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Most people who have chlamydia do not have any symptoms.
If you do get symptoms they can start from 1 week to several months after infection.
Chlamydia can cause symptoms in women. These symptoms can affect anyone with a vagina:
Chlamydia can cause symptoms in men. These symptoms can affect anyone with a penis:
Chlamydia can affect other parts of your body that come into contact with semen or vaginal fluid. This can cause:
If you do not have symptoms but want a test, you can use a self-test kit for chlamydia at home and send it to a lab to be tested.
If the test shows you have chlamydia, you’ll be contacted and told what to do next.
You may be able to get a free self-test kit from:
You can also buy a self-test kit for chlamydia from some pharmacies.
If you're aged under 25 you may also be able to get free chlamydia home test kits for under 25s.
A doctor or nurse will ask about your symptoms and sexual partners. They may need to check your penis or vagina.
When you make your appointment, let them know if you'd like someone else to be in the room with you (a chaperone) – this could be someone you know, another doctor, nurse or a trained member of staff.
You may be asked to give a pee sample.
They may use a swab (like a cotton bud) to take a sample of fluid from your penis or vagina. You may be able to do the swab yourself.
They may also need to take a swab from your bottom (anus), throat or eyes if these areas are affected.
You can be tested even if you do not have any symptoms. You may also be offered tests for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at the same time.
If you have chlamydia, your current and recent sexual partners need to be tested.
A sexual health clinic can help you contact your partners, or they can contact them for you.
Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. This may be a single dose, or tablets you take for 7 to 14 days.
Sometimes you may start treatment before the test results come back.
You may need to be tested again after treatment to check you no longer have chlamydia.
If you’re pregnant, you’ll be tested again 4 weeks after treatment.
Avoid vaginal, anal or oral sex until you and your partner (if you have one) have finished treatment and tests show you no longer have chlamydia.
Chlamydia is spread through vaginal fluid and semen. It can pass from person to person by having vaginal, oral or anal sex without a condom.
If you have chlamydia when you're pregnant, it can pass to your baby during birth.
There are some things you can do to avoid getting chlamydia and spreading it to others.
use condoms when you have vaginal or anal sex
use a condom to cover the penis, or a latex or plastic square (dam) to cover the vagina, if you have oral sex
get tested once a year, or if you have a new sexual partner
complete the full treatment if you or your sexual partner have chlamydia
do not share sex toys (if you do, wash and cover them with a new condom before anyone else uses them)
If chlamydia is not treated, it can lead to serious complications including:
The sooner you get treatment, the easier these complications are to treat.
If you're pregnant and have chlamydia that is not treated, it can be passed onto your baby during birth.
If this happens, it can cause an infection in your baby's eyes (conjunctivitis) or lungs (pneumonia). These infections can be treated with antibiotics.
