Chlamydia symptoms: what to look out for

Chlamydia is a bacterial STI caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis.

It causes symptoms in men and women.

Chlamydia in the eye

Occasionally, the chlamydia bacteria can cause an eye infection known as conjunctivitis. This can be transmitted the same way as genital chlamydia infection.

Symptoms of chlamydial conjunctivitis infection include:

• watery discharge or pus in the eye
• itchy, red, swollen or scratchy eyes
• sensitivity to light

You may also experience genital symptoms.

Chlamydia in the mouth and throat

Chlamydia can rarely affect the mouth and throat from oral sex. It may cause symptoms like mouth sores, a sore throat or dental problems.

Symptoms occur after having unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone with chlamydia.

Most people who contract chlamydia develop symptoms within several weeks. However, it can vary from person to person. Some people may not develop any symptoms.

That’s why it’s important to get regularly tested for chlamydia, especially if you are at higher risk of developing chlamydia (e.g. you have multiple sex partners).

Chlamydia is renowned for not causing symptoms. In the majority of cases, the infection is asymptomatic. This means people with the chlamydia bacteria in their body may not even realise.

Up to 30% of women and 10% of men get chlamydia symptoms.

Statistics quoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that 10% of men and 5-30% of women develop symptoms.

Yes, chlamydia can cause complications if you don’t treat it in the long term.

One of the most common chlamydia complications in women is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This is when the bacteria can spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes. If left untreated, it can cause chronic pelvic pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancies.

Pregnant women with untreated chlamydia experience problems like a pre-term delivery. It can also cause conditions like conjunctivitis and pneumonia in newborns.

Some men and women rarely experience a type of reactive arthritis caused by chlamydia. It’s known as sexually activated reactive arthritis (SARA). This is where your immune system overreacts to the infection and attacks healthy tissue. This causes swelling in the joints.

Chlamydia can look like other common infections and health problems.

In women, similar symptoms could also be caused by:

• thrush - a yeast infection that causes white discharge (that looks like cottage cheese) and vaginal itching
• bacterial vaginosis (BV) - a bacterial infection that causes a fishy odour in the vagina and a watery, grey discharge
• another bacterial STI (e.g. gonorrhoea, mycoplasma or ureaplasma)
• urinary tract infection (cystitis) - an infection that causes burning whilst peeing and abdominal pain

In men, chlamydia could be confused for:

• non-specific urethritis - a common complication caused by other STIs
• another bacterial STI (e.g. gonorrhoea, mycoplasma or ureaplasma)
• male thrush (candida balanitis) - inflammation of the head of the penis caused by a fungal infection
• smegma - a whiteish substance that develops under the foreskin, can cause bacterial growth if not properly cleaned
• urinary tract infection - an infection that causes burning whilst peeing and abdominal pain

Whilst your symptoms may not be chlamydia, it could be chlamydia or another STI. So, you should not delay getting checked for STIs just in case. Otherwise, it can cause complications and you increase the risk of spreading it to others.

If you have unprotected sex or have symptoms of chlamydia, you need to get an STI test. For chlamydia, you will be required to do a urine sample or swab test.

The NHS recommends that sexually active women under the age of 25 get tested once a year. They should also get tested with new or casual sexual partners.

Sexually active men under the age of 25 should get tested once a year if they don’t use condoms with new or casual sexual partners.

You can get tested in person or at a sexual health clinic. Some areas offer free test kits that you can do yourself and have sent to your address.

If you test positive, you will need to be treated with antibiotics. The first-line treatment is Doxycycline. The second-line treatment is Azithromycin.

They are prescription antibiotics so you will need to get them from a GP or an online healthcare provider.