Chlamydia: symptoms, treatment and testing

Author: Jessica Lloyd
Senior Vulvovaginal Specialist Naturopath | BHSc(N) | ISSVD, ISSWSH, BSSM, ATMS

Last reviewed: July 4, 2026

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the world, and one of the easiest to cure. It’s caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, a type of bacteria that lives inside the cells of the genital tract. The trouble is that most people who have it feel completely fine, so it spreads quietly, and left untreated it can scar the reproductive organs and affect fertility.^1–2

A course of antibiotics clears it completely. But because it so often causes no symptoms, testing is the only reliable way to know you have it, and a doctor or sexual-health clinic is where chlamydia gets diagnosed and treated.

Most chlamydia has no symptoms

This is the single most important thing to know about chlamydia: most people who have it have no symptoms at all and have no idea they’re carrying it.^1–2 That’s exactly why it spreads so easily, and why regular testing matters if you’re sexually active with new or multiple partners.

When symptoms do show up, they can include the following.

Symptoms in women

Unusual vaginal discharge
Vaginal odour
Bleeding between periods or after sex (spotting)
Painful periods (dysmenorrhoea)
Pelvic or lower abdominal pain
Pain during sex (dyspareunia)
Itching or burning of the vagina or vulva
Pain or burning when you wee, or cloudy urine

Symptoms in men

Discharge from the penis
Pain or burning when weeing
Itching or burning at the tip of the penis
Swelling or pain in the testicles

What untreated chlamydia can do

Caught early and treated, chlamydia usually leaves no lasting damage. The problem is the version nobody notices, because over time an untreated infection can spread upward and cause real harm.²

In women it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which scars the fallopian tubes and can result in chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy and tubal infertility. In pregnancy it can be passed to the baby during birth, causing eye and lung infections. In men it can cause inflammation of the testicles, and in anyone it can occasionally trigger reactive arthritis.²

Testing for chlamydia

Testing is simple and accurate. It’s usually done on a self-collected vaginal swab or a urine sample, which is sent to the lab.³ You don’t need symptoms to get tested, and if you know a partner has it, get tested even if you feel fine. Chlamydia is one of several sexually transmitted infections worth screening for if you’re sexually active.

Treating chlamydia

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics, and a doctor will choose the right one for you. Current guidelines make doxycycline (100 mg twice a day for seven days) the first-line treatment, because it clears the infection more reliably than the older single-dose option.^3–4

A single 1 g dose of azithromycin is the main alternative, and it’s the preferred choice in pregnancy, because doxycycline isn’t used while pregnant.⁴ Whichever you’re given, finish the full course to clear the infection properly and reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance. Don’t try to treat chlamydia with a home remedy; it needs antibiotics.

Two things make or break treatment. First, your recent sexual partners need testing and treatment too, or you’ll simply pass it back and forth.^5–7 Second, avoid sex until seven days after you’ve both finished treatment and have the all-clear. Reinfection is common, so a repeat test around three months later is a good idea.⁶

Rebuilding your microbiome afterwards

Antibiotics clear the chlamydia, but they knock back your protective vaginal and gut bacteria along with it, which can leave you more prone to imbalance afterwards. Helping the protective lactobacilli bounce back, with probiotics and plenty of fermented foods, is a sensible follow-up once treatment is done.

There’s an interesting thread of research here too: in laboratory studies, a Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant vaginal microbiome interferes with Chlamydia trachomatis being able to infect cervical cells.⁸ That’s a promising association rather than proven protection, so it’s no substitute for condoms and testing, but it’s another reason a strong, crispatus-rich microbiome is worth having.

In our clinic, we usually see chlamydia after the fact, helping women rebuild the vaginal microbiome once the antibiotics are done. If you’d like a hand with that, you can book an appointment.

Lymphogranuloma venereum is a separate STI caused by a different strain of the Chlamydia family, with different symptoms.

Frequently asked questions

Does chlamydia go away on its own?

Don’t count on it. Chlamydia needs antibiotics to clear reliably, and waiting it out risks the infection spreading and doing damage while you feel fine. Get tested and treated rather than hoping it passes.

How do you catch chlamydia?

Through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has it. It’s very infectious, and because it usually causes no symptoms, plenty of transmission happens between people who have no idea they’re carrying it.¹

Can you get chlamydia more than once?

Yes. Having it once gives you no immunity, and reinfection from an untreated partner is one of the most common reasons it comes back, which is why partner treatment and a repeat test matter.^6–7

Does chlamydia affect fertility?

Treated early, it usually doesn’t. The fertility risk comes from infections left untreated long enough to scar the fallopian tubes, which is, again, why testing and prompt treatment are the whole game.²

This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.