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Chlamydia

Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Chlamydia

Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Chlamydia is one of the most common, especially among young people, STIs in the UK. It’s very treatable with a short course of antibiotics, but when left untreated it can lead to more serious health problems. 

If you’re concerned you may have chlamydia, there is no shame in seeking help from a professional to make sure you get the right testing and treatment you need.

Let's take a look at what chlamydia is, how you get it, what treatments are available, and what you can do to reduce the risk.

Contents

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacteria chlamydia trachomatis. It is passed from person to person by bodily fluids (semen and vaginal fluids) during sex. Chlamydia is very contagious, meaning it is easily passed from one person to another. It can be spread through:
  • unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex
  • sharing sex toys without washing or covering with a new condom
  • genital to genital contact (even without penetration or ejaculation)
  • infected semen or vaginal fluids coming into contact with your eyes
If you have chlamydia while pregnant, you can pass it to your baby during childbirth.

How common is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is one of the most common STIs and is thought to affect around 1 in 10 sexually active young people in the UK. Because many people with chlamydia don’t know they have it, that figure may be much higher. Chlamydia is most common in people under 25 years of age.  

Are there different types of chlamydia?

There are 3 types of chlamydia bacteria that cause infection in humans. 
  • Chlamydia trachomatis affects the genitals, eyes, and rectum. It can also cause pneumonia in babies born to infected mothers. 
  • Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia psittaci cause respiratory infections like pneumonia. 
Chlamydia trachomatis can cause infection in the genitals or different parts of the body including the: 
  • rectum (bum). If you have unprotected anal sex. Symptoms may include pain, discomfort, and discharge from your rectum. 
  • eyes. If semen or vaginal fluids come into contact with the eyes it can cause an infection known as conjunctivitis
  • throat. Chlamydia infection of the throat can occur after oral sex with an infected person. This is rare and does not usually have any symptoms, but an infected person can pass chlamydia on by giving oral sex.

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What are the symptoms of chlamydia?

Up to 80% of women and 50% of men with chlamydia experience no symptoms at all. For those that do have symptoms, they are often mild and may be ignored or overlooked. 

Symptoms in women include:

  • a burning pain when you pee
  • needing to pee more often
  • yellow, strong-smelling discharge from your vagina or rectum (bottom)
  • abdominal (tummy) pain
  • bleeding after sex
  • bleeding or spotting between periods
Chlamydia symptoms in men include: 

  • burning pain when peeing
  • white, grey, cloudy, or watery discharge from your penis
  • pain, burning, or itching of the tip of the penis and urethra (the tube inside the penis) 
  • pain and swelling in the testicles
  • pain of discharge in your rectum

What are the early signs of chlamydia?

There are often no early signs of chlamydia, and it usually takes a few weeks for symptoms to develop after catching the infection. Some people don’t get symptoms until many months after they have been infected. 

How long can you have chlamydia without knowing?

Because many people with chlamydia don’t have any symptoms, it's possible to have chlamydia for months or even years without knowing. You can still pass the infection on to other people even if you don’t have symptoms. 

What does chlamydia look like?

Chlamydia doesn’t usually cause any changes in how your genitals (penis and vagina) look, and it can’t be diagnosed by sight. To get an accurate diagnosis of chlamydia, you need to have a chlamydia test. 

What does chlamydia feel like?

Often, chlamydia won’t make you feel any different at all as it can be symptomless.
But if you do get chlamydia and show symptoms, you may feel pain when you pee, stomach pain, rectal pain or discharge, pain in your genitals and bleeding (for women) after sex or between periods. 

Is chlamydia painful?

Chlamydia can cause pain or discomfort in your lower abdomen or rectum (in women) or testicles (in men). Women may also feel pain during sex and both sexes may experience a burning sensation when passing urine (peeing).  

How long does chlamydia last?

Chlamydia does not go away on its own and the infection will stay in the body until you get treatment. 

