Should I use this page, or skip it?
Use this page if you want to know how chlamydia is tested and treated on the NHS, including if you have no symptoms at all. Skip it and get same-day help for severe lower tummy pain with fever, or sudden testicular swelling and pain. This page cannot diagnose you or replace a sexual health clinic visit.
A burning pee with a new partner is not automatically a UTI. HIV PEP after a high-risk exposure is a separate 72-hour emergency. Use the sexual health hub to find clinic and postal-test routes.
What is chlamydia and what does it feel like?
Chlamydia is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection passed through vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom, and by sharing sex toys that have not been cleaned. NHS notes that many people have no symptoms, which is why testing after a new partner matters even when you feel completely well.
When symptoms do appear they can include pain when peeing, unusual discharge from the vagina or penis, bleeding after sex or between periods, pain during sex, lower tummy pain, or testicular pain. Throat and rectal infections are often silent, so the absence of a sore throat does not mean those sites are clear.
How do I get a free confidential test?
NHS sexual health clinics offer free confidential tests, and many areas also offer postal kits you can do at home. You do not always need a GP appointment first. Clinics usually test for gonorrhoea at the same time because the two infections overlap and one swab visit can cover both.
Samples are typically a first-catch urine sample or a self-taken vaginal swab. Ask for throat or rectal swabs if those sites were exposed, because a urine test alone can miss them. Results usually come within days. Sexually active people under 25 are often advised to test at least yearly, and after every new partner.
How is it treated?
Treatment is a short antibiotic course, often doxycycline, as prescribed by the clinic or another clinician. Finish every dose you are given. Do not share leftover antibiotics or stop early because you feel fine. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or cannot take the usual medicine, the clinic will choose an alternative that is suitable.
Avoid sex, including oral sex, until you and your partners have been treated and you have been told it is safe. A later retest is often offered because reinfection from an untreated partner is common. A pharmacist can advise on pain relief if peeing stings, but they cannot replace the prescribed course.
Why do partners need treatment too?
An untreated partner can give the infection back to you, which is why telling people is part of treatment rather than an optional extra. Sexual health services can help with partner notification, including anonymously if you do not want to make the call yourself. That is a normal part of clinic work, not a telling-off.
If you have a womb, untreated chlamydia can spread and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can affect fertility and raise the chance of an ectopic pregnancy. Do not wait for pain before testing. Men can get epididymitis, which is a swollen painful testicle and needs same-day care rather than a postal kit.
When is it 111 or 999?
Use a sexual health clinic or GP the same day for pelvic pain with fever or unusual discharge, or for a swollen, painful testicle. Call 111 in England, Scotland and Wales if you cannot get through; in Northern Ireland use GP out-of-hours via nidirect.
Call 999 or go to A&E if pain is severe, you collapse, you cannot keep fluids down, or you feel very unwell with a high temperature. Those signs are not a “wait for a postal kit” problem. Emergency contraception is a different clock if pregnancy is also a risk.
Who should skip this page?
Skip this page if you already have severe pelvic pain and fever, or acute testicular swelling — that is same-day care, not a long read. It is not an HIV test, not a pregnancy test, and not a substitute for telling partners. If pregnancy is also a risk, use emergency contraception as a separate door.
Common questions about chlamydia
- How do I know if I have chlamydia?
- You often cannot tell without a test. NHS notes that many people have no symptoms. When signs do appear they can include pain when peeing, unusual discharge, bleeding after sex or between periods, pain during sex, or testicular pain. Free confidential tests are available from sexual health clinics and often by post.
- How is chlamydia treated on the NHS?
- A clinician prescribes a short antibiotic course, often doxycycline. Finish the course you are given. Do not use leftover tablets from someone else. Avoid sex until you and your partners have been treated and you have been told it is safe. You may be offered a later retest because reinfection is common.
- Can chlamydia go away on its own?
- Do not wait to find out. Untreated chlamydia can spread to partners and, in people with a womb, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can affect fertility. Testing and treatment are free and confidential. If you are pregnant, tell the clinic so they can choose a suitable antibiotic for you.
- How long after treatment can I have sex?
- Follow the advice you are given for your course. The usual rule is to avoid vaginal, anal and oral sex until you and recent partners have completed treatment and a clinician says it is safe. Condoms reduce risk with new partners but do not replace testing after a change of partner.
- Does untreated chlamydia affect fertility?
- It can. Infection may cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can scar the fallopian tubes and make an ectopic pregnancy more likely. Early treatment prevents most of that damage. If you have had PID and are struggling to conceive, talk to a GP. Men can get testicular inflammation that also needs prompt care.
- Can I get chlamydia from oral sex?
- Yes. Chlamydia can infect the throat, rectum, penis or cervix. Tell the clinic about all types of sex so the right swabs or urine sample are taken. A urine test alone may miss a throat or rectal infection. Clinics are used to these questions and keep them confidential.
- Should I tell previous partners?
- Yes. Recent partners need testing and treatment so they stay well and you are not reinfected. Sexual health services can help with partner notification, including anonymously if you prefer. If a partner tells you they have chlamydia, get tested even if you feel completely well.