Key points at a glance
🦠 Often goes unnoticed
Chlamydia often causes no symptoms and is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections.
🧪 A test provides clarity
Chlamydia can be detected using a swab or a urine test.
💊 Easily treatable
Chlamydia can be effectively treated and cured with antibiotics.
🛡️ Reduce risk
Condoms and Femidoms reduce the risk of infection, but do not provide complete protection against it.
What is chlamydia?
A chlamydia infection is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is caused by certain bacteria that primarily colonise mucous membranes. It can affect, for example, the urethra, cervix or rectum, and, less commonly, the throat. Depending on where the infection is located, it can cause inflammation.
How is chlamydia transmitted?
Chlamydia can be transmitted during sex when infectious mucous membranes or bodily fluids come into contact with one another. The bacteria can be found, amongst other places, in the mucous membranes of the urethra, cervix, vagina, rectum and throat. Vaginal fluid and semen can also contain chlamydia, as can, to a lesser extent, urine and pre-ejaculate.
Chlamydia is particularly commonly transmitted during vaginal and anal sex without a condom. Infection is also possible during oral sex. If chlamydia enters the throat in this way, it can establish itself there. It does not usually cause any illness there and generally clears up on its own after a few weeks.
Transmission can also occur via the hands or shared sex toys. During childbirth, chlamydia can be passed from the person giving birth to the newborn.
Preventing and detecting chlamydia at an early stage
Condoms and Femidoms can significantly reduce the risk of chlamydia transmission. However, they do not offer complete protection against infection.
If you have a high turnover of sexual partners, it may be a good idea to get tested for chlamydia regularly. This allows an infection to be detected early and reduces the risk of passing on chlamydia without realising it. You can discuss with a GP or at a counselling centre whether you should get tested and, if so, how often.
Chlamydia: possible symptoms and complications
A chlamydia infection often goes unnoticed because it causes no symptoms or only mild ones. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear one to three weeks after infection of the urethra or genitals. Possible symptoms include discharge from the urethra or vagina, as well as itching, a burning sensation or pain when passing urine.
Without treatment, chlamydia can spread further within the body. If the bacteria reach the uterus, fallopian tubes or abdominal cavity, they can cause inflammation there. Signs of this may include a fever, heavy periods or spotting. In some cases, an untreated infection can lead to infertility, as well as to an ectopic pregnancy or a pregnancy in the abdominal cavity.
A fever, as well as pain in the testicles or lower abdomen, may also indicate that the infection has spread. This can lead to inflammation of the vas deferens, the prostate or the epididymis. One possible consequence is infertility.
Chlamydia in the rectum also often causes no symptoms, or only mild ones. If symptoms do occur, they may include a mucopurulent discharge, pain, itching, diarrhoea-like symptoms or an inflammatory rash.
Chlamydia testing: How the diagnosis is made
Chlamydia can be detected via a urine test or a swab test. You can have a chlamydia test carried out, for example, at clinics specialising in skin and sexually transmitted infections, gynaecology or urology. If you have symptoms or there is a specific suspicion – for example, because a sexual partner has told you they have an infection – the costs may be covered by your health insurance.
Many AIDS support organisations, public health authorities and testing schemes such as Checkpoints also offer chlamydia tests. Counselling is provided as part of the testing service. The test can be carried out anonymously.
For sexually active women, there is also a screening service available: until they reach the age of 25, they can have a urine test for chlamydia once a year at a gynaecologist’s surgery. The costs are covered by health insurance.
Treating chlamydia: antibiotics are a reliable treatment
Chlamydia responds well to treatment with antibiotics and can be cured. Treatment is generally simpler and shorter if it is started early.
You should avoid having sex until the treatment is complete. This helps to reduce the risk of passing on chlamydia. Your sexual partners should also get tested. If necessary, they will be treated as well. This helps to prevent further infections or re-infection between you.
Chlamydia and HIV: Why the risk may increase
A chlamydia infection can increase the risk of HIV infection if protective measures such as condoms, PrEP or protection through treatment are not used. This is because of inflammation of the mucous membranes, which can make it easier for HIV to enter the body.
If HIV infection is left untreated, chlamydia can also take a more severe course. At the same time, the risk of passing on HIV increases. Inflamed mucous membranes and inflammatory secretions can contain particularly high levels of the virus.
Chlamydia during pregnancy
A test for chlamydia is part of antenatal care. This is because a chlamydia infection can, amongst other things, increase the risk of premature birth and lead to infection in the newborn baby.
If chlamydia is diagnosed, treatment is possible even during pregnancy. Suitable antibiotics are available for this purpose.
Doxy-PEP and Doxy-PrEP: Can they protect against chlamydia?
Doxycycline can reduce the risk of some people contracting chlamydia or syphilis. Depending on how the antibiotic is taken as a preventative measure, it is referred to as Doxy-PEP or Doxy-PrEP. Some people at high risk of infection are already using this form of prophylaxis.
However, doxycycline does not offer protection against gonorrhoea in Europe. This is because the pathogen has developed resistance to the antibiotic.
Whether taking doxycycline as a preventative measure is advisable should be carefully considered. If you are considering this, make sure you find out all the relevant information and seek medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
How is chlamydia transmitted?
Chlamydia can be transmitted during sex when infectious mucous membranes or bodily fluids come into contact with one another. This happens particularly frequently during unprotected vaginal and anal sex.
What symptoms can chlamydia cause?
Chlamydia often causes no symptoms at all. Possible symptoms include discharge, itching, a burning sensation or pain when passing urine. Infections in the rectum may also go unnoticed or cause symptoms.
How can I get tested for chlamydia?
Chlamydia can be detected via a urine test or a swab test. Tests are available at, amongst other places, doctors’ surgeries, public health centres, AIDS support organisations and checkpoints.
How is chlamydia treated?
Chlamydia can be effectively treated and cured with antibiotics. You should avoid having sex until the course of treatment is complete. Your sexual partners should also get tested and, if necessary, receive treatment as well.
How can I reduce my risk of chlamydia?
Condoms and Femidoms can significantly reduce the risk of infection. If you have a high turnover of sexual partners, regular testing may also be advisable.
Test safely at home with s.a.m health
"s.a.m. health is the official STI home testing project run by Deutsche Aidshilfe e.V.
With s.a.m. health People can get tested at home for chlamydia, HIV, syphilis and gonorrhoea – with the reliability of a laboratory analysis.
What makes s.a.m? As part of our STI testing service, we offer a qualified telephone counselling service to discuss test results. Furthermore, this counselling service helps to ensure reliable test results: we provide information on the time between a possible infection and the point at which it can be reliably detected (the diagnostic window). In this way, we help to prevent misinterpretations of test results and ensure a reliable diagnosis.."www.samhealth.de
