Chlamydial infections in obstetrics and gynecology

The increasing awareness of the role of C. trachomatis as a sexual pathogen has resulted in an increasing awareness for the clinician of the Chlamydia problem. C. trachomatis is a high prevalence agent and is associated with a wide variety of complications. In addition, an unknown percent of a chlamydial infection progresses to complications such as acute salpingitis. Other long-term consequences of chlamydial infection include infertility, ectopic pregnancy, neonatal conjunctivitis, and chlamydial pneumonia of the newborn; an association of chlamydial infection with fetal wastage, preterm labor and/or delivery, and postpartum endometritis has been suggested.