid amplification test;
PID, pelvic inflammatory disease; STI, sexually transmitted infection; TV, Trichomonas vaginalis.

1. National Overview - Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2020, CDC. 2022. Accessed 29 Apr 2022.
2. Workowski KA et al. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70(4):1–187.
3. Chlamydia – CDC Fact Sheet, CDC. 2022. Accessed 10 Apr 2022.
4. Korenromp EL et al. Int J STD AIDS. 2002;13(2):91–101.
5. Van Der Pol B et al. Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(2):134–40.
6. Scholes D et al. Sex Transm Dis. 2012;39(2):81–8.
7. Page C et al. J Fam Pract. 2013;62(11):651–3.
8. Sexually Transmitted Infections Prevalence, Incidence, and Cost Estimates in the United States, CDC. 2021. Accessed 29 Apr 2022.
9. BD CTGCTV2 for BD MAX™ System Package Insert [P0237].