Chlamydia

Treatment Overview

Chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics. The disease does not cause long-term problems if it is treated early. Untreated chlamydia can lead to many complications.

Treatment is recommended for:

• People who have positive chlamydia tests.
• Sex partners within the last 60 days of people diagnosed with chlamydia—even if they do not have symptoms.
• Newborns of women who have chlamydia at the time of delivery.

It is important to not have sex for 7 days after treatment for chlamydia.

If you are treated for chlamydia and your sex partner is not, you will probably become infected again. Encourage your partner to get treated. Use condoms to lower the chance of reinfection.

What To Think About

Some people who have chlamydia may also have gonorrhea. In that case, treatment includes antibiotics that kill both chlamydia and gonorrhea. For more information, see the topic Gonorrhea.

Reinfection can occur. Symptoms that continue after treatment are probably caused by another chlamydia infection rather than treatment failure. To prevent reinfection, sex partners need to be evaluated and treated.

Repeated chlamydia infections increase the risk for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Even one infection can lead to PID without proper treatment. Make sure to take your antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Take the full course of medicine, even if you feel better in a couple of days.

Some health professionals recommend retesting 3 to 12 months after treatment to reduce the risk of complications from reinfection.³

If you have chlamydia, your health professional will send a report to the state health department. Your personal information is kept confidential. The health department may contact you about telling your sex partner or partners that they may need treatment.

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Author:	Sabra L. Katz-Wise Ralph Poore	Last Updated: January 18, 2007
Medical Review:	Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH - Infectious Disease
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