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What is Chlamydia?
- Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in London
- Chlamydia is usually passed from person to person through vaginal, oral or anal sex without a condom
- Chlamydia can be passed on from contact with a partner’s genitals, even if there is no penetration or ejaculation
- Rarely, it can be passed on if the semen or vaginal fluid of someone with chlamydia gets into your eye
- It can sometimes be passed on from sharing sex toys
What are the symptoms of chlamydia?
Most people with chlamydia will have no noticeable symptoms.
In women with symptoms, these may include:
- A change in vaginal discharge
- Pain when urinating (weeing)
- Pelvic pain (lower tummy) pain or pain during sex
- Bleeding in between periods or after sex
In men with symptoms, these may include:
- Discharge from the penis
- Pain when urinating (weeing)
- Discomfort at the tip or down the shaft of the penis
- Occasionally, swollen or painful testicles
If it’s not treated, chlamydia can sometimes cause serious problems such as:
- Reduced fertility
- Ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside of the womb, often in a fallopian tube)
- Long-term pelvic (lower tummy) pain
- Arthritis (joint pain)
Chlamydia testing in London
Chlamydia is very common in London and most people with chlamydia won’t notice any symptoms. SHL makes it easy for Londoners to get a free chlamydia test.
Chlamydia treatment is free too. We can usually send it by post, or you can collect it from a local pharmacy or Parcelshop.
Free Chlamydia and STI Testing Kit
Test for chlamydia and common STIs. Get your free NHS-funded STI test kit delivered to your door in London.
Take a self-sample at home and return it for free. Get your results online within a week.
What if my chlamydia test is positive?
A positive test means that you have chlamydia. SHL will offer you free treatment and support or help you get treatment from a clinic.
We ask some people to give a rectal (bum) sample. If this sample shows you have rectal (in the bum) chlamydia, it may sometimes mean you have a type of chlamydia called lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV). This can be more serious. If you have symptoms, we may suggest you go to a sexual health clinic for an LGV test and treatment.
What is the treatment for chlamydia?
Chlamydia is usually easy to cure by taking antibiotic tablets or capsules every day for a week.
Treatment is free.
Most people who test positive for chlamydia through SHL can choose whether to get free treatment:
- Sent by post
- From a local pharmacy or Parcelshop (click and collect)
- From a sexual health clinic
You may need to go to a sexual health clinic for treatment if:
- You also test positive for certain other STIs which need further discussion and/or testing and/or additional treatments
- You develop certain symptoms (see below)
Untreated chlamydia can cause complications and painful symptoms in some people. This can include epididymo-orchitis (painful or swollen testicles) or pelvic inflammatory disease (pelvic pain or deep pain during sex in women). If you develop these symptoms, it’s really important to go and get checked at a sexual health clinic. You may need more tests and to be examined. You may also be given a longer course of antibiotics or more than one course.
After starting treatment, symptoms should improve within a few days and get better completely within 2 to 4 weeks.
Do I need to tell my sexual partners?
If you have chlamydia, you’ll need to tell any sexual partners you’ve had in the last 6 months so that they can get tested. If you had a negative chlamydia test less than 6 months ago, you just need to tell any partners you’ve had sex with since this test.
Your partner(s) can request a test from SHL and may also be offered treatment from SHL before their results are available. This is called epidemiological treatment.
Informing, testing and treating partners is really important because it lowers the chances of:
- You getting chlamydia again
- Chlamydia being passed on to a partner’s sexual partners
If you feel unable to tell your partner(s), one of the SHL Team can contact them and encourage them to get tested without mentioning your name.
If partners don’t live in an area covered by SHL, they may be able to order a chlamydia test by post from their local online sexual health service. They can also choose to get tested at a sexual health clinic. A sexual health clinic may also offer epidemiological treatment.
Taking care of your sexual health
If you have chlamydia, you may also have another STI. It’s advisable to have a full sexual health screen, including tests for gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis.
You can get chlamydia more than once. To avoid getting it again, do not have oral, anal or vaginal sex until:
- at least one week after starting treatment and
- both you and your current sexual partner(s) have finished treatment even if this is longer than one week and
- both you and your current partner’s symptoms have resolved
This is to avoid becoming re-infected and needing further treatment.
You don’t usually need a test to check the chlamydia has been cured unless your symptoms do not go away or you’re pregnant.
If you’re under 25, you have a higher chance of getting chlamydia again. Consider doing another chlamydia test 3 to 6 months after being treated.
To help protect your health in the future:
- Use condoms
- Encourage your partner(s) to test for STIs
- If you’re sexually active, consider testing for STIs at least once a year and after a change in partner
- You don’t usually need to get tested if you have just one long-term partner, you only have sex with each other and you’ve both tested for STIs since you’ve been together
Anyone who lives in an area covered by SHL can have up to 4 free STI testing kits a year. National guidelines do not encourage routine testing more than once every 3 months.
People at higher risk of chlamydia or syphilis may be offered doxyPEP. This is an antibiotic you take soon after sex to lower your chance of getting chlamydia or syphilis. Ask your local clinic if doxyPEP is suitable for you.
Related Pages:
More information about chlamydia and STI testing
