Chlamydia treatment works by stopping the bacteria that causes chlamydia from producing an important protein which it needs to multiply. This stops the bacteria from growing and replicating, so your symptoms should improve as your body is cleared of chlamydia.
The first line treatment for chlamydia in the UK is doxycycline. The usual dose is one tablet to be taken twice daily for 7 days. You can swallow doxycycline tablets whole with water and take them with or without food. You should sit up for about 30 minutes after each dose to prevent symptoms of throat irritation or stomach upset.
How effective is chlamydia treatment?
Antibiotics are very effective in treating chlamydia. About 95% of people being treated for chlamydia will be cured if they take the antibiotics correctly as prescribed.
How long does it take for chlamydia to go away after treatment?
Chlamydia infection usually clears after one week of completing your antibiotic treatment. During treatment, you should avoid drinking alcohol as this can reduce how effective the antibiotic is.
You should also avoid having sex (with or without condoms) during treatment as you could still pass on the infection to your partner. It is common for partners to pass chlamydia between one another if they continue to have sex without completing their treatment, causing repeated infections.
How long do chlamydia symptoms last after treatment?
Your chlamydia symptoms should improve after your antibiotics treatment course. If they do not improve, you may need to book for another chlamydia test in the first instance.
When can I have sex again after taking chlamydia treatment?
It takes 1 full week of treatment to be effective. You should avoid any sexual contact, both with or without a condom, for 7 days after starting treatment as you could still be contagious.
How do you know if chlamydia is gone after treatment?
Your chlamydia symptoms should improve within a week of completing your course of antibiotics.
You do not need an immediate follow-up test to check if your chlamydia treatment has worked, as dead chlamydia bacteria may be detected 3 to 5 weeks after treatment, which would give a false positive result. But, if you have a rectal infection, you should have a test after treatment is completed.
If you are under 25 and have tested positive for chlamydia, it is recommended you take a repeat test 3 months after completing your treatment, to check you have not caught chlamydia again.
Can chlamydia come back after treatment?
In some cases, you may test positive for chlamydia again after treatment.
This could happen if you:
- had unprotected sex before completing your treatment
- did not take your antibiotics correctly