How long does chlamydia discharge take to go away?

By Amy @ Planned Parenthood | Aug. 24, 2010, 11:11 a.m.

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How long does it take to get rid of chlamydia?

It depends. If you’re diagnosed with chlamydia, your health care provider will probably prescribe an antibiotic. In some cases, treatment is possible with a single dose of medication in the health care provider’s office. Other medications must be taken for seven days. It’s important to make sure that you take the antibiotic exactly as directed for as long as it’s prescribed — even if your symptoms go away. Avoid having sex until your treatment is complete and the infection is cured. It’s also important to let your sex partner(s) know that you have chlamydia so they can get tested and treated, too. Some health care providers will give you medications to take home to your partner.

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection that’s caused by a type of bacteria called chlamydia trachomatis. Both women and men can get it by having unprotected vaginal or anal sex with an infected partner. It can also be spread from a woman to her fetus during birth, and rarely, from the hand to the eye and, less likely, during unprotected oral sex. Each year, more than three million people of all ages become infected with chlamydia.

You can avoid getting chlamydia the same way that you reduce your risk of getting other sexually transmitted infections — by abstaining from the types of things that transmit infections, or by practicing safer sex if you’re sexually active. Condoms greatly reduce the risk of chlamydia during vaginal and anal sex. For safer oral sex, use a condom to cover the penis or a Glyde dam, cut-open condom, or plastic wrap to cover the vulva.

Tags: chlamydia, STDs

Chlamydia can be easily cured with antibiotics. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV-negative.

Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days after single dose antibiotics or until completion of a 7-day course of antibiotics, to prevent spreading the infection to partners. It is important to take all of the medication prescribed to cure chlamydia. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone. Although medication will stop the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease. If a person’s symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, he or she should return to a health care provider to be reevaluated.

Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple chlamydial infections increases a woman’s risk of serious reproductive health complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. Women and men with chlamydia should be retested about three months after treatment of an initial infection, regardless of whether they believe that their sex partners were successfully treated.

Infants infected with chlamydia may develop ophthalmia neonatorum (conjunctivitis) and/or pneumonia. Chlamydial infection in infants can be treated with antibiotics.

Treatment Guidelines and Updates

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If you believe you’ve been exposed to chlamydia, even if you don’t have any symptoms, the first thing you should do is get tested. And if your chlamydia test is positive, be confident that you are doing the right thing.

Being tested means that you can be treated, and the proper treatment will help clear up a chlamydial infection in a matter of weeks. 

On the other hand, if you don’t get tested or don’t see a healthcare provider for treatment, chlamydia can live in the body for weeks, months, or even years without being detected.

This can lead to long-term complications, including infertility.

Read on to learn what chlamydia is, how it spreads, the symptoms, and when symptoms typically show.

I’ll also explain how long chlamydia lasts, what happens if it goes untreated, how long you have to wait to have sex after an infection, and if you can become immune to chlamydia.

Think you may have an STI? Chat with a doctor today for just $35.

What Is Chlamydia?

Chlamydia, also called chalmydia trachomatis, is a bacterial infection that can affect the reproductive organs, throat, and eyes of sexually active people.

It is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) (also commonly referred to as sexually transmitted infection or STI) in the U.S., with roughly 2.9 million new cases annually. 

People infected with chlamydia often don’t experience any symptoms, so it frequently goes untreated.

The good news is, chlamydia can be detected with an STD test and successfully treated with antibiotics like azithromycin or doxycycline.

How Is Chlamydia Spread?

Chlamydia most commonly spreads through vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected partner.

It can also spread from an infected pregnant woman to her baby during childbirth, and it can infect the eyes if fluids containing chlamydia trachomatis get in them. (Typically this occurs when touching the eyes with unclean hands.)

If someone has chlamydia and is sexually active before finishing their full treatment (often a course of antibiotics), they can still spread chlamydia.

And anyone who has had chlamydia and successfully treated it can get infected again. 

