Men with symptoms might have a discharge from the penis and a burning sensation when urinating. The few women with symptoms might have a vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. When the infection spreads to the uterus and fallopian tubes, women can have lower abdominal pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse, and bleeding between menstrual periods. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks of exposure. There are two kinds of laboratory tests to diagnose chlamydia.
New tests use urine samples to detect small pieces of chlamydia nucleic acid.
These are not yet widely available but are making testing much easier, faster, and less painful. Sexually active men and women can be exposed to chlamydia bacteria unknowingly via sexual contact with an infected person. The more sex partners a persons has, the greater the risk of chlamydia infection. Babies born to infected mothers are also at risk. Sexually active teenagers and young women are especially susceptible to chlamydia bacteria because of the characteristics of the cells that form the inner lining of the cervix.