Chlamydia Curable With Treatment And Safe Sex Practices

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Sexual Health

Is Chlamydia Curable?

Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C — Written by Natalie Silver — Updated on July 24, 2025

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Takeaway

A course of antibiotics typically cures chlamydia, though it’s possible to get it more than once. If not treated for an extended time, chlamydia may cause long-term complications like infertility.

Chlamydia is a common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI). Chlamydia develops due to infection with the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria, which occurs in soft and moist parts of your body. These areas include:

genitals
anus
eyes
throat

To cure the chlamydia infection completely, you must take the antibiotics as directed and avoid having sex during treatment.

You can get chlamydia again if you have sex with a partner who has chlamydia or if you do not take the antibiotics that treat chlamydia as directed. No one is ever immune to chlamydia.

Using a condom or other barrier method when you have sex may reduce your risk of chlamydia.

Experts also recommend regular testing for chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), since many may not have symptoms, to help prevent spread and get appropriate treatment, if needed.

Did you know?
Chlamydia is the most common STD in the United States. The American Sexual Health Association reports 1.6 million cases were diagnosed in 2022. It’s especially common in people under 24.

What do I need to know about chlamydia treatment?

If you have chlamydia, a primary care physician (PCP), an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN), or a doctor at a sexual health clinic or urgent care center can prescribe antibiotics to treat it.

The two most commonly recommended antibiotics for chlamydia are:

azithromycin
doxycycline

A doctor may recommend a different antibiotic if needed. Other antibiotics to treat chlamydia include:

erythromycin
levofloxacin
ofloxacin

If you are pregnant, you’ll need to talk with an OB-GYN about your treatment options for chlamydia. Some types of antibiotics may not be appropriate.

Doctors can also prescribe antibiotics for infants born with chlamydia.

»FIND CARE:Find a primary care physician near your area today

What do I need to know about treating complications from chlamydia?

While antibiotics can cure chlamydia, delaying treatment may lead to an infection called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in people with certain reproductive organs. These include the:

uterus
fallopian tubes
ovaries
cervix

Treatment for PID also involves a course of antibiotics. However, PID can cause permanent damage to those organs, and treatment cannot undo this damage.

PID can cause permanent scarring of the fallopian tubes, the tubes through which an egg travels during ovulation. If the scarring is severe, it may be difficult or impossible to become pregnant.

While rare, it may still be possible to get PID if you have had a hysterectomy, a surgical procedure that removes the uterus. A doctor may also remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes during this surgery.

How long does treatment for chlamydia take?

Treatment time for chlamydia can vary from one to seven days. Azithromycin requires only one dose for one day, while you must take other antibiotics multiple times a day for seven days.

To treat a chlamydia infection, take the antibiotics exactly as prescribed, and for the full length of the prescription, be sure to take every dose. There should be no medication left at the end of the treatment period. You cannot save medication in case you acquire chlamydia again.

If you still have symptoms despite taking antibiotics, contact the doctor who prescribed the medication. You will need a follow-up test with your doctor three months after treatment to make sure the chlamydia is completely resolved.

Where can I get free chlamydia treatment?

You don’t have to visit your primary doctor to get tested for STIs. Many clinics offer free, confidential STI screenings.

Finding free testing

To find out the location of clinics in your area, visit https://gettested.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636), TTY: 1-888-232-6348.

What should I do if I think I have chlamydia?

If you think you have chlamydia, you need to talk with a doctor immediately and have a chlamydia test. You may have another STD with similar symptoms, and your doctor needs to know the exact STI you have so that you can get the best treatment.

Chlamydia tests involve collecting a urine sample or swabbing the affected area. A doctor typically sends the specimen to a lab for testing to see if you have chlamydia or another type of STI.

If your test is positive for chlamydia, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic immediately.

Avoid sex if you’re being treated for chlamydia or experiencing symptoms.

After taking the one-day antibiotic treatment, wait a week before having sex to prevent the spread of chlamydia to partners.

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How do I know if I have chlamydia or another STI?

Even if you have symptoms, the only way to know for sure if you have chlamydia is through a screening test. You can get a screening for chlamydia:

by scheduling an appointment with a PCP or OB-GYN
by visiting an urgent care or walk-in clinic
by purchasing an at-home test kit

It may take weeks or months for chlamydia to show up on a test, so you may need repeat screening.

If an at-home test kit detects chlamydia or another STI, you will still need to talk with a doctor to get treatment. You may be able to get care through telehealth if needed.

What are the symptoms of chlamydia?

