Chlamydia Treatment

If it’s diagnosed quickly, chlamydia can be treated very effectively with a short course of antibiotics.

You’ll be prescribed these if your test results come back positive, or if the doctor decides it’s highly likely that you have chlamydia (for example, if your current sexual partner has already been diagnosed).

Our doctors can write you a prescription during your consultation and our team will arrange for you to collect your medicine from a pharmacy near you.

It doesn’t matter if you’re at home or in a different part of the UK. All we need is the postcode you’re in and we’ll find an available pharmacy.

The most commonly prescribed antibiotics for chlamydia are azithromycin or doxycycline. However, your doctor will prescribe whichever antibiotic they feel is most appropriate for you. If you’re allergic to something, pregnant or breastfeeding, this will affect the doctor’s decision.

It’s important that you take the medication exactly as instructed by the doctor. If you do this, there’s a 95% chance that your chlamydia will be fully cured.

Your infection will usually clear up within a week, but the exact time may differ depending on the medicine you’re given and the seriousness of the infection. Your doctor will let you know how long they expect the medication will take to work.

You may need a longer course of antibiotics if your chlamydia has been left untreated for a long time. In addition, our doctors may also need to treat complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease or epididymitis.

You can find out more about the symptoms that can occur if chlamydia isn’t treated early here.

There are a number of common side effects associated with antibiotics. They are usually mild and will pass fairly quickly. During your treatment, you might experience:

Bouts of vaginal thrush are also a side effect for some women while they’re on antibiotics.

You should avoid any form of sexual contact (including with a condom) for at least a week after you take your final dose of medication, even if your symptoms have stopped.

This will make sure you don’t pass the infection on to anyone else, or catch it again before it’s fully out of your system.

Your medication does not give you immunity from future cases of chlamydia, so you should continue to practise safer sex after your infection has cleared up.

Follow-up tests

Our doctors may arrange a follow-up test in a month to make sure the infection has been treated effectively.

Informing sexual partners

If you’re diagnosed with chlamydia, it’s important that your current and/or former partners know that they might be at risk.

Our doctors can advise you of the best way to do this, particularly if you would prefer to tell them confidentially.

Can chlamydia be treated?

Taking your medication

How long will the medication take to work?

Are there any side effects?

When is it safe to have sex again?