What causes chlamydia?

What causes chlamydia?

Chlamydia infections spread through sexual contact, when vaginal fluid or semen containing the bacteria that causes chlamydia travels from one person to another. Sexual contact includes all kinds of sex, including sex that doesn’t involve penetration or ejaculation. There are lots of ways that the fluids from one person’s genitals can transmit the bacteria that causes chlamydia.

• Intercourse. Bacteria pass from one person’s penis to their partner’s vagina or vice versa.
• Anal sex. Bacteria passes from one person’s penis to their partner’s anus or vice versa.
• Oral sex. Bacteria passes from one person’s mouth to their partner’s penis, vagina, or anus, or vice versa.
• Sex involving toys. Bacteria pass from a toy with the bacteria to a person’s mouth, penis, vagina or anus.
• Manual stimulation of the genitals or anus. Less commonly, infected vaginal fluid or semen can come in contact with a person’s eye, causing an infection called conjunctivitis. For example, this can happen if you touch the genitals of an infected person and then rub your eyes without washing your hands first.