Pain passing urine is a common chlamydia symptom in men. There’s often also a white or clear coloured discharge from the urine hole (urethra).
Gonorrhoea symptoms can also be the same. Chlamydia is much less likely to cause symptoms when it affects the throat, anus, rectum, or cervix. Chlamydia can cause conjunctivitis (pink eye) if it gets into your eye. If you think you could have chlamydia you should stop having sex and contact the clinic as soon as possible.
If a sexual partner tells you that they have chlamydia, you should get tested. The chlamydia test becomes accurate once 2 weeks have passed after the last time you had sex together. However, the test can miss chlamydia that was caught less than 2 weeks ago. That’s why the clinic will offer you chlamydia treatment if your sexual contact was less than two weeks ago. If your chlamydia test is positive, all your sexual partners should get tested.
What is the treatment for Chlamydia?
The treatment for chlamydia is usually a week-long course of an antibiotic tablet called doxycycline. The treatment can make you more sensitive to sunlight, so you should not sunbathe or use a tanning bed while taking it. You should not have sex until you have completed the treatment.
There is a more aggressive strain of chlamydia called LGV (Lymphogranuloma Venereum). In the UK it generally affects gay men. The infection typically affects the rectum (arse). Men commonly notice discharge (pus) from their anus. The discharge can be blood-stained. There is often rectal pain and a constant feeling that you need to go to the toilet. The treatment for LGV is a three-week course of doxycycline tablets. The clinic runs a special LGV test on everyone with a positive rectal chlamydia result (arse swab).
