Chlamydial urethritis - male

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Male reproductive anatomy

Chlamydial urethritis is a sexually transmitted disease involving infection of the urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder).

Chlamydial urethritis is caused by a type of microorganism that lives as a parasite within human cells, but is classified as an “intracellular”bacteria.

Chlamydia can cause nonspecific urethritis with swollen testes and a discharge from the penis. The symptoms can appear similar to gonorrhea infection but persist after treatment for gonorrhea. Chlamydia and gonorrhea often occur together.

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease in the US and abroad. An estimated 2.8 million Americans are infected with chlamydia each year. Risk factors include multiple sexual partners and sexual contact without condoms.

Different strains of chlamydia cause genital, eye, lymph node, and respiratory infections. Chlamydia is the most common cause of blindness in the world. A child born to a woman with a chlamydia infection of the cervix may develop an acute eye or lung infection.

Review Date: 05/26/2006
Reviewed By: Monica Gandhi MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.