Chlamydia Treatment

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. You can catch it by having unprotected sex with someone who already has it. It is often asymptomatic, which means that you can be infected without having any visible symptoms, but it can cause complications in both men and women. Chlamydia is easy to test for and it is treated with antibiotics.

Chlamydia can infect a few different areas on your body, including your genitals, your anus, and your mouth and throat. You can also get conjunctivitis (pink-eye) if you rub fluids that contain the bacteria in your eye.

Chlamydia is a very common condition. In fact, it’s the most commonly diagnosed STI in the UK, with over 200,000 patients testing positive every year. Young people are particularly at risk, which is why annual screening is recommended for anyone who is sexually active and is under the age of 25.

However, chlamydia can affect people of all ages and a recent report by the Health Protection Agency showed that the number of people over 50 who are diagnosed with an STI like chlamydia has doubled in the past ten years.

If you have had unprotected sex with someone who may have chlamydia you need to get tested.

Chlamydia can cause long-term complications that, if left untreated, can lead to severe problems such as infertility in women. We’ll talk about the complications of chlamydia further down this page.

There are often no chlamydia symptoms, or symptoms that are so mild they can be difficult to spot. Seven in ten women, for example, don’t notice symptoms.

If symptoms do appear, they usually do so within 3 weeks of exposure.

Chlamydia can act quite differently in men and women, which can make it hard to spot. Also, many people don’t have any visible symptoms or do not notice them.

Because chlamydia is so difficult to diagnose, it’s important that you get tested if you had unprotected sex with someone that could be infected. A chlamydia test is the only way to know for sure whether or not you have chlamydia.

How are the symptoms of chlamydia different depending on your sex?

For men, most of the infections occur in the urethra, which is the tube that carries urine and sperm.

Symptoms of chlamydia in men include:

• Pain or burning when you urinate
• Tenderness or pain in the testicles
• Unusual itching around the opening of the penis
• Clear or coloured discharge from the urethra
• A low-grade fever.

In women, the most common infection appears in the cervix. This is the opening that connects the vagina to the uterus or the womb.

Symptoms of chlamydia in women include:

• Vaginal irritation or discharge
• Pain during sex
• Pain or discharge from the rectum
• Abdominal pain
• Bleeding or spotting between periods
• Nausea or fever
• A heavy feeling around the hips.

You can get chlamydia by having unprotected sexual contact (doesn’t have to be penetrative) with someone who has the infection.

As an STI, chlamydia can be contracted when you have unprotected sexual contact with someone that is infected. It transmits even if there wasn’t any penetration, as long as there is a transfer of fluids.

Although we have listed quite a few symptoms for both men and women, chlamydia is very hard to diagnose based on that information. You can usually only be diagnosed with this STI if you are tested.

In order to get tested, you can order a test kit from us. Tests consist of a urine sample for men, and a swab test of the infected area for women.

If you order our test, you’ll get your test kit delivered to your doorstep within 3-5 working days, and your results within 2-3 days of your sample reaching the lab.

You can also visit your GP if you think you’ve contracted chlamydia, or visit a local sexual health clinic.

If you have tested positive for Chlamydia you can get a prescription for Azithromycin or Doxycycline through Superdrug Online Doctor.

Doxycycline is our recommended treatment for chlamydia. You need to take 100mg of doxycycline twice a day for a course of 7 days, taking one tablet in the morning and one in the evening. You can take the tablets with or without a meal. It is important that you take the full course to clear the infection.

Azithromycin is a 3-day course to treat chlamydia. Tablets may come with 250mg or 500mg of the active ingredient, your pharmacist will provide you with the exact number of tablets required.

After you have placed your order, our online doctor will review whether a chlamydia treatment is the correct medication for you. Once your prescription has been approved, you will receive your prescription via post.

Your Superdrug Online Doctor prescription allows you to buy your chlamydia treatment at any pharmacy in Ireland.

You can also get treatment by visiting your GP.

Doxycycline and Azithromycin, like most medications, can have side effects.

Side effects of doxycycline include:

• having an upset stomach
• feeling sick
• diarrhoea

Side effects of Azithromycin include:

• nausea
• headache
• loss of appetite
• feeling or being sick
• tiredness

If you feel any severe side effects, such as an allergic reaction or intense diarrhoea, contact your doctor.