Chlamydia Symptoms in Men and Women – and How to Treat It

Chlamydia continues to be the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK. There were 194,970 chlamydia diagnoses in 2023, accounting for almost half of new STI diagnoses.

One reason this number is so high is because many people with chlamydia do not experience symptoms. That’s why it’s sometimes known as the “silent infection”.

But failing to treat chlamydia can have serious consequences. For women, it can impact fertility. And men can develop epididymitis, an inflammation of the tubes that carry sperm, or nongonococcal urethritis, an infection of the urethra.

So it’s important that you stay alert for symptoms of chlamydia if they do arise. To help you know what to look out for, this article explains what the symptoms are in men and women, how to test for it and how it’s treated.

What Causes Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is caused by the bacteria chlamydia trachomatis.

Any form of sexual contact, whether anal, vaginal or oral, can spread the infection. 

How Do I Know If I Have Chlamydia?

Worryingly, many people with chlamydia are asymptomatic and show no obvious signs of infection. This means that many people are unaware they are carrying chlamydia and risk passing it on to sexual partners.

In fact, the vast majority of men (90%) do not experience symptoms, nor do between 75-95% of women. The only way of knowing whether or not you and your partner are infected is for you both to get tested and then maintain a monogamous relationship.

Symptoms of chlamydia, when they appear, often occur fairly soon after transmission, sometimes as early as five to 10 days. But they can also appear several weeks later.

If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned, consult a healthcare provider, regardless of how long it is since you last had sex.

While condoms offer a good degree of protection, and should always be used to protect your sexual health, there is still a small risk of contracting an infection. And if you don’t use condoms correctly, you will increase your risk of exposure.

Doctors advise anyone who has multiple partners to get regular tests for chlamydia, whether or not they have symptoms, because of the increased risk of transmission.

Common Symptoms in Women

Symptoms of chlamydia in women may include:

• Abnormal discharge (yellowish or with a strong smell)
• Abdominal pain & fever
• Painful sex
• Vaginal itching or burning
• Painful periods
• Bleeding between periods
• Pain during urination
• More frequent urination
• Swelling around the vagina or anus

Common Symptoms in Men

For men, symptoms may include:

• Pain during urination
• Discharge from the penis
• Painful or swollen testicles (one or both)
• Burning or itching at the opening of their penis

Chlamydia Symptoms in the Rectum, Throat or Eyes

If you contract the infection during anal sex, you may have the following symptoms:

• Pain in the rectum
• Bleeding
• Discharge
• Itching

In the eyes, symptoms include:

• Itching
• Redness
• Discharge

If you have an infection in the throat, it may feel sore.

How Is Chlamydia Diagnosed?

There are various tests to detect if you have chlamydia. You may be given a urine or a swab test, or the doctor may detect a visible discharge coming from the cervix. You can get these from your local sexual health clinic, a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic or a GP surgery.

We also offer a simple and discreet chlamydia home test kit. Collect a sample by following the instructions and mail it back to our lab using the free return postage enclosed with your kit. 

If you think you’re infected, you should abstain from sex until you have seen a healthcare provider and been tested. And if you’ve been treated for chlamydia you should get tested again after three months.

The NHS recommends sexually active women under 25 get a chlamydia test once a year and when they have sex with new or casual partners. 

When embarking on a new relationship, we’d recommend you and your partner be tested for chlamydia and other STDs. So if one of you has the infection you can be treated before you have sex. 

How Is Chlamydia Treated?

Chlamydia treatment is simple and effective. You will need to take antibiotics, either in a single dose or a seven-day course. 

Complete the full course, as always with antibiotics. If you stop taking them because your symptoms have cleared up, you still might not be cured of the infection.

Typical antibiotics prescribed to treat chlamydia are azithromycin or doxycycline 100mg capsules. Avoid sex for seven days after a single-dose treatment, or during a seven-day course. 

You should also warn anyone that you have recently had sexual contact with so that they can also be tested and treated if necessary.

What Happens If I Don’t Get My Chlamydia Treated?

Failing to have chlamydia treated could have serious implications for female fertility. The infection may reach your uterus and fallopian tubes, and lead you to develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).

The risk of developing PID is between 20-30% among women who do not seek treatment. Like chlamydia itself, PID can be free of symptoms, although you may experience pain in the pelvis or abdomen.

The scarring that is sometimes caused by PID can cause a woman to have problems conceiving. Or cause them to have an ectopic pregnancy, which is when the embryo implants outside the uterus. The pregnancy will be unviable and will have to be terminated. If it’s not, the woman’s life could be at risk.

While chlamydia does not have the same implications for male fertility, a man with the infection still poses a risk to his female partner if he passes on the infection to her. He may also develop epididymitis, an inflammation of the tubes that carry sperm, or nongonococcal urethritis, an infection of the urethra.

For both men and women, an untreated case of chlamydia can increase the risk of contracting HIV or transmitting it to a partner.

How Can I Prevent a Chlamydia Infection?

Using a condom is the best way to prevent infection and the only form of birth control that protects against sexually transmitted diseases. Although it doesn’t provide 100% protection.

Take care to put on the condom correctly, and never use it more than once. If it slips off during sex, never put it back on. Always use a new one. Never use one that is out of date, or that looks like it has been damaged.

Be very careful when opening the packet not to tear the condom with your fingernails, and apply equal care when placing the condom on the penis. Check you are putting it on the right way, and pinch the tip between your finger and thumb so that air doesn’t get trapped inside (if it does, the condom can break).

After sex, the man should hold the condom on as he withdraws so that it does not slip off. You should also protect yourself with a condom when having anal or oral sex, not just vaginal sex. And if you switch between one form of sex and another you should use a fresh condom to avoid the risk of transference.

You can also use a dental dam during oral sex to protect yourself.

If you are sexually active, a long-term monogamous relationship with a partner who has tested clear for the infection is your best chance of staying free of it. 

As well as preventing yourself from contracting the infection, it is also important to avoid infecting others if you do have it. So wait until your course of chlamydia treatment is complete before having sex again. 

If your partner has passed it on to you, they should also be treated, or you risk being infected again.

Key Takeaways

• Many people with chlamydia show no symptoms. Up to 90% of men and 75-95% of women may be unaware they have the infection.
• Symptoms in women include abnormal discharge, painful sex, and frequent urination, while men may experience pain during urination, penile discharge, and swollen testicles.
• Untreated chlamydia can cause serious health issues like infertility in women and conditions such as epididymitis in men.
• Chlamydia is diagnosed through urine or swab tests and is easily treated with antibiotics like azithromycin or doxycycline.
• Using condoms properly and getting regular STI tests is key to preventing chlamydia transmission.

References

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-annual-data-tables/sexually-transmitted-infections-and-screening-for-chlamydia-in-england-2023-report
https://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/chlamydia
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex/chlamydiahttps://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chlamydia/

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on May 15, 2020. It has been updated for accuracy, readability and comprehensiveness.