How Do You Get Chlamydia? Causes, Myths, & Prevention
Medically reviewed by
Dr. IkejiLast reviewed: 24 Sept 2025
Genital chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK. In 2024, there were 168,889 new chlamydia diagnoses in England. It’s caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, and is easily spread through unprotected sex.
Like with many STIS, there are myths about how chlamydia is spread, which can often cause panic. Here, we’ll bust some of those misconceptions, so that you can better understand how to practice safe sex and keep yourself protected against chlamydia and other STIs.
How do you get chlamydia?
Chlamydia is an STI, which means you can get it through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Unprotected sex is having sex without using protection, such as a condom – the only type of contraception that protects against STIs. There are 3 types of chlamydia: genital, anal, and oral.
You do not have to have penetrative sex to catch chlamydia – you can also get it from your genitals touching your partner's genitals or by sharing vaginal fluids or semen.
Chlamydia can also be passed on during childbirth to your baby. This can cause an eye infection (conjunctivitis) or lung infections, such as pneumonia, in newborns.
If you are pregnant and you have chlamydia, you must get tested and treated straight away to lower the chance of complications for your baby.
Can you get chlamydia without having sex?
Yes, it is possible to catch chlamydia without having sex through genital-to-genital contact or getting infected fluids in your eyes. It is also possible to get chlamydia by sharing sex toys that have not been washed or have not been used with a condom.
You cannot catch chlamydia through:
- hugging
- casual contact
- sharing toilet seats
- sharing towels
Catching chlamydia: myths
When it comes to STIs, myths can spread just as quickly as the infections themselves, causing unnecessary panic and alarm. Chlamydia is one example that is surrounded by misinformation, causing fear and stigma.
Understanding how it cannot be transmitted is as important as knowing how it can. So, despite what you may have heard, you cannot catch chlamydia by:
The only way you can catch chlamydia or pass it on to others is through sexual contact involving the exchange of genital fluids. By busting these common myths and sharing this information, we can help to reduce the stigma surrounding the infection.
Common chlamydia symptoms
Chlamydia often has no symptoms, leading it to be referred to as a “silent” infection. It is asymptomatic in 70% of women and 50% of men, which is why testing is crucial to prevent the spread of the infection.
However, some people will get symptoms – these usually appear 1 to 3 weeks after you’ve been infected, but it can take months for you to notice them. The symptoms of chlamydia can differ between men and women.
The common chlamydia symptoms in women are:
- abnormal vaginal discharge
- bleeding after sex or between periods
- pain in your lower abdomen
- a burning sensation when going for a pee
In men, the most common symptoms include:
- white, cloudy, or watery discharge from the penis
- burning or itching around the testicles and penis
- painful and swollen testicles
- a burning sensation when going for a pee
If you get chlamydia in other areas of the body, you may get:
- a sore throat (oral chlamydia)
- pain, bleeding, or discharge from the anus (anal chlamydia)
- eye pain, redness, and discharge (chlamydia in the eye)
Testing and treatment
Testing for genital chlamydia is easy and can be done at home. You’ll just need to provide a urine sample if you have a penis, or a vaginal swab, and return it to our partner lab to receive your results within 72 hours. You can also request an oral chlamydia and gonorrhoea test or an anal chlamydia and gonorrhoea test, which are both swab tests.
If you receive a positive chlamydia test result, the first-line treatment is the antibiotic doxycycline. Some clinical trial data show that doxycycline is 100% effective at treating chlamydia compared to the second-line treatment, azithromycin, which is 97% effective. The usual dose of doxycycline for chlamydia is one 100mg capsule twice a day for 7 days.
You can request chlamydia treatment from Superdrug Online Doctor, following a short online health questionnaire for one of our doctors to review. They will check that the medication is safe and suitable for you to take. Once approved, you can have your treatment delivered discreetly to your home address or collect it from your nearest Superdrug Pharmacy.
When to get tested for chlamydia
Anyone who is sexually active, particularly if you are under 25, should consider getting a regular chlamydia test, usually yearly, to rule out an infection. You should also get tested if you:
- have had unprotected sex
- have a new sexual partner
- have been told a sexual partner has chlamydia
- have multiple sexual partners
- are getting chlamydia symptoms
- think you may have been exposed to chlamydia
- are pregnant or thinking about having a baby
At-home test kits are a convenient, discreet, and easy way to test yourself. They can also be a more comfortable way to check if you have chlamydia, with some research showing women were more likely to test for STIs at home compared to going to a clinic or their GP.
How long after exposure do chlamydia symptoms appear?
Most chlamydia cases are asymptomatic, so they have no symptoms. However, if you do get signs of chlamydia, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks of being infected.
It is important to wait at least 2 weeks after you think you may have been exposed before getting a chlamydia test to make sure you get an accurate result. If you test too early, you may get a false negative result because not enough time has passed for the infection to develop and be detected by the test.
Prevention
Chlamydia can be effectively protected against by practising safe sex. Because chlamydia is spread through vaginal fluid and semen, there are some things you can do to significantly reduce the chances of catching it and spreading it to others. These include:
- using a condom every time you have vaginal or anal sex
- using a condom to cover the penis or a dental dam to cover the vagina during oral sex
- always completing the full course of antibiotics, even if you feel better or your symptoms have gone
- getting a chlamydia test once a year or each time you have a new sexual partner
- avoiding sharing sex toys
- being open and honest with your sexual partners about testing and treatment for chlamydia
Key takeaways
Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI in the UK, but it is preventable and treatable. Chlamydia is transmitted through unprotected sex and can infect the throat, genitals, eyes, and anus.
If you think you may have chlamydia, you can request an at-home chlamydia test kit or chlamydia treatment directly from Superdrug Online Doctor.
FAQs
Can you get chlamydia more than once?
Yes, you can get chlamydia more than once, even after you have been successfully treated with antibiotics. To prevent re-infection, you should completely finish your antibiotics, avoid sex during treatment, and tell all your recent sexual partners so they can get treated. After you’ve been treated, it’s important to use condoms, and, if necessary, retest after 3 months to make sure you are chlamydia free.
Can you catch chlamydia from oral or anal sex?
Yes, you can catch chlamydia from both oral and anal sex through unprotected sex or sexual contact with infected vaginal fluids, semen, or genitals. Using condoms during sex, including anal and oral, is the most effective way to prevent chlamydia.
Can you be born with chlamydia?
No, you cannot be born with chlamydia, but a pregnant person who has not been treated can pass the infection onto their baby during childbirth. The baby can then develop chlamydia-related conditions, such as conjunctivitis or pneumonia.
Can a man give a woman chlamydia?
Yes, a man can give a woman chlamydia during vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom. You can also spread chlamydia by sharing sex toys which have not been covered with a condom or have not been washed.
Can I check for chlamydia at home?
Yes, you can request an at-home chlamydia test kit from Superdrug Online Doctor. We can also provide anal chlamydia and gonorrhoea test kits and oral chlamydia and gonorrhoea test kits for you to do at home. The tests come with everything you need to provide a sample and post it back to our partner lab. Once they have received it, you can expect your results within 72 hours.
Sources
- Azithromycin versus Doxycycline for Urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis Infection, The New England Journal of Medicine [accessed 29 August 2025]
- Chlamydia, NHS [accessed 29 August 2025]
- Home Screening Compared With Clinic-Based Screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections, Obstetrics and Gynecology [accessed 29 August 2025]
- Sexually transmitted infections and screening for chlamydia in England: 2024 report, UK Health Security Agency [accessed 29 August 2025]