Dr Sheila Logan: "Life ruining complications"

Annual treatment of the infection costs the NHS up to �100m a year.

It can be spread rapidly because most sufferers show no symptoms, and are not aware that they have been infected.

If detected early, it can be treated with antibiotics. But long-term complications include ectopic pregnancy, infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease.

An investigation by BBC Scotland's Frontline programme, to be screened on Tuesday 15 May, revealed that most health authorities lack sufficient resources to operate comprehensive detection schemes.

Dr Sheila Logan of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary said: "It's frightening to think that a lot of women who are sexually active and believe themselves to be healthy are wandering around with this infection, which can have both life threatening and life ruining complications."

The programme shows that diagnosis is coming too late for an increasing number of women infected with chlamydia.

Dr Carolyn Thompson: "Testing hasn't received top priority"

One sufferer, who remains anonymous, told Frontline: "I had to think about going on the IVF list for the future, if I wanted to have children."

Genito-urinary consultant, Dr Carolyn Thompson, said that many health authorities in Scotland still use an out-of-date swab test to diagnose the disease.

This method results in around one third of all potentially positive results being missed.

Dr Thompson said: "I've put forward a case for testing but it has to go along with breast unit, stroke unit (funding) at the moment and chlamydia testing hasn't received top priority."

A spokeswoman from the Scottish Executive said action was being taken to improve the country's sexual health.

She said: ""The Lothian-based national health demonstration project, Healthy Respect, in which we are investing �3m, is acting as a test-bad for national action on sexual health.

"It will pilot chlamydia testing to help achieve its headline target to increase the reported prevalence of chlamydia among young people by 2003, followed by a 50% decrease in reported prevalence by 2010."