A young white man and woman who both have brown hair stand with their heads together smiling in front of a yellow background

Chlamydia Treatment

Put a stop to chlamydia quickly and discreetly from the comfort of your home. Get doctor-prescribed antibiotics that deal with 95% of infections delivered to your door in discreet, unmarked packaging.

There’s no need to go to a clinic or speak to anyone face-to-face. We also provide rapid home testing that will get you answers in just 72 hours if you’re unsure.

  • doctor icon

    No face-to-face appointments or trips to a clinic, just fast online consultations

  • clock icon

    Prescription antibiotic treatment to deal with chlamydia quickly & effectively

  • delivery icon

    Rapid home delivery in discreet, unmarked packaging to protect your privacy

Available from £17.99
About this service

Our treatments are the first in-line antibiotics that work for up to 95% of chlamydia cases within 7 days. Our test kits are home test kits, which means you collect a sample from the comfort of your home and free-post it back to our lab for analysis. Our doctors will give you results within 72 hours and provide advice and treatment if necessary.

To get started, complete a short online consultation for our doctors to review. If you need treatment, they'll check that it's safe and suitable for you before prescribing it. If you need testing, we'll ship it to you right away.

So if you're sexually active and concerned you might have been exposed, our doctors are here to help – and you can do it all on your terms. Test for chlamydia, treat chlamydia and beat chlamydia.

headshot of medical editor brenda Ikeji

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Ikeji

Last reviewed: 17 Jul 2024

Available Treatments And Test Kits

Showing {shown} of {total} results

In stock
from £17.99
(£1.29/capsule)

In stock
from £34.99
(£34.99/test kit)

In stock
from £42.99
(£42.99/test kit)
No results found.
No results found.

Please check your spelling or try another treatment name.

How it Works

About Chlamydia

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI). It affects both men and women and is passed on from person to person during vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Chlamydia cannot be spread by kissing, hugging, sharing towels or toilet seats.

In the UK, around 1 in 10 sexually active people under 25 are thought to be infected with Chlamydia. In 2023, there were 194,970 chlamydia diagnoses in the UK, up from 194,244 the year before.

Chlamydia can infect and cause symptoms in the penis, vagina, rectum, throat and eyes.

Symptoms of chlamydia

Most people who are infected with chlamydia do not get any symptoms. If you think you might have been exposed to chlamydia, don’t wait for symptoms before testing or getting treatment.

Chlamydia symptoms usually appear between 1 and 3 weeks after you have had unprotected sex with someone who is infected. Some people may not get symptoms until months later.

The most common chlamydia symptoms include:

  • pain or a burning sensation when peeing
  • abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina

The symptoms can differ between men and women.

Chlamydia symptoms in men

Around 50% of men don’t get any symptoms but those who do report:

  • pain when going for a pee
  • burning or itching in the tube that passes urine out of the body (urethra)
  • testicle pain
  • white, cloudy or watery discharge coming from the tip of the penis

Chlamydia symptoms in women

70% of women show no signs of chlamydia but some experience:

  • pain when peeing
  • abnormal vaginal discharge
  • painful sex
  • bleeding after sex
  • pain in the tummy or pelvis
  • bleeding between periods

Non-genital symptoms

As well as the genitals, chlamydia can also infect your throat, rectum and eyes causing the following symptoms:

  • Rectum: pain and discomfort in your anus
  • Eyes: redness, pain, and discharge (conjunctivitis)
  • Throat: usually symptomless but could include sore throat, mouth sores, swollen tonsils or lymph nodes

How is chlamydia diagnosed?

Chlamydia is diagnosed using a urine or swab test. The test will collect a sample so a specific type of laboratory test called a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) can be carried out to confirm the diagnosis.

For Women, there are 3 options:

  1. Vulvovaginal swab: when a swab is inserted 5 cm into the vagina and gently rotated for no more than 30 seconds.
  2. Endocervical swab: when a cervical sample is taken, similar to a cervical screening, where a speculum is inserted into the vagina and a swab is rotated inside the cervix to collect a sample.
  3. First-catch urine sample (FCU): an FCU is usually collected upon waking in the morning and the first 20 ml of urine should be taken.

Men have 2 options:

  1. First-catch urine sample (FCU): is usually the test of choice.
  2. Urethral swab: where a swab is inserted 2 to 4 cm inside the urethra and rotated once before it is removed.

Rectal and oral tests are also available. Superdrug Online Doctor offers a convenient service that allows you to take your test sample at home, post your sample to our partner lab and get results and advice from our doctors in your patient account.

Where can you get a test?

At-home chlamydia test kits are available from Superdrug Online Doctor. You can collect the sample at home and discreetly post it back to our partner laboratory for analysis.

The chlamydia tests available are:

Type

Who is it suitable for?

Sample type

What type of chlamydia does it test for?

Chlamydia Test Kit

Men and women

Men: urine test

Women: vaginal swab

Chlamydia infections in the genitals (vagina or penis)

Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea Test Kit

Men and women

Men: urine test

Women: vaginal swab

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections in the genitals (vagina or penis)

Oral Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia Test Kit

Men and women

Mouth swab

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections in the throat. This test is recommended for anyone who has had unprotected oral sex.

Rectal Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea Test Kit

Men and women

Rectal swab

Rectal chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections. This test is recommended for anyone who has had unprotected anal sex.

You may be able to get a free chlamydia test from:

  • a sexual health clinic
  • your doctor
  • a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic
  • many contraceptive clinics

When to get a test?

It is important to get a test as soon as possible if you suspect you might have chlamydia because this will help you get fast and effective treatment. You can get a chlamydia test at any time but you may need another test if you test negative, especially if it has been less than 2 to 3 weeks since you had unprotected sex. That’s because the infection isn’t always detected in the early stages.

You should get a chlamydia test if you:

  • have had unprotected sex with a new partner
  • or your partner have had unprotected sex with anyone else
  • suspect you may have an STI
  • have been told a sexual partner has chlamydia or an STI
  • have had sex and a condom has split
  • are or planning to get pregnant

Chlamydia testing is important because if the infection is left untreated, it cancause infertility in men and women. It can also spread to the womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes in women, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), resulting in several serious complications including difficulty getting pregnant.

Should my partner get tested if I tested positive for chlamydia?

Yes, your partner must be tested for chlamydia if you test positive or suspect you may be infected because chlamydia is passed on through sexual contact.

Should my partner get tested if I tested positive for chlamydia?

Ideally, you should contact recent sexual partners to let them know there is a chance they could have chlamydia and should get tested. However, this can depend on several factors including the type of relationship you shared with the person. A sexual health clinic may be able to help you contact previous partners anonymously.

Chlamydia treatment

Antibiotics are the first line treatment for chlamydia. The most common antibiotics offered are doxycycline and azithromycin.

At Superdrug Online Doctor, we offer a range of chlamydia tests so you can first diagnose what type you have.

We provide doxycycline to treat chlamydia, the most effective type of antibiotic for the condition. Azithromycin used to be the preferred chlamydia treatment, but doxycycline was found to be more effective.

Over 95% of chlamydia cases are successfully treated with doxycycline. The typical dose is 100mg twice a day for 7 days. Doxycycline is suitable for both men and women, but you will be offered a different treatment option if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or allergic to any of the ingredients in doxycycline.

How effective is chlamydia treatment?

Antibiotic treatments are successful in over 95% of chlamydia cases.

Research shows that doxycycline is superior to azithromycin for treating chlamydia.

How long will I test positive for after I’ve started chlamydia treatment?

You can still test positive up to 6 weeks after you have received chlamydia treatment. It is recommended that you test again 3 months after treatment to see if you are infection-free. If you test too early, you may receive a false-positive result.

How soon can I have sex after chlamydia treatment?

How long you need to wait to have sex will depend on what type of treatment you received, for example if you have taken:

  • Doxycycline - you should wait until you and your partner have completed your course of treatment
  • Azithromycin - you should wait until 7 days after treatment before having vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

Do I need to get tested for chlamydia after I have completed treatment?

Yes, you should repeat a chlamydia test 3 months after your treatment. At Superdrug Online Doctor, we offer a range of Chlamydia tests if you are concerned that you may still have the infection.

Should my partner get chlamydia treatment at the same time?

Yes, if you have tested positive for chlamydia, it is important that any current sexual partners are tested and treated at the same time.

Prevention

Anyone who is sexually active can get chlamydia but it is preventable.

Using a condom every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex is recommended to prevent the spread of chlamydia.

Other steps you can take to limit the spread of chlamydia include:

  • not sharing sex toys and washing them after each use
  • getting tested and receiving prompt treatment if you’re pregnant, to stop your baby becoming infected
  • using a thin, soft plastic called a dam to cover female genitals during oral sex or when rubbing female genitals together

Chlamydia FAQs

Can chlamydia be cured with antibiotics?

Antibiotics cure chlamydia in 95% of cases, if they are taken correctly.

Will chlamydia go away on its own?

No, it’s unlikely that chlamydia will go away on its own, so it is important to get treatment as soon as you think you may have been infected.

Is it safe to buy chlamydia treatment online?

Yes, but you must make sure you are purchasing from a reputable source. You can request chlamydia treatment safely and discreetly from Superdrug Online Doctor.

Can I order chlamydia treatment for my sexual partner?

No, your partner should request their own tests and treatment for chlamydia.

Can you get chlamydia without having sex?

Unless you were infected at birth, you cannot get chlamydia without having sex. However, this does not need to be penetrative sex, it can be through oral or anal sex, or your genitals coming into contact with an infected person’s sexual fluids.

You cannot get chlamydia through kissing, hugging, sharing towels, swimming pools, baths, toilet seats, or cutlery.

Sources

About Chlamydia (2024) Sexual Health London [accessed 18 June 2024]

Effectiveness of doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 7 days and azithromycin 1 g single dose for the treatment of rectal Chlamydia trachomatis infection among men who have sex with men (2021) NIH [accessed 18 June 2024]

Effects of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection on Fertility; A Case-Control Study (2013) NIH [accessed 18 June 2024]

How should I test for chlamydia? (2024) NICE [accessed 18 June 2024]

Sexual Partners (2024) Terrence Higgins Trust [accessed 19 June 2024]

Sexually transmitted infections and screening for chlamydia in England: 2023 report (2024) UK Health Security Agency [accessed 18 June 2024]

Symptoms: Chlamydia (2021) NHS [accessed 18 June 2024]

Update on the treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection (2018) BASHH [accessed 18 June 2024]

Chlamydia (2023) World Health Organization [accessed 18 June 2024]

Patient Reviews