Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Chlamydia?SymptomsHow Long Does It Last?How It SpreadsComplicationsFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Chlamydia?
Symptoms
How Long Does It Last?
How It Spreads
Complications
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting achlamydiadiagnosis brings up many questions, including how long it will last.Chlamydiais a bacterial infection; without complications, antibiotics can usually treat it within a few weeks.
Over 1.5 million people in the United States had chlamydia in 2020, though numbers are likely higher as people who are asymptomatic (without symptoms) go undiagnosed.Without diagnosis and treatment, chlamydia could last for a long time and cause serious complications.
Getting tested as soon as you experience chlamydia symptoms is essential, especially if you engaged in unprotected sex or a sexual partner was diagnosed with asexually transmitted infection (STI). Chlamydia screening is also recommended for all sexually active women under 25.
In this article, learn more about chlamydia, its symptoms, complications, and how long it lasts.
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How Quickly Does Chlamydia Show Up?Chlamydia symptomsmay appear within one to three weeks of unprotected sexual activity with someone already infected.However, people are often asymptomatic, or symptoms may appear and go away on their own. You should continue to get tested because even without symptoms, your infection can still be active.
How Quickly Does Chlamydia Show Up?
Chlamydia symptomsmay appear within one to three weeks of unprotected sexual activity with someone already infected.However, people are often asymptomatic, or symptoms may appear and go away on their own. You should continue to get tested because even without symptoms, your infection can still be active.
Chlamydia is sometimes called a “silent infection” because most people are without symptoms; it is estimated that only 5% to 30% of women and 10% of men develop symptoms.This is why regular screening is recommended.
Symptoms can vary based on the body part infected for those who are symptomatic.
Symptoms for people with vulvae (female genitalia):
Symptoms for people with penises:
Symptoms forthroat infection:
Symptoms for rectal infections:
How Long Does Chlamydia Last?
Oncechlamydia is treated with antibiotics, the infection often resolves in one to three weeks. It is not recommended to have sex during the seven-day antibiotics course.
Without the proper antibiotic treatment, a person unaware they have chlamydia could have the infection for years, infect other sexual partners, and experience serious complications.
While antibiotics can cure chlamydia, they won’t treat additional complications experienced from chlamydia; therefore, it is crucial to get tested.
How Is Chlamydia Spread?
Can You Get Infected With Chlamydia Again?Reinfection with chlamydia is pretty common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends retesting three months after chlamydia treatment to ensure the infection has resolved.
Can You Get Infected With Chlamydia Again?
Reinfection with chlamydia is pretty common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends retesting three months after chlamydia treatment to ensure the infection has resolved.
Complications If Left Untreated
Untreated chlamydia is not only dangerous because of the possibility of infecting others but can cause serious complications.
Some of these complications include:
Summary
However, asymptomatic infected people could have chlamydia for years, which may cause other serious complications and spread the infection to others.
A Word From Verywell
The difficulty with treating chlamydia—and the reason that some people have the infection for years—is that most people don’t experience symptoms. If you’re sexually active, talk to your healthcare provider or visit a local sexual health clinic for regular testing.
Frequently Asked QuestionsNo. Chlamydia can be treated and cured with certain antibiotics. However, if a person goes undiagnosed for a long time, they may develop less easily treated complications.Knowing when chlamydia is gone can be challenging because most people have no symptoms. The CDC recommends retesting about three months after treatment for chlamydia.Most of the time, chlamydia does not have a smell. However, some people with vulvae may experience an unusual vaginal discharge with a strong odor.
No. Chlamydia can be treated and cured with certain antibiotics. However, if a person goes undiagnosed for a long time, they may develop less easily treated complications.
Knowing when chlamydia is gone can be challenging because most people have no symptoms. The CDC recommends retesting about three months after treatment for chlamydia.
Most of the time, chlamydia does not have a smell. However, some people with vulvae may experience an unusual vaginal discharge with a strong odor.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC’s 2022 STI surveillance report underscores that STIs must be a public health priority.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea: U.S. preventive services task force recommendation statement.JAMA. 2021;326(10):949-956. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.14081Kreisel KM, Weston EJ, St Cyr SB, et al.Estimates of the prevalence and incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea among us men and women, 2018.Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(4):222-231. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001382National Health Service.Symptoms of chlamydia.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC’s 2022 STI surveillance report underscores that STIs must be a public health priority.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea: U.S. preventive services task force recommendation statement.JAMA. 2021;326(10):949-956. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.14081Kreisel KM, Weston EJ, St Cyr SB, et al.Estimates of the prevalence and incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea among us men and women, 2018.Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(4):222-231. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001382National Health Service.Symptoms of chlamydia.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC’s 2022 STI surveillance report underscores that STIs must be a public health priority.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea: U.S. preventive services task force recommendation statement.JAMA. 2021;326(10):949-956. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.14081Kreisel KM, Weston EJ, St Cyr SB, et al.Estimates of the prevalence and incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea among us men and women, 2018.Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(4):222-231. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001382National Health Service.Symptoms of chlamydia.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC’s 2022 STI surveillance report underscores that STIs must be a public health priority.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea: U.S. preventive services task force recommendation statement.JAMA. 2021;326(10):949-956. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.14081
Kreisel KM, Weston EJ, St Cyr SB, et al.Estimates of the prevalence and incidence of chlamydia and gonorrhea among us men and women, 2018.Sex Transm Dis. 2021;48(4):222-231. doi:10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001382
National Health Service.Symptoms of chlamydia.
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