The only sure way to prevent chlamydia is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

Using barrier protection (such as condoms) during sexual intercourse can decrease the risk.

Symptoms of Chlamydia

Chlamydia is considered a “silent” infection because a large majority of people infected with it do not experience any symptoms.

\If symptoms do occur, they may begin weeks after the initial exposure. 

Symptoms of chlamydia vary based on where the infection is located.

Symptoms in the vulva

When a person with a vulva experiences chlamydia symptoms, they may notice one or several of the following:

Symptoms in the penis

For people with a penis, chlamydia symptoms often include: 

• Discharge from the penis
• Burning sensation when urinating
• Testicular pain, tenderness, and swelling

Symptoms in the throat 

Chlamydia in the throat is typically caused by having oral sex with someone who has contracted the infection. In this case, symptoms include:

• Sore throat
• Pain the mouth 
• Redness in the mouth or throat
• Mouth sores
• Sores around the lips
• Fever

Symptoms in the rectum

Receiving anal sex from an infected sex partner can lead to chlamydia of the anus. Chlamydia may also spread from the vulva to the rectum. In either case, rectal chlamydia can result in symptoms such as:

• Rectal pain
• Rectal discharge
• Rectal bleeding 

How Quickly Do Symptoms Show? 

In many cases, chlamydia symptoms do not show up at all, making it possible for the infection to lie dormant in the body and cause long-term side effects when not treated. 

If someone with chlamydia does experience symptoms, the time it takes for them to show up may vary.

For most people, though, it takes about 7-21 days after having unprotected sex with an infected partner. However, it can take longer.

How Long Does Chlamydia Last?

Once treated, a chlamydial infection can clear up in about a week with the proper antibiotics.

To avoid spreading chlamydia, it’s important to avoid having sex until your treatment is complete (follow your doctor’s directions) and the infection is cured. 

What Happens If Chlamydia Goes Untreated?

If left untreated, chlamydia can live in the body and lead to a variety of complications. Some of the most common and serious include:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): This can permanently damage the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus.

• Infections in newborns: Pregnant women can pass chlamydia to their baby, who may develop an eye infection or pneumonia.

• Epididymis: This inflammation near the testicles causes pain and swelling that, if left untreated, could affect fertility. 

• Sexually acquired reactive arthritis (SARA): This condition causes the joints, eyes, or urethra to become inflamed and is more common in men.

Think you may have an STI? Chat with a doctor today for just $35.

How Long After Treatment Can I Have Sex Again?

You should avoid being sexually active during treatment for chlamydia because you can still pass the infection to your sex partner(s) during this time, even if you have no symptoms.

How long you should wait to have sex depends on the antibiotic you take.

If your doctor prescribes a single dose of antibiotics, wait until seven days after taking it. If you take a multi-dose antibiotic, wait until you’ve taken the full course of medication (typically seven days).

Because it is somewhat common to get a repeat infection of chlamydia, it’s a good idea to be tested for it again about three months after treatment.

Do Past Infections Mean I’m Immune? 

While some studies have looked into the potential for immunity in animals and in humans, there have been no conclusive signs of immunity.

At this point, it seems you cannot become immune to chlamydia after having it. To avoid future infections, it’s important to practice safe sex and get tested regularly—especially if you are sexually active with multiple partners. 

Is chlamydia a lifelong illness?

When treated, chlamydia is fully curable. If left untreated, however, chlamydia can have serious, lifelong consequences for women. So if you are sexually active, it’s important to have regular STD tests and well-woman visits.

How do you know if chlamydia is gone?

If you take all of the antibiotics as prescribed, a chlamydial infection will likely be cured. You should notice an improvement in any discharge, pelvic pain, or pain during urination within a week or two. Bleeding between periods or heavier periods should improve by your next period. If you have pelvic pain or painful sex that doesn’t improve, see your doctor or healthcare provider, as further treatment or testing may be necessary.

K Health articles are all written and reviewed by MDs, PhDs, NPs, or PharmDs and are for informational purposes only. This information does not constitute and should not be relied on for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.