What to do if you test positive for chlamydia
What is chlamydia?
Chlamydia is a common bacterial infection which can be easily treated with antibiotics. Chlamydia is passed on through sexual contact – it is important to inform sexual partners of the infection. Many people don’t have symptoms, so testing is often the only way to know.
What to do next:
- Recent sexual partners will need to be informed so they can get tested and treated.
- Avoid sex (including oral sex) until treatment is complete and any partners have been fully tested and/ or treated.
Get treatment:
- Contact your local sexual health clinic to get free treatment: Find a sexual health clinic - NHS
- You can purchase treatment from a private pharmacy (we are unable to recommend any providers). Generally, we recommend:
1) Doxycycline 100mg twice daily for 7 days (not recommended if you are pregnant or breastfeeding)
2) Azithromycin 1gram as a single dose on day 1, then Azithromycin 500mg once daily on day 2 and day 3.
3) If you have symptoms or the infection is in your rectum (bottom) please see “When to seek further help” section. - If all your treatment is taken correctly it is very unlikely to fail, so retesting is not recommended following treatment until your next routine screening.
When to seek further help:
If you have any of the following symptoms, then we recommend contacting your local sexual health clinic [Find a sexual health clinic - NHS] as you may need an examination or different treatment:
Born female at birth:
- pain in your abdomen (tummy) or pelvis,
- deep pain in your pelvis/ tummy when having sex,
- abnormal bleeding (when not on your period)
Born male at birth:
- Pain in your testes (balls)
- Pain or bleeding when you ejaculate (cum)
Rectal infection
- Pain, discharge or discomfort in your rectum (bottom).
Why is treatment important?
Without treatment Chlamydia can cause inflammation and scarring. This can cause some people chronic pain and, in some cases, problems with fertility. If treatment is taken correctly these health complications can normally be avoided. Without treatment you will still be infectious and able to pass the infection onto others.
For further information on chlamydia please see:
If you need further support from the Test.Me team (please note we cannot provide treatment), please contact our clinical team: [email protected]