Chlamydia Treatment

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection. You can get it by having unprotected sex (vaginal, anal, or oral). It can also be passed from skin to skin contact of your genitals with another person's, or from sharing unwashed sex toys or using them without a condom.

It is caused by a bacteria called chlamydia trachomatis that lives in semen and vaginal fluids. Chlamydia normally infects the genitals, but it can also infect the eyes, throat, and rectum (read more about Lymphogranuloma venereum, below).

Chlamydia can cause very serious health problems if untreated. For women, this includes pelvic inflammatory disease which can cause infertility and an increased risk of miscarriage. Chlamydia can lead to infertility for men too, as well as swollen testicles (orchitis) and reactive arthritis (inflammation of the joints).

Lymphogranuloma venereum

When the rectum is infected, the cause may be a variant of chlamydia known as Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV). Symptoms can include a single painless lesion or ulcer, or multiple lesions that appear to look like herpes. Pain or burning when passing urine is also common when LGV is first contracted.

You should go to an STI clinic if you think you may have LGV. We cannot treat this.

Most people with chlamydia don’t notice any symptoms.

Symptoms in men include:

• white, cloudy, or watery discharge from the tip of the penis
• pain, discomfort, or a burning sensation when urinating
• inflammation, tenderness, and pain in and around the testicles

Symptoms in women include:

• changes in vaginal discharge
• a burning sensation when urinating

Read more about chlamydia symptoms in men and women, including what can happen if chlamydia is untreated.

You can treat chlamydia very easily with a single course of antibiotics. This limits the infection and stops it reproducing so your body’s immune system can fight it off.

We offer the antibiotic Doxycycline which is considered the best choice treatment for chlamydia.

Treatment can vary for some people. For example, if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or seem to have had chlamydia for a long time, your doctor might suggest a different type of antibiotic, such as Ofloxacin and Erythromycin.

95% of people find that antibiotics successfully get rid of a chlamydia infection, provided they take these as prescribed. You must complete the full course of antibiotics even if your symptoms appear to clear up before you finish this.

To get chlamydia treatment or book a telephone consultation with a ZAVA doctor, complete our short medical questionnaire. If you’re requesting treatment, a doctor will review your details to check that Doxycycline is suitable for you. They may recommend an alternative treatment instead.

Yes, you're at risk of catching and passing on chlamydia during treatment. You will still be contagious because not enough of the bacteria that causes chlamydia will have been killed off at this point.

You should avoid all sexual contact during treatment. This includes sex with a condom. If your partner has chlamydia too, wait until you both have finished treatment and are free of symptoms to have sex (either with or without a condom).

As well as avoiding sex during treatment, you should:

• take the tablets exactly as prescribed (at the same time each day, if possible)
• eat normally and drink lots of fluids to help your body fight off the infection
• avoid alcohol as this reduces the effectiveness of the treatment
• take over the counter painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen if you have any pain while urinating (both men and women)
• take a chlamydia test 6 weeks after treatment, if you’re under 25 years old

Go to a sexual health clinic or seek advice from a nurse or doctor if:

• you have sex, even with a condom, during your chlamydia treatment
• you miss a tablet, or are sick or have diarrhoea after a tablet
• you were pregnant when you started treatment
• you have a fever or severe stomach pain
• you have discharge from your rectum (men only)
• the symptoms of chlamydia don’t stop a week after your treatment