How Common is Chlamydia?
Right off the bat, you can probably guess that Chlamydia is an incredibly common sexually transmitted disease. But just how common is it? In this article, Your Sexual Health takes a look at Public Health England’s most recent report into Chlamydia testing and diagnosis. We also take a look at related search volumes to see how many people are searching for Chlamydia on the web.
So, how common is Chlamydia? In 2022 in the UK, Chlamydia was diagnosed 199,233 times. It is the most common STI in the UK and accounts for over half of all new STI diagnoses. Likewise, Chlamydia is also the most commonly searched for STI in the UK in 2023.
Read on to learn more about how common Chlamydia is in the UK with recent data from Public Health England.
How Common is Chlamydia in the UK?
Chlamydia is the most common STI in the UK. In fact, in 2021, over half of all new STI diagnoses were Chlamydia. In 2022, Public Health England reported 199, 233 diagnoses of Chlamydia, an increase of 24% from 2021.
Likewise, Chlamydia is also the most commonly searched for STI in the UK* in 2023, with 49,500 searches per month for “Chlamydia Symptoms”. HIV is the second most commonly searched for STI (33,100), followed by Herpes (27,100) and Gonorrhoea (22,200).
*Data from SEMRush, July 2023
How Common is Chlamydia in Women?
In the UK, Public Health England reported 68,882 Chlamydia diagnoses in young women between 15 to 24 in 2022. This is an increase of 21.8% from 2021. However, the amount of Chlamydia tests administered during this time decreased by 1.2%.
How Common is Chlamydia in Men?
For young men aged 15 to 24 in the UK, there were 37,404 Chlamydia diagnoses reported in 2022. This is an increase of 27.5% from 2021. It should be noted that Chlamydia testing also increased amongst young men by 6.8% from 2021 to 2022.
Is Oral Chlamydia Common?
As it isn’t always tested for in a routine Chlamydia test, it isn’t possible to accurately gauge how common oral Chlamydia is in the UK. However, it is thought that the chance of having oral Chlamydia is extremely low, with the exception of:
- Men who have sex with other men
- Sex workers
- In cases of sexual assault
- Those who have had oral sex with someone who has Chlamydia
How Common Are Chlamydia Symptoms?
In most cases, Chlamydia presents without symptoms. Most people don’t know that they have it without testing. However, it does sometimes present with symptoms and these look different for both men and women.
Chlamydia Symptoms In Men
In at least half of male Chlamydia cases, there are no noticeable symptoms. As such, men can go months, or even years without knowing that they have it. As a result of this, the risk of passing on the disease to unsuspecting partners increases.
In cases where Chlamydia does present with symptoms in men, they may include:
- Pain when peeing
- White, cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis
- Burning or itching in the urethra
- Pain in the testicles
It’s important to note that these symptoms may also affect those that were assigned male at birth (AMAB), but no longer identify as male.
Learn more about what Chlamydia looks like in women in our recent blog, What Does Chlamydia Look Like on a Man?
Chlamydia Symptoms In Women
In 70% of cases in women, Chlamydia is asymptomatic and most women won’t know that they have it. This is why regular STI testing is so important if you’re sexually active and outside of a committed relationship.
That being said, Chlamydia does occasionally present symptoms:
- Unusual colour, smell or texture to discharge. In particular, look out for white, yellow or grey discharge with a foul odour
- Pus in your urine
- Increased need to pee
- Pain or a burning sensation when you pee
- Unusually painful periods
- Bleeding between periods
- Painful intercourse
- Itching or burning sensations around the vagina
- A dull pain in the lower part of the abdomen
It’s important to note that these symptoms are similar to Cervicitis or a UTI, therefore it’s important to get tested to be sure. Additionally, it’s important to understand that Chlamydia symptoms may also affect those who were assigned female at birth (AFAB), but no longer identify as female.
Learn more about what Chlamydia looks like in women in our recent blog, What Does Chlamydia Look Like in Women?
How Common is a False Negative/False Positive Chlamydia Test?
Unfortunately, no medical test is 100% accurate. However, STI tests typically offer a high degree of accuracy if completed correctly. This includes Chlamydia testing. It’s incredibly rare that it happens but false negatives and false positives sometimes occur, particularly if incubation periods and proper procedures are not followed.
Waiting until the incubation period has passed (14 days for Chlamydia) reduces the risk of this happening. If you try to test before this period, the bacteria in your system may not yet be at detectable levels.
Learn more about this in our blog, False Positive Vs False Negative. Or check out Can You Be a Carrier of Chlamydia and Test Negative?, where we go into more detail about incubation periods and testing procedures.
Everything Else You Need to Know About Chlamydia
For more information about Chlamydia, its symptoms, treatments and everything in between, check out our comprehensive guide to Chlamydia. In this blog, we go into much more detail about each and every