Chlamydia affects one in 20 women, study shows

MORE THAN one in 20 Irish women are now thought to have chlamydia even if they have no symptoms of the sexually transmitted disease that can cause infertility, a study published today shows.

The Well Woman Centre found that overall prevalence rates were running at over 6%, with the rate among women thought to be at a lower risk at 6.6%, compared to 7.2% among those considered to be at a higher risk.

The centre, which increased its level of chlamydia testing by around 60% last year, now routinely tests all women for chlamydia, symptoms of which may be mild or absent in around 70% of women infected.