Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
People often suspect they havechlamydiawhen they get genital and urinary tract symptoms like painful urination or vaginal discharge. However, those who get it through oral sex don’t always connect the symptoms to the disease because they can be easily attributed to other conditions. They also might not experience any symptoms.Testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is key to an accurate diagnosis.
It can be hard to tell if you have mouth or throat chlamydia, since it doesn’t usually cause symptoms. If there are symptoms, the primary one tends to be a sore throat. This symptom can be confused with any number of other conditions, fromallergiesandcoldstostrep throatandacid reflux.
Oral chlamydia can take anywhere from one to three weeks to show up after sexual contact. This is another reason why many don’t make the connection between their symptoms and this infection.
When symptoms of oral chlamydia do develop, they often include:
Chlamydiais a commonsexually transmitted infection (STI)among people 14 to 24 years of age.
How Bad Is Oral Chlamydia?
Oral chlamydia can sometimes lead to secondary oral infections. Because the body is so busy fighting chlamydia, it is less able to fight other infections that contribute to gum diseases likegingivitisandperiodontal disease. Dental pain, bleeding gums, and tooth loss are among the complications of these diseases.
Arguably, the bigger concern is that people with oral chlamydia are able to pass the infection to others. Depending on which part of the body is affected, chlamydia can lead to complications such as:
In addition, having chlamydia increases the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This is because chlamydia triggers an inflammatory response that draws white blood cells, calledCD4 T-cells,to the site of the infection.
These are the very cells that HIV targets for infection. Because of this, chlamydia ends up “helping” HIV establish an infection.
Chlamydia trachomatiscan also be transmitted from the throat of someone with chlamydia to the penis of someone without the infection.Research suggests that chlamydia is unlikely to be passed from the throat to the vagina or rectum.
Certain risk factors can increase a person’s risk of getting chlamydia, most notably:
Oral chlamydia is far less common than genital chlamydia. Research shows that around 10% of people who visit an STI clinic have genital chlamydia, but only around 1.5% have oral chlamydia.
Chlamydia and KissingThere are manymisconceptionsabout the different ways you can get chlamydia, such as sharing towels or public toilet seats. All current evidence indicates chlamydia cannot be passed through kissing.
Chlamydia and Kissing
There are manymisconceptionsabout the different ways you can get chlamydia, such as sharing towels or public toilet seats. All current evidence indicates chlamydia cannot be passed through kissing.
Getting a swab test done is the most accurate way to know whether you have oral chlamydia. After swabbing the mouth and throat, the healthcare provider will send the sample to a lab for evaluation using a technology known as anucleic acid amplification test (NAAT).
NAAT tests multiply the genetic material of bacteria (or in other cases, viruses) to positively identify the cause of an infection. The test is sensitive to even a small number of bacteria and can usually return results within one to two days.
NAAT swabs can also be used on the vagina, cervix, or rectum. In addition, NAAT technology is used to detectChlamydia trachomatisin a urine sample.
Testing for chlamydia outside of the genitals or rectum is not a routine part ofSTI screening. This accounts for why oral STIs often go undiagnosed and untreated.
Even though oral chlamydia is not very common, it could be an indication that you also have chlamydia of the vagina, penis, or anus. If you suspect you have been exposed to chlamydia or any other STI, get tested—even if the symptoms are mild or absent.
A Word From VerywellOral chlamydia is not as common of an infection, but it is fairly easy to test for and treat. I recommend regular STI screening for anyone who is sexually active, regardless of the presence of symptoms, because chlamydia infection can often be missed.—CORDELIA NWANKWO, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Oral chlamydia is not as common of an infection, but it is fairly easy to test for and treat. I recommend regular STI screening for anyone who is sexually active, regardless of the presence of symptoms, because chlamydia infection can often be missed.—CORDELIA NWANKWO, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Oral chlamydia is not as common of an infection, but it is fairly easy to test for and treat. I recommend regular STI screening for anyone who is sexually active, regardless of the presence of symptoms, because chlamydia infection can often be missed.
—CORDELIA NWANKWO, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Avoid having sexual intercourse during your treatment and for at least seven days after you’ve finished treatment.This includes all types of sexual contact such as oral sex, vaginal sex, and anal sex.
If you have been diagnosed with chlamydia, all sexual partners need to be informed and treated. Repeated infections are common when this does not occur. Chlamydia reinfection increases the risk of complications such as PID and ectopic pregnancy.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends chlamydia screening for all sexually active females 24 years or younger, as well as females 25 years or older who are at an increased risk of infection.
Usingcondomsordental damsconsistently can also reduce the risk of either passing or getting an STI like chlamydia. This not only includes external (male) condoms but also internal (female) condoms.
Using Doxy PEPOral doxycycline can be taken once within 72 hours of condomless oral, anal, or vaginal sex as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).The CDC recommends that certain groups receive counseling that doxy PEP can be used to prevent certain STIs. These groups include:Men who have sex with men (MSM)Transgender women (TGW) who have had a bacterial STI (specifically syphilis, chlamydia, or gonorrhea) in the past 12 months or who have had condomless oral, anal, or vaginal sex
Using Doxy PEP
Oral doxycycline can be taken once within 72 hours of condomless oral, anal, or vaginal sex as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).The CDC recommends that certain groups receive counseling that doxy PEP can be used to prevent certain STIs. These groups include:Men who have sex with men (MSM)Transgender women (TGW) who have had a bacterial STI (specifically syphilis, chlamydia, or gonorrhea) in the past 12 months or who have had condomless oral, anal, or vaginal sex
Oral doxycycline can be taken once within 72 hours of condomless oral, anal, or vaginal sex as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).The CDC recommends that certain groups receive counseling that doxy PEP can be used to prevent certain STIs. These groups include:
Summary
Oral chlamydia occurs when theChlamydia trachomatisbacteria infects the mouth. You can get oral chlamydia through oral sex. It is the same bacteria that causes chlamydia in the genitals or anus.
Antibiotics are needed to treat the infection. Without them, oral chlamydia can lead to secondary mouth infections, dental pain, and gum disease. More importantly, people with undiagnosed oral chlamydia can pass the infection to others.
14 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.
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Henderson JT, Henninger M, Bean SI, Senger CA, Redmond N, O’Connor EA.Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections: A Systematic Evidence Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [Internet]. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2020 Aug.Report No.: 19-05260-EF-1. PMID: 32970399.
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