Test for Chlamydia at home

Test for chlamydia at home

Chlamydia is a very common STI. It’s unlikely to cause any health problems if it is detected and treated early.

Do I need a chlamydia test?

Most people with chlamydia don’t have symptoms, so getting tested is the only way to know if you have it.

Untreated chlamydia can sometimes cause serious health problems including:

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which can cause long-term pain and increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women.
• Painful infection in the testicles.
• Inflamed joints, although this is rare.

As chlamydia is so common, it’s a good idea to get tested at least once a year or whenever you have a new sexual partner.

Taking a chlamydia test is a simple way to find out how easy it is to get an STI test, so even if you don’t think you’ve been at risk it can be a good idea to get tested.

When do symptoms for chlamydia appear?

Most people with chlamydia don’t have any symptoms.

If you do get symptoms, they can appear at any time. It could be within a few weeks of getting chlamydia, or not until months later. 

Chlamydia symptoms in men 

Symptoms in men may include:

• Discharge from the tip of the penis.
• Pain or a burning feeling when you pee.
• Testicle pain. 

Chlamydia symptoms in women 

Symptoms in women may include:

• Bleeding between periods or after sex.
• Vaginal discharge that’s unusual for you.
• Pain low down in your tummy.
• Pain when you have sex.
• Pain when you pee.

When should I get tested for chlamydia?

The only way to know if you have chlamydia is to get tested. 

You can get a chlamydia test at any time but a test can’t always detect chlamydia in the early stages.

If it’s less than 2 weeks since you might have been exposed to chlamydia, you can still take a test now, but you may need another test later. 

What test do I need for chlamydia?

Our chlamydia tests are for people with no symptoms. They are available as part of the Basic Test Kit or the Standard Test Kit. If you have symptoms, you should go to your local sexual health clinic. 

Men need to give a urine sample to test for chlamydia. 

Women need to swab the vagina to test for chlamydia. This is easy to do. We’ll send you a swab to use and some simple instructions. We have detailed guidance on taking these samples.

If you’ve had oral (in your mouth) or anal (in your bottom) sex, you can also add throat or rectal (bottom) swabs for chlamydia to our Standard Test Kit and Comprehensive Test Kit. We will send you clear instructions on how to use these.

How quickly will I get my chlamydia test results?

Your chlamydia results will usually be ready 1 to 3 days after we receive your samples, with most people seeing online results in 2 to 5 days.

As soon as your results are ready, we’ll contact you with details of how to access them securely online.

You can choose whether we contact you by text or email.

What happens if I get a positive chlamydia test result?

If you test positive for chlamydia, we will signpost you to your local treatment, help, and advice services. You will need treatment with antibiotics.

Treatment is available from your local sexual health clinic. You can show them your online test result or print it out to take with you.

Your current or recent sexual partners will need to be tested for chlamydia and should also be offered treatment while waiting for the result. Sexual health services may be able to offer this service anonymously.

Don’t have sex until you and your sexual partner(s) have both finished treatment. This is usually at least 7 days after the last person has finished their treatment.

How confidential is my chlamydia test?

Our service is completely confidential. We won’t tell anyone else about your chlamydia test and we don’t share your results with anyone else. All our tests are delivered in plain packaging.

If your test is positive, you will need to share your result with your local sexual health clinic to get treatment.

​See our FAQs for more information on how we keep your data secure.

How accurate are chlamydia tests?

No STI tests are 100% accurate, but all our tests are processed by an expert STI testing laboratory.

It is very rare for a chlamydia test to be positive if you don’t have chlamydia.

If your chlamydia test result is negative but a sexual partner tests positive for chlamydia, or you get symptoms, go to a sexual health clinic.