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Chlamydia complications

If chlamydia is left untreated, it can cause serious, long-term health problems. Untreated chlamydia can also increase your risk of getting or passing on HIV. 
In women, untreated chlamydia can spread to the womb, ovaries, and fallopian tubes and cause a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This can lead to:

  • chronic (long term) pain in the lower abdomen
  • difficulty getting pregnant or being unable to get pregnant
  • a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy (where a foetus grows outside the womb) 
it can also cause: 

  • blockage of the glands that lubricate the vagina
  • cervicitis (inflammation of the cervix)
  • problems with pregnancy such as early delivery. 
In men untreated chlamydia can cause: 

  • epididymitis (inflammation, pain, and swelling in the testicles) 
  • sexually acquired reactive arthritis (SARA) (a condition where the joints, eyes, or urethra become inflamed)  
  • rarely, infertility (inability to father a child)

How long can you have chlamydia before it causes complications?

There`s no specific time limit after which chlamydia leads to complications, but the longer your chlamydia goes untreated, the higher the risk of developing complications becomes. If you think you may have been infected with chlamydia, arrange a test, and get the correct treatment as soon as possible. 

When should I talk to a doctor about my chlamydia?

If you think you may have chlamydia because you have had unprotected sex, or have any of the symptoms described above, make an appointment with your GP or sexual health clinic for a chlamydia test. 

If you have any symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease or rectal symptoms, you should contact your GP or local sexual health clinic urgently. It’s important to treat pelvic inflammatory disease quickly and to rule out other conditions that can cause similar symptoms (like an ectopic pregnancy). If you have rectal pain or discharge, your doctor will check for a less common type of chlamydia called LGV which is treated differently to non LGV chlamydia infections.

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What causes chlamydia?

Chlamydia is caused by the bacteria chlamydia trachomatis.

How is chlamydia spread?

Chlamydia is spread by semen (sperm) and vaginal fluids passing between partners during sexual contact.

How contagious is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is highly contagious and is easily passed from one person to another during sexual contact. It can be passed by oral, anal, and vaginal contact, through same-sex and opposite-sex partners. You can catch chlamydia even if you don’t have penetrative sex (where the penis enters the mouth, vagina, or anus) or ejaculate (cum). 

Can you get chlamydia from kissing?

No. You can't get chlamydia from kissing, sharing food, drinks, or utensils, holding hands, hugging, coughing, sneezing, or from toilet seats. 

Can you get chlamydia from oral sex?

Yes. Chlamydia can be spread via semen and vaginal fluids during oral sex. A person with chlamydia in their genitals can pass the infection to another person causing a chlamydia infection in the throat. A person with chlamydia of the throat can pass the infection to their partner`s genitals while giving oral sex. Using condoms and dental dams can reduce the risk of spreading chlamydia during oral sex, but it`s better to wait until you and your partner have both finished treatment or tested negative for chlamydia before having oral, anal, or vaginal sex. 

What increases your risk of chlamydia?

The biggest risk factor for contracting chlamydia is having unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Sexually active people under the age of 25 have the highest risk of getting chlamydia. Studies have shown that this is likely due to sexual behaviour within this age group (being more likely to have casual, unprotected sex with more than one partner) as well as biological factors.

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How is chlamydia diagnosed?

Chlamydia can be diagnosed quickly and easily with a chlamydia test. It`s essential to get an accurate diagnosis from a doctor or sexual health clinic and not to try to diagnose or treat yourself as this could result in delayed, incorrect, or even harmful treatment. 

What tests would a doctor perform?

The doctor will provide a chlamydia test which is quick, and painless, and can be done by yourself in private. Your doctor or nurse will not usually need to examine you. There are two tests used to diagnose chlamydia. 

  • A urine test where a sample of urine is provided and sent away for analysis. 
  • A swab test where a cotton bud is wiped over the infected area (vagina, throat or anus) and the cells are sent away for analysis.
For men, a urine test is usually taken.

Women will usually be asked to take a swab. 

If you have rectal or oral symptoms a swab is recommended. 

How to get a chlamydia test

You can get a chlamydia test free of charge and confidentially at your GP surgery, local sexual health clinic, or GUM clinic.

You can also get at-home chlamydia test kits from services such as Superdrug Online Doctor.

If you are under 25 you may be offered a chlamydia test as part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP). This is an initiative aimed at diagnosing, treating, and preventing the spread of chlamydia. 

It's a good idea to get tested for chlamydia once a year if you are under 25 and sexually active. You should also get tested for chlamydia if you:

  • have symptoms of chlamydia
  • have had unprotected sex, or the condom split during sex
  • your partner or former partner has tested positive for chlamydia (in this case you can speak to a doctor about taking chlamydia treatment even without a test)
  • you or your partner has had unprotected sex with other partner(s)

How long does it take to get the results of a chlamydia test? 