Chlamydia may or may not cause symptoms, which may vary depending on your anatomy.

If you have a vagina, symptoms may include:

unusual vaginal discharge
spotting or bleeding between your periods
pain during sex
bleeding after sex
burning feeling when peeing
abdominal pain
fever
nausea
lower back pain

If you have a penis, symptoms may include:

discharge from the penis
burning feeling when peeing
changes in the testicles, such as pain or swelling

Chlamydia can also affect areas beyond the genitals, including:

Rectum: Symptoms in your rectum can include pain, bleeding, and rectal discharge.
Throat: You can get chlamydia in your throat. This causes discoloration, soreness, or no symptoms at all.
Eye: Conjunctivitis (pink eye) may indicate chlamydia in your eye.

How do I talk with partners about chlamydia and other STIs?

Preventing chlamydia begins with knowing more about your sexual partners and establishing safe sex practices.

You can get chlamydia by engaging in a variety of sexual behaviors with someone who has chlamydia. This includes contact with the genitals or other affected areas as well as penetrative sex.

Before having sex, talk with your partners about:

whether they’ve been tested recently for STIs
their sexual history
their other risk factors

Talking with a partner about STIs can be difficult. There are ways to ensure you can have an open and honest conversation about the issue before engaging in sex.

How to talk with partners

Be educated about STIs and share facts with your partner.
Think about what you’d like to get from the conversation.
Plan what points you want to make.
Talk with your partner about STIs in a calm setting.
Give your partner plenty of time to discuss the matter.
Write down your thoughts and share them with your partner if it’s easier.
Offer to go together to get tested for STIs.

Why do I keep getting a chlamydia infection?

You can get chlamydia even after treatment. You may get it again for several reasons, including:

not completing the course of antibiotics as directed, and the initial chlamydia did not go away
having sex with a partner with untreated chlamydia
using an object during sex that was not properly cleaned and contained the bacteria that cause chlamydia

To prevent reinfection, all partners should be treated for chlamydia at the same time.

What are the risks of chlamydia infection?

Untreated chlamydia can lead to many serious health conditions, though the complications may vary depending on your specific anatomy.

If you have a uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries, untreated chlamydia can cause PID. This can lead to:

pelvic pain
pregnancy complications, including ectopic pregnancy (when a pregnancy develops outside the uterus)
organ scarring and damage, including scarring that blocks the fallopian tubes
infertility due to reproductive organ damage

If you are pregnant, chlamydia can spread to an infant during childbirth. This can lead to complications like pink eye and pneumonia. Treating chlamydia during pregnancy can prevent it from spreading during childbirth.

If you have a penis, untreated chlamydia may not cause any symptoms. But it may also cause fever or inflammation in the tubes attached to the testicles. Though rare, this inflammation can also cause infertility.

How can I avoid a chlamydia infection?

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection. The only way to completely prevent it is to abstain from sexual activity.

However, if you’re sexually active, you can reduce the risk of chlamydia by:

using a barrier method, such as condoms or dental dams, when having sex
regularly getting tested for STIs (and ensuring any partners are too)
having honest communication with any partners about STI risk and the importance of regular STI testing
not sharing objects used during sex

It’s possible to get chlamydia again after recovering from it. This can happen if a partner with it isn’t treated, or objects used for sex still contain the bacteria that cause it.

If you or a partner has chlamydia, avoid sexual activity until treatment is complete and symptoms have gone away.

The bottom line

You can treat chlamydia with a course of antibiotics.

However, if not treated, chlamydia can lead to permanent damage to the reproductive organs over time.

Regular STI testing can detect chlamydia, help prevent spread, and ensure treatment is started promptly.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

About chlamydia. (2025).https://www.cdc.gov/chlamydia/about
Cabello-Garcia E, et al. (2021). Pelvic inflammatory disease presenting 16 months after vaginal hysterectomy: A case report and literature review.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8214030/
Chlamydia. (2023).https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/chlamydia
Chlamydia. (2025).http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/stdsstis/chlamydia/
Get tested. (n.d.).https://gettested.cdc.gov/
Getting tested for STIs. (2025).https://www.cdc.gov/sti/testing/
Lancaster JB. (2024). Talking to your partner about STDs.https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/the-talk.html
Overview: Chlamydia. (2024).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chlamydia/
Sandman Z, et al. (2024). Azithromycin.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557766/
STI testing: Conversation starters. (2025).https://odphp.health.gov/myhealthfinder/health-conditions/hiv-and-other-stds/sti-testing-conversation-starters

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Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C — Written by Natalie Silver — Updated on July 24, 2025

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