**2. Chlamydia**

**Chlamydia** is a bacterial STD caused by the organism *Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis)*, an intracellular organism that produces clinical illness within 1–2 weeks after exposure, which can damage a woman's reproductive organs and cause cervicitis, urethritis, and prostatitis, which occur mostly in young (15–24-yearold) individuals, mostly prevalent in young women [6].

The infection is more likely transmitted during unprotected sexual intercourse through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone with the infection, even though semen does not have STI pathogens to transmit the infection from person to person. Women can get Chlamydia in the cervix, rectum, and throat. Men can get Chlamydia in the urethra, rectum, and throat [6–8]. During childbirth, chlamydial infection is also passed from mother to baby [9, 10].

For behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons, sexually active young individuals are at high risk of getting chlamydial infection. Multiple abnormalities can result from C. trachomatis infection in women including pelvic inflammatory diseases (PIDs), ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. Sometimes women receiving a diagnosis of uncomplicated cervical infection may have asymptomatic upper genital tract infection [6].

Chlamydial infection is commonly asymptomatic both in women and men. Health sector institutions frequently rely on screening tests for all sexually active women aged <25 years, and recommended annual screening for high risky individuals (women aged ≥25 years who have more than one sex partner, a new sex partner, or a sex partner who has an STIs) to detect chlamydial infection [2].

*Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.105747*

Chlamydia is a global public health problem that is the leading bacterial sexually transmitted infection in developed and undeveloped countries. *Nonlymphogranuloma venereum* (LGV) serovars infection is mostly asymptomatic but can produce aggressive infection manifest by perianal, anal, or rectal ulceration with resulting pain and discharge [11].

Even though evidences are insufficient to recommend routine screening for C. trachomatis among sexually active young men because of different factors (i.e., efficacy, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness), where there are clinical settings with a high prevalence of Chlamydia sexually active young men should be screened. The primary focus of women diagnosed with Chlamydia infection should be to detect and treat the infection, prevent complications, and to treat their partners, whereas men should be screened for Chlamydia only when resources permit and prevalence is high [2].
