Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection.
It’s passed on from one person to another through unprotected sex (sex with a broken condom or without a condom) and is particularly common in sexually active young people aged 16-25.
Symptoms
Most people with Chlamydia don’t notice any symptoms and don’t know they have it.
If you do develop symptoms, you may experience:
- pain when urinating/peeing
- unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or rectum (back passage)
- pain in the tummy, bleeding from the vagina during or after sex, and bleeding between periods
- pain and swelling in the testicles
Testing
Testing for chlamydia is done with a urine test or a swab test (usually self taken). You don’t always need a physical examination by a nurse or doctor.
Anyone can get a free and confidential Chlamydia test at a GP or sexual & reproductive health clinic.
Treatment
Chlamydia can be treated easily with antibiotics. You may be given some tablets to take all on one day, or a longer course of capsules to take for a week.
Prevention
Anyone who is sexually active can catch Chlamydia. You’re most at risk if you have a new sexual partner or don’t use a barrier method of contraception, such as a condom, when having sex.