Dear moneygreen,

No, it isn't true. If treated early, chlamydia infections do not affect fertility. Chlamydia is easy to treat. Certain antibiotics are used to kill chlamydia bacteria. Both sex partners must be treated at the same time to prevent re-infection.

If left untreated, however, chlamydia can cause sterility in women and men. In women, it infects the cervix and can spread to the urethra, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. It can cause bladder infections, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy (a serious condition in which pregnancy happens in one of the fallopian tubes), and sterility.

In men, chlamydia infects the urethra and may spread to the testicles, causing epididymitis, which can cause sterility. Untreated, it can lead to disabling reactive arthritis.

Chlamydia is the most common and most invisible sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the U.S. Three million American men and women become infected every year. Most of these people never have symptoms! That's why testing for chlamydia is very important for sexually active people who don't use condoms every time, and for people who have more than one sexual partner.

Chlamydia is spread through vaginal and anal sex, from the birth canal to the fetus, and rarely from the hand to the eye or during oral sex.

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a medical problem, please call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment with the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.