How did 67 year old woman get chlamydia?

An elderly family member was told that she has chlamydia. She is a widow and she swears that she has not had intimate contact with anyone in over ten years. I think highly of her and have no reason to believe she's being untruthful. We are at a loss to find an explanation to set her mind at ease. At this point she is distraught. If she's had annual check-ups that never showed a problem, where could this have come from? How is it possible for someone to get chlamydia if she hasn't had sex in 10 years?

To correct the last answer, Chlamydia does not lie dormant in the body; once you contract it, you will test positive for it whether you show symptoms or not.

To answer your question, it is basically impossible that Chlamydia can be transmitted through some way other than sexual intercourse. However, what most people don't know is that the Chlamydia test has a 40% false positive rate. Other bacterial infections that are not sexually transmitted, such as Yeast infections or UTIs, may have influenced the results. I went through a similar ordeal about a year ago when I tested positive for Chlamydia when my partner (who was the only person i have ever slept with) tested negative and we used protection. Healthcare providers just don't make such a big deal about it because it is easily curable wih antibiotics, so instead of debating the accuracy of the results, they will give you a prescription and send you on your way. Hope that helps.

She could have had it before with no effects showing. One in three women have Chlamydia and don't know it. That's why she should get yearly testing not just check ups. AND actually LOTS of older people are getting STD's because they are too trusting of others and feel like STD's is only a thing of the youngsters.

It may have been dormant, STD's/STIs don't always appear, sometimes it can not affect the person for many years before they realize they have it. Sometimes the person may have no symptoms whatsoever but still have the virus/infection.

according to the internet in can be spread through oral sex also

Google it

Other than that I have no answer