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Accessing chlamydia treatment in Australia is as easy as visiting your GP.
Chlamydia is an easily treated and curable sexually transmitted infection (STI).
The bacterial infection affects sexually active people of all ages and genders, with 15- to 30-year-olds at the highest risk of infection.
Chlamydia is also the most commonly reported STI in the country.
ON THIS PAGE
- How do you catch chlamydia?
- Chlamydia treatment: antibiotics
- Can I get antibiotics without seeing a doctor?
- What are the symptoms to look out for?
- How do doctors diagnose the STI?
- Can chlamydia cause infertility?
- Chlamydia & pregnancy
- FAQs
- About Dr Andrew Nolen
Infection rates among our population are around 380 per 100,000 – more than three times that of gonorrhoea, the next most common STI.
Let’s dive in and take a look at all things chlamydia. I’ve included a helpful FAQ at the bottom of this post.
How Do You Catch Chlamydia?
Chlamydia can be transmitted through vaginal, anal, and oral sex with an infected person.
Using condoms or another barrier method, along with practising safe sex with all partners, significantly lowers the risk of infection.
Mothers can also pass chlamydia to their babies during delivery.
Can Chlamydia Be Treated with Antibiotics?
Yes, doctors can successfully treat chlamydia with a course of antibiotics. They’ll either prescribe azithromycin or doxycycline tablets.
You should avoid sexual intercourse (even with a condom) for seven days after commencing treatment, or until you’ve completed the course of antibiotics and symptoms have gone, whichever comes later.
It’s also a good idea for a doctor to examine and test your partner during your treatment period.
If your partner is being treated for the infection, again, avoid sex until a week after treatment.
In most cases, chlamydia is curable with this simple treatment. Symptoms should start to improve within a few days and disappear after a week or two.
Depending on the site of infection, doctors recommend a follow-up test 1 to 3 months after treatment to confirm you’re clear.
Moreover, it’s essential to tell any sexual partners from the past six months about your positive results.
Known as contact tracing, informing partners that they may also have chlamydia minimises their chance of developing complications.
Can I Get Chlamydia Antibiotics Without Seeing a Doctor?
No. Chlamydia antibiotics are prescription-only in Australia, so a doctor needs to assess you and write the script.
Please be wary of anything sold over the counter claiming to clear chlamydia. There’s no evidence that these treatments are effective or worth your hard-earned money.
Most people who see me about an STI are overdue for a few other health checks anyway. An appointment is a good chance to tick them off.
What Are the Symptoms?
Most people with chlamydia are asymptomatic, meaning no apparent symptoms are present.
However, they can still infect sexual partners.
Vaginal symptoms include:
- A change in vaginal discharge
- Bleeding between periods
- A burning or stinging sensation when urinating
- Pain or bleeding during intercourse
- Pelvic pain
Penile symptoms include:
- A burning or stinging sensation when urinating
- Discharge from the penis
- If left untreated, painful or swollen testicles
Anal symptoms can include:
- Discharge
- Bleeding
- Anal pain
It’s common to have simultaneous infections in more than one part of your body after different types of sex with an infected partner.
Regardless of gender, anyone can develop complications such as reactive arthritis (Reiter Syndrome), which causes the urethra, joints, and eyes to become inflamed.
Chlamydia can also occasionally cause eye infections.
How Do Doctors Diagnose Chlamydia?
Your GP or sexual health clinic can diagnose chlamydia. They typically do this by testing a urine sample or a swab from the affected area.
For the cervix and vagina: The most accurate tests involve a swab. A doctor can collect it, or you can collect it yourself (a self-collected vaginal swab).
A urine test is also an effective option.
For the penis: A urine sample is the most common test.
For the rectum or throat (pharynx): A swab of the affected area is necessary. This is particularly relevant for anyone who has anal or oral sex.
In some cases, if your symptoms strongly suggest a chlamydia infection, your doctor may recommend starting treatment before test results are back.
They’ll still perform the necessary tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Can Chlamydia Cause Infertility?
Infertility is a real risk factor for chlamydia for all genders.
Though the STI itself doesn’t directly impact your fertility, if left untreated, chlamydia can spread to your reproductive system and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Symptoms of PID include infection and permanent scarring of the fallopian tubes, potentially causing pregnancy complications and infertility.
Medical researchers in the US estimate that 10-15% of women diagnosed with chlamydia will develop PID.
Ectopic pregnancies are also a symptom of PID for some people. Scarring can make it more difficult for a fertilised egg to travel to the womb.
In addition, chlamydia can also affect male fertility, though this is rare.
Bacteria can spread to the testicles, causing swelling and restricted sperm flow through the tubes.
Chlamydia & Pregnancy
GPs routinely test pregnant people for chlamydia during their first antenatal visit.
Among many risks, having the STI when pregnant can cause your water to break prematurely, resulting in a preterm birth.
Though rare, babies can contract the infection during delivery. A newborn with the infection is at risk of developing conjunctivitis and pneumonia.
Antibiotics used to treat chlamydia are perfectly safe to take during pregnancy.
Dr Andrew Nolen is a local GP at Doctors of South Melbourne
Andrew’s special interests include sexual health and LGBTQIA+ health.
Due to ongoing health issues, he has temporarily reduced his consulting hours and is not accepting new patients at this time.
However, you can make an appointment online with most other GPs at the clinic, or simply call us on (03) 8579 6838.
Chlamydia FAQs
How common is chlamydia in Australia?
It’s very common, indeed.
The Department of Health believes chlamydia is Australia’s most frequently reported infectious disease. Over 102,000 diagnoses in Australia in 2024.
The lack of symptoms contributes to its prevalence in the community.
The number of detected cases has skyrocketed over the past twenty years. The good news is that this surge likely reflects increased awareness and testing.
More testing equals more patients diagnosed.
How is chlamydia diagnosed in people with no symptoms of the STI?
Doctors can diagnose asymptomatic chlamydia in the following ways:
– During sexual health screening visits.
– Opportunistic screening while checking suitability to take the contraceptive pill.
– During fertility checks.
– In the course of a pregnant person’s first antenatal check.
– Opportunistic STI screening during periodic cervical screening tests (which have replaced Pap smears).
Can you get antibiotics for chlamydia over the counter?
No. Azithromycin and doxycycline tablets are Schedule 4 drugs, meaning your GP or specialist must prescribe them.
Does chlamydia come back?
Because you don’t gain any immunity from previous infections, you can catch chlamydia more than once.
As such, it’s a good idea to have regular checkups and follow safe sex guidelines.
Chlamydia can come back if you don’t complete your course of antibiotics or if you get re-infected by a sexual partner.
Sexual partners must get treated with antibiotics even if all their tests come back clear.
Do you have any tips for letting past sexual partners know they should get tested for chlamydia?
Telling past partners in person or over the phone is always best, and it’s usually much less awkward than you may think.
Melbourne Sexual Health Centre has a great website, www.letthemknow.org.au, that helps with contact tracing. This website lets you notify past partners via SMS, email, or letters.
You can do this anonymously if you prefer.
How can having an STI affect someone’s mental health?
It’s not unusual to feel anxious about re-infection impacting your sex life.
It’s also common to feel self-conscious or worried about being judged when visiting a GP. This is often due to outdated social stigma around sexual health, not a reflection on you.
GPs such as myself are professionals who don’t judge you or your sexual practices. A good GP will treat you and your concerns with respect and understanding.
They understand that healthy sex is an important part of people’s lives and should treat sexual health issues with the same care and confidentiality as any other health issue.
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