Chlamydia: Symptoms, Site-Specific Testing and Treatment

Chlamydia is a common bacterial STI caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. It is different from gonorrhea, although both can occur together and frequently cause no symptoms.

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and NGU are not the same

Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Chlamydia is caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) describes urethral inflammation not caused by gonorrhea and can have several causes, including chlamydia. Symptoms overlap, so discharge colour cannot select the correct medicine.

Testing, treatment, and partner care

Testing should include exposed sites. Take all prescribed antibiotics, do not share medicine, and avoid sex until seven days after single-dose therapy or completion of a seven-day regimen—and until partners have been treated. Retesting at about three months is recommended because reinfection is common.

Prompt assessment is important for severe pelvic pain, fever, vomiting, pregnancy, acute testicular pain or swelling, or persistent symptoms. Untreated infection can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, infertility, or epididymitis.

Symptoms depend on the infected body site

Genital infection can cause burning urination, vaginal or urethral discharge, bleeding after sex or between periods, pelvic discomfort, or testicular pain. Rectal infection may cause pain, discharge, or bleeding, while throat infection is often silent. Because symptoms are neither consistent nor specific, a person cannot confirm chlamydia from appearance, discharge colour, or a partner’s lack of symptoms.

Tell the clinic about oral, vaginal, and anal exposure so testing can cover every relevant site. A urine test does not automatically detect infection in the throat or rectum. If a partner has been diagnosed or symptoms are present, contact a service rather than waiting for a self-selected testing date.

Pregnancy, complications, and urgent symptoms

Chlamydia during pregnancy needs clinician-directed treatment and follow-up because infection can affect pregnancy and may be passed to a baby during birth. Severe lower-abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, pain during sex, sudden testicular pain or swelling, or worsening rectal symptoms require prompt assessment for complications or another diagnosis.

A previous infection does not create reliable immunity. Condoms or internal condoms, barriers for oral sex when appropriate, cleaning or covering shared sex toys, partner treatment, and repeat testing can reduce reinfection without blame or assumptions about when the infection was acquired.