Prevent chlamydia infection

Chlamydia is the UK's most common STI and is potentially life-changing. Use a

• condom to prevent chlamydia infection
• Dr Morton's Test Kit^© for chlamydia to check
• Dr Morton's Prescription^© to treat chlamydia infection

With Dr Morton's - the medical helpline^© you can email or phone a real doctor at any time for more information, reassurance or advice

Chlamydia the hidden threat

Chlamydia is the UK's most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). Around 10% of people aged between 17 and 25 are carriers. There may be no apparent symptoms but it is potentially highly damaging if left untreated.

Symptoms of chlamydia infection

• potentially severe illness with agonizing stomach pains and fever, necessitating admission to hospital and intravenous antibiotics
• you may have this STI even if you have no symptoms
• even when giving no symptoms, chlamydia can get up into the fallopian tubes and lead to blocked tubes and infertility
• in men, the commonest symptoms are pain when passing urine and pain in the testicles. There may be a discharge from the penis

When to contact a doctor

Seek medical advice if you are unwell with abdominal pain and a fever

Prevention and available treatments

All sexually active people should protect themselves against infection by using a condom when having sex with a new partner, until both parties have been tested and cleared, particularly if the new partner's sexual history is at all unclear.

Dr Morton's Test Kit^© for Chlamydia is a reliable test for chlamydia infection. Ask us to send you one in confidence.

Dr Morton's Test Kit^© is posted to you at home with a reply paid envelope from our partner laboratory. Their process is confidential. The turnaround time for analysis at the doctors laboratory is 2 to 3 days (except for weekends and bank holidays) from receipt of your sample and so the whole process is likely to take around a week, depending mainly upon the post and how quickly you are able to return your sample. Your result is reviewed by our doctor. You will receive an email once this has been done notifying you to log back in using your confidential password to read what the doctor said as well as access the report.

If you are concerned about other sexually transmitted infections 'STIs' (for example if you have a new partner) it may be wise to consider a more comprehensive STI / STD screening test. With Dr Morton's Test Kit^© for all 4 major STIs it is possible to test for gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV at the same time as chlamydia.

Our doctors screen the Dr Morton's Test Kit^© results for you so in some cases they may ask you to contact them to discuss the result before you read it. Our charges for calls or further emails are as set out.

If you believe that you may have been exposed to chlamydia after unprotected sex, it is important to act quickly to prevent infection and possible long-term damage. If your test result is positive, you will want speedy access to the antibiotic treatment required in the form of Dr Morton's Prescription^© for chlamydia . The recommended treatment is Doxycycline 100mg taken twice daily for 7 days. Second line treatment is Azithromycin taken as a single 1g dose (BSSM 2018).

It is important that all sexual partners should be informed and advised to be treated or tested. You must not have sex for seven days after treatment.

Ideally, the chlamydia test should be repeated 6-8 weeks after treatment to check that the chlamydia has been fully treated.

If you are about to travel and concerned to take precautions to prevent chlamydia, you may wish to purchase Dr Morton's Travel Pack^© which contains Doxycycline which is the recommended first line treatment and after contact prevention.

People who are allergic to doxycycline should be treated with Azithromycin instead.

Always read the literature supplied with any medicine.

Related topics

• cold sores and herpes
• control thrush
• syphilis, gonorrhoea, and other sexual health issues
• bacterial vaginosis