Thousands of women are mistaking this common STI for period pain

Stomach cramps aren’t always caused by your cycle (Picture: Getty Images)

Period pain is something many women have learned to ignore, assuming it’s nothing more than a natural (albeit uncomfortable) process.

But according to Dr Asiya Maula, GP at The Health Suite in Leicester, your menstrual cycle isn’t always the cause of cramps and mid-month spotting — it could, in fact, be the UKs most commonly-diagnosed STI.

‘The frustrating thing about chlamydia is that it doesn’t announce itself,” says Dr Maula.

‘Patients come in describing period pain that’s a bit heavier or lasts a bit longer than usual, or spotting between ...