Skip to main content

Common Symptoms of Chlamydia

min read

By Emily Lockhart

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Andrea Eisenberg, MD

Chlamydia happens to be the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world.  With a whopping 2.3 million Americans infected, primarily men and women under the age of 25, Chlamydia can affect the genitals (penis or vagina), the cervix, urethra, anus, throat, or the eyes in its human hosts.

Chlamydia is most known as a sexually transmitted bacterial infection, spread by human to human sexual contact, including penetration, oral sex, petting, or contact with an infected person’s genitals, mouth, or anus. However, Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria can also be passed from mother to baby, or via contact with an infected person’s hand to eye contact.

Unfortunately, Chlamydia doesn’t always show obvious signs. However, you may experience the following symptoms within 5 to 10 days after you become infected…

No Symptoms

The scariest thing about Chlamydia is that it often shows no symptoms—with 3 out of 4 women unaware they have the infection; and 50-percent of men showing no signs of Chlamydia infection.

Burning Urination

Both men and women may feel some pain, often explained as a burning or fiery sensation, or an urgent, pressure-filled feeling prior to urinating.

Genital Discharge

Because women are more prone to catching Chlamydia due to the structure of the vagina, they may notice a thick, yellowish discharge with a strong, foul smell. Men may also experience a type of discharge— a milky pus coming from the penis.

Swelling

It is quite common for both males and females to experience swelling in the genital area. For instance, men may experience inflamed or tender testicles; while women may feel swelling inside the vagina or in the anal region.

Painful Intercourse

Pain during sex is quite common for women infected with Chlamydia. They might even endure vaginal bleeding post-intercourse.

Anal Itch

One common sign of Chlamydia from anal sex for both women and men is anal itching, that can be so severe it can cause discharge and bleeding.

Diarrhea

Akin to other bacterial infections, Chlamydia can cause abdominal pain, a loss of appetite, nausea, and explosive diarrhea.

Irritated Eyes

Chlamydia is not purely a sexually transmitted infection. For instance, it can enter the body through the eyes—either from mother to baby during delivery or contamination via eye contact with contaminated hands. Infection of the eyes will cause redness, itching, and milky eye discharge.

Sore Throat

Particularly in patients where Chlamydia contaminates the throat (from oral sex), the virus will often cause a raw, sore throat as well as painful eating and swallowing.

Blindness

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 15-percent of blindness incidents globally are due to Chlamydia infection.

MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Andrea Eisenberg, MD is a board certified OB/GYN in the Metro Detroit area. She has dedicated her life to caring for women through all stages of their lives -- from adolescence, to delivering babies, and later into menopause. Her special interests include minimally invasive surgeries, adolescence, family planning, infertility, and menopause. In her spare time she writes about the human side of medicine on her blog and has several essays published in a variety of journals. To decompress, she enjoys trail running and baking.

Your Health

Explore

CDC Greenlights Two Updated COVID-19 Vaccines, but How Will They Fare Against the Latest Variants? 5 Questions Answered
By Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti Your Health

CDC Greenlights Two Updated COVID-19 Vaccines, but How Will They Fare Against the Latest Variants? 5 Questions Answered

On Sept. 12, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the newly formulated COVID-19 vaccines for all Americans ages 6 months and up, hours after its expert advisory committee voted 13 to 1 in favor of recommending the vaccines. The CDC’s broad recommendation comes one day after the Food and Drug Administration approved […]

Read More about CDC Greenlights Two Updated COVID-19 Vaccines, but How Will They Fare Against the Latest Variants? 5 Questions Answered

6 min read

Can At-Home DNA Tests Predict How You’ll Respond to Your Medications? Pharmacists Explain the Risks and Benefits of Pharmacogenetic Testing
By Kayla B. Rowe, Lucas Berenbrok, and Philip Empey Your Health

Can At-Home DNA Tests Predict How You’ll Respond to Your Medications? Pharmacists Explain the Risks and Benefits of Pharmacogenetic Testing

Have you ever wondered why certain medications don’t seem to work as well for you as they do for others? This variability in drug response is what pharmacogenomic testing hopes to explain by looking at the genes within your DNA. Pharmacogenomics, or PGx, is the study of how genes affect your response to medications. Genes […]

Read More about Can At-Home DNA Tests Predict How You’ll Respond to Your Medications? Pharmacists Explain the Risks and Benefits of Pharmacogenetic Testing

5 min read

Alzheimer’s Disease Is Partly Genetic – Studying the Genes That Delay Decline in Some May Lead to Treatments For All
By Steven DeKosky Your Health

Alzheimer’s Disease Is Partly Genetic – Studying the Genes That Delay Decline in Some May Lead to Treatments For All

Diseases that run in families usually have genetic causes. Some are genetic mutations that directly cause the disease if inherited. Others are risk genes that affect the body in a way that increases the chance someone will develop the disease. In Alzheimer’s disease, genetic mutations in any of three specific genes can cause the disease, […]

Read More about Alzheimer’s Disease Is Partly Genetic – Studying the Genes That Delay Decline in Some May Lead to Treatments For All

5 min read