Chlamydia: symptoms, treatment and how to tell your partner
Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Most people who have it notice nothing, which is why it can go undiagnosed for months. It is detected with a simple test and cured with antibiotics. On this page we explain its symptoms, how it is treated and how to tell your partner if you have been diagnosed.
What is chlamydia?
It is an infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It can affect the urethra, cervix, rectum, throat and, less often, the eyes. It is not the same as a yeast infection, which is caused by a fungus. Some types of this bacterium cause lymphogranuloma venereum, a more aggressive form that mainly affects the rectum and the glands in the groin.
Chlamydia symptoms
More than 70% of women and half of men with chlamydia have no symptoms. When they appear, it is usually between 1 and 3 weeks after sex:
- In women: unusual vaginal discharge, burning when urinating, bleeding between periods or after sex, and pain in the lower abdomen or during sex.
- In men: discharge from the penis, burning when urinating and pain or swelling in the testicles.
- In the rectum: pain, discharge or bleeding.
- In the throat: it almost never causes symptoms.
Even without symptoms, the infection can progress. Without treatment, in women it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility, and in men, inflammation of the testicles. It also increases the risk of getting HIV.
How is chlamydia spread?
It spreads through vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom and by sharing sex toys. Ejaculation does not need to happen. It can also pass from mother to baby during childbirth. It is not spread by kissing, hugging, towels, swimming pools or toilet seats.
Testing and diagnosis
It is diagnosed with a urine test or a swab from the vagina, urethra, rectum or throat, depending on the kind of sex you have had. You can ask for the test from your doctor, at a sexual health clinic or at some community organizations, and there are also kits to take the sample at home. If you test positive, it is a good idea to also get tested for other STIs, such as gonorrhea, syphilis or HIV.
Chlamydia treatment
Chlamydia is cured with antibiotics, usually doxycycline for 7 days or, in some cases, a single dose of azithromycin. Always take them with a prescription and finish the course even if your symptoms go away sooner.
Do not have sex until you have finished the 7-day treatment (or until 7 days after a single dose), your symptoms have gone and your partners have also been treated; otherwise it is easy to get infected again.
How to tell your partner you have chlamydia
Telling them is important: your partner may have it without knowing and, if not treated, may develop complications or pass it back to you. Some tips that help:
- Get informed first so you can answer their questions: it is a very common infection and it can be cured.
- Choose the moment and the way: in person and somewhere calm if it is your steady partner; with a casual partner or an ex, a call or a message may be enough.
- Be direct and avoid blame: chlamydia can go months without symptoms, so the diagnosis does not tell when or from whom the infection came.
- Explain what they need to do: get tested, get treated and not have sex until treatment is finished.
- Give them time: it is normal for them to be surprised at first.
If you cannot or do not want to tell them yourself, you have two options: ask for help at your healthcare center, where in some cases the staff notify contacts for you, or send an anonymous text message or email with STI notice, without your name or number appearing.
Who should you notify?
As a guide, clinical guidelines recommend notifying everyone you have had sex with in the 60 days before your symptoms or diagnosis. If you have not had any partners in that time, notify your last partner. When the infection has caused no symptoms, some protocols extend the period to 6 months: follow your doctor's advice.
If you have been told you might have chlamydia
If you have received a notice that a recent partner has chlamydia, it does not mean you have it, but you should rule it out. Make an appointment with your doctor or a sexual health clinic and explain that a partner has tested positive: you will usually be tested and given treatment even before you have the result. Until then, avoid sex.
How to prevent chlamydia
Using condoms every time, including for oral sex, greatly lowers the risk. If you have new or multiple partners, get tested regularly even if you have no symptoms, and do not share sex toys without washing them or changing the condom.
Frequently asked questions about chlamydia
Does chlamydia go away on its own?
Do not wait for it to go away. Although the body sometimes clears it over time, in the meantime it can be passed on and cause complications such as infertility. With antibiotics it is cured in a few days.
Can you get chlamydia from oral sex?
Yes. It can infect the throat during unprotected oral sex, although this is less common than genital infection and almost never causes symptoms.
Can I get chlamydia again after being cured?
Yes. Having had chlamydia does not protect you from new infections. That is why retesting about 3 months after treatment is recommended.
Other sexually transmitted infections
Syphilis · Gonorrhea · Genital herpes · HIV · Pubic lice (crabs) · HPV and genital warts · Yeast infection (candidiasis) · Hepatitis A, B and C · Trichomoniasis · Scabies · Mpox (monkeypox)
Sources: MedlinePlus: chlamydia; CDC: chlamydia treatment guidelines.Health information updated in October 2026. It does not replace advice from a healthcare professional.