Chlamydia

Symptoms

Most people who have chlamydia don't notice any symptoms.

If you do get symptoms, these usually appear between 1 and 3 weeks after having unprotected sex with an infected person. For some people they don't develop until many months later.

Sometimes the symptoms can disappear after a few days. Even if the symptoms disappear you may still have the infection and be able to pass it on.

Symptoms in women

At least 70% of women with chlamydia don't notice any symptoms. If they do get symptoms, the most common include: 

• pain when urinating
• unusual vaginal discharge
• pain in the tummy or pelvis
• pain during sex
• bleeding after sex
• bleeding between periods

If chlamydia is left untreated, it can spread to the womb and cause a serious condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This is a major cause of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women.

Symptoms in men

At least half of all men with chlamydia don't notice any symptoms. If they do get symptoms, the most common include: 

• pain when urinating
• white, cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis
• burning or itching in the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body)
• pain in the testicles

If chlamydia is left untreated, the infection can cause swelling in the epididymis (the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles) and the testicles. This could affect your fertility.

Chlamydia in the rectum, throat or eyes

Chlamydia can also infect:

• the rectum (back passage) if you have unprotected anal sex – this can cause discomfort and discharge from your rectum
• the throat if you have unprotected oral sex – this is uncommon and usually causes no symptoms

• the eyes if they come into contact with infected semen or vaginal fluid – this can cause eye redness, pain and discharge (conjunctivitis)
  

Diagnosis

The only way to find out if you have chlamydia is to get tested. You can get tested whether or not you have symptoms. The recommended tests for chlamydia are simple, painless and generally very reliable.

They involve sending a sample of cells to a laboratory for analysis. You don't necessarily have to be examined by a doctor or nurse first and can often collect the sample yourself.

There are two main ways the sample can be collected:

• using a swab – a small cotton bud is gently wiped over the area that might be infected, such as inside the vagina or inside the anus
• urinating into a container – this should ideally be done at least 1 hour after you last urinated

The results will normally be available in 7 to 10 days. If there's a high chance you have chlamydia – for example, you have symptoms of the infection or your partner has been diagnosed with it and you've had unprotected sex with them – you might start treatment before you get your results.

Treatment Options

Chlamydia can usually be effectively treated with antibiotics. More than 95% of people will be cured if they take their antibiotics correctly.

You may be started on antibiotics once test results have confirmed you have chlamydia. But if it's very likely you have the infection, you might be started on treatment before you get your results.

The two most commonly prescribed antibiotics for chlamydia are: 

• doxycycline 
• azithromycin 

Your doctor may give you different antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or erythromycin, if you have an allergy or are pregnant or breastfeeding. A longer course of antibiotics may be used if your doctor is concerned about complications of chlamydia.

Some people experience side effects during treatment, but these are usually mild. The most common side effects include stomach ache, diarrhoea, feeling sick, and thrush in women.

Testing and treating sexual partners

If you test positive for chlamydia, it's important that your current sexual partner and any other recent sexual partners you've had are also tested and treated.

A specialist sexual health adviser can help you contact your recent sexual partners, or the clinic can contact them for you if you prefer.

Either you or someone from the clinic can speak to them, or the clinic can send them a note to let them know they may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Will I need to go back to the clinic?

If you take your antibiotics correctly, you may not need to return to the clinic.

However, you will be advised to go back for another chlamydia test if:

• you had sex before you and your partner finished treatment
• you forgot to take your medication or didn't take it properly
• your symptoms don't go away
• you're pregnant

If you're under 25 years of age, you should be offered a repeat test for chlamydia 3 to 6 months after finishing your treatment because you're at a higher risk of catching it again.