Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK, and most people who have it don't notice any symptoms. The good news is that it's easy to test for and easy to treat: a 7-day course of antibiotics cures it in most people. MedsRus offers doxycycline for chlamydia after a confidential online consultation with a UK prescriber, sent in plain packaging.
Chlamydia symptoms
Most people with chlamydia have no symptoms at all, which is why it's so easy to pass on. If symptoms do appear, they usually show up 1 to 3 weeks after sex, but can take much longer.
Symptoms in women can include:
- pain or burning when peeing;
- unusual vaginal discharge;
- pain in the tummy or pelvis;
- bleeding during or after sex, or between periods.
Symptoms in men can include:
- pain or burning when peeing;
- white, cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis;
- pain or swelling in the testicles.
Chlamydia can also infect the bottom, throat and eyes. Our guide to the early signs of chlamydia in men goes into more detail, and signs of gonorrhoea or chlamydia explains how the two compare.
How do you get chlamydia?
Chlamydia is passed on through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex, sharing sex toys, or genitals touching. You can't catch it from kissing, hugging, sharing towels or toilet seats. Read more in can you catch chlamydia from oral sex?
Getting tested
The only way to know if you have chlamydia is to get tested. It's quick and painless: a urine sample or a swab you can do yourself. Free tests are available from sexual health clinics and, in many areas, as home testing kits. If you're under 25 and sexually active, it's a good idea to test every year and whenever you have a new partner.
Test at least 2 weeks after unprotected sex, as testing too early can miss the infection. If you have symptoms, get tested straight away rather than waiting.
To be treated by MedsRus, you'll usually need a positive test result, or to be the partner of someone who has tested positive.
Chlamydia treatment
UK guidelines recommend doxycycline 100mg twice a day for 7 days as the first choice for chlamydia. It's highly effective, curing the infection in the vast majority of people.
How to take doxycycline
- Take one capsule twice a day, morning and evening, for 7 days.
- Swallow it with a full glass of water while sitting or standing up, and don't lie down for at least 30 minutes, to avoid irritating your food pipe.
- Don't take it at the same time as indigestion remedies, iron or calcium supplements. Leave a gap of at least 2 hours.
- Finish the whole course, even if any symptoms clear up earlier.
Side effects
Doxycycline can make you feel sick, or give you a headache or an upset stomach. It can also make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so use sunscreen and avoid sunbeds while you're taking it.
Who shouldn't take doxycycline
It isn't suitable if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, or allergic to tetracycline antibiotics. A sexual health clinic can offer a different antibiotic. Tell the prescriber about any other medicines you take.
After treatment
- Don't have sex, including oral sex, until you and your partner(s) have finished treatment and at least 7 days have passed. Otherwise you can pass the infection back and forth.
- Tell your recent partners so they can get tested and treated. A sexual health clinic can do this anonymously for you if you prefer.
- Get retested in 3 months if you're under 25, because getting chlamydia again is common.
- You don't usually need a test to check the treatment worked, unless you're pregnant, had symptoms that didn't go away, or didn't finish the course.
Why treatment matters
Untreated chlamydia can spread and cause serious problems:
- in women, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can lead to long-term pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy and fertility problems;
- in men, painful swelling of the testicles;
- in anyone, reactive arthritis, which causes joint and eye inflammation.
Treating it early prevents these complications.
Preventing chlamydia
- Use condoms for vaginal and anal sex, and condoms or dams for oral sex.
- Don't share sex toys, or wash them and cover them with a new condom between uses.
- Test regularly, and when you have a new partner.
How to order chlamydia treatment from MedsRus
- Complete a confidential consultation about your test result, symptoms, health and any medicines you take.
- A UK prescriber reviews it and, if suitable, approves your treatment.
- We send it in plain, unmarked packaging.
Chlamydia FAQs
How long does chlamydia treatment take to work?
The course lasts 7 days. Wait 7 days after you and your partner finish treatment before having sex again.
Can chlamydia go away on its own?
It can sometimes, but often it doesn't, and it can cause serious problems if left untreated. Always get treated.
Can I drink alcohol while taking doxycycline?
Moderate alcohol is usually fine, but it can make side effects such as feeling sick worse.
Do I need to tell my partner?
Yes. Recent partners need testing and treatment too. A sexual health clinic can tell them anonymously.
Can you get chlamydia from kissing?
No. Chlamydia isn't passed on through kissing.
Can I get chlamydia again?
Yes. Treatment doesn't make you immune, so use condoms and get tested with new partners.
Other STIs, such as genital warts, can be passed on at the same time, so it's worth having a full STI check at a sexual health clinic.
Further reading
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