The results of your chlamydia test take between 2-3 days. Your doctor may start treatment for chlamydia before the results are back if it is likely that you have chlamydia, for example, if you have symptoms, or your partner has tested positive for chlamydia. 

How do I know if I have chlamydia?

The only way to find out if you have chlamydia is to take a chlamydia test. 

How long does it take for chlamydia to show up on a test

It normally takes about 2 weeks after contracting chlamydia for the results to show up on a test. If you have had unprotected sex with a new partner, you should wait at least 14 days before having a chlamydia test.

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How is chlamydia treated?

Can chlamydia be cured?

Yes. If you take your medication correctly and finish your treatment your chlamydia will be cured. It will not come back unless you contract a new infection. 

How to treat chlamydia

Chlamydia is normally treated with antibiotics. The recommended treatment for chlamydia is an antibiotic called doxycycline, and the normal dose is 1 capsule twice a day for 7 days.

  • Swallow your capsule whole with water with or without food in the morning and evening roughly 12 hours apart. 
  • stay sitting up or standing for 30 minutes after taking your medication to prevent irritation to your throat or stomach. 
  • Avoid drinking alcohol while you are taking doxycycline as alcohol can make your medication less effective. 
Alternatively, another antibiotic called azithromycin is sometimes prescribed to treat chlamydia. This is taken as a single dose of 1g. Azithromycin used to be the recommended treatment for chlamydia but has been shown to be less effective than doxycycline due to rising resistance rates to Azithromycin. If you are allergic to doxycycline, or you are pregnant or breastfeeding, your GP or sexual health clinic will prescribe an alternative antibiotic.

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Can I get doxycycline online?

Yes. You can buy doxycycline quickly, easily, and discreetly from services such as Superdrug Online Doctor. Simply complete a short questionnaire and one of our doctors will review your order to check it is safe for you to take. You can either collect your medication in-store, or we can deliver it free of charge to your chosen address. 

How do these treatments work?

Doxycycline works by stopping the bacteria that cause chlamydia from making a protein they need to reproduce and spread in the body. 

How effective are these chlamydia treatments?

Doxycycline is more than 95% effective in treating uncomplicated chlamydia infections when taken correctly. If you have pelvic inflammatory disease or a type of chlamydia called LGV then alternative treatment regimes might be prescribed which are more effective. 

How long do these treatments take to work?

It normally takes about a week after completing treatment for the chlamydia infection to clear up completely, but your symptoms should improve soon after you finish your course of antibiotics. Keep taking your antibiotics for the full 7 days and finish the course, even if you start to feel better. Your past and current sexual partner(s) also need to be treated for chlamydia even if they don’t have symptoms. You should not have sex, even with a condom, while you are receiving treatment, as you are still contagious and can spread the infection to your partner. 

How to treat chlamydia naturally

The only treatment for chlamydia is antibiotics. There are no home remedies, over-the-counter medications, or herbal supplements that can cure chlamydia. 

How do you know if chlamydia is gone after treatment?

If you have symptoms, they should start to improve within a week or so of completing treatment. A repeat test is not usually necessary and may show a false positive result up to 6 weeks after your treatment has finished. If you are under 25, it's recommended that you have another chlamydia test three months after finishing treatment to check that you haven’t caught chlamydia again. If your symptoms don’t fully clear up with treatment you should contact your GP or sexual health clinic who will check for other causes for your symptoms and resistant chlamydia infections. 

How long after chlamydia treatment will you test negative?

It can take up to 6 weeks to test negative for chlamydia after completing treatment.

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How to prevent chlamydia

The only sure way of preventing chlamydia is not to have sex, however, there are some measures you can take to reduce your risk of infection and enjoy a healthy, but safe sex life including: 

  • having sex with one partner who only has sex with you
  • only having sex with a new partner after you have both tested negative for chlamydia
  • using barrier methods of contraception such as condoms and dental dams for vaginal, anal, and oral sex
  • avoid douching (cleaning the vagina with water, soap, vinegar, or other chemicals) as this can strip the vagina of healthy bacteria and make infection more likely
  • get tested regularly, especially if you are under 25, or have had unprotected sex with a new partner.

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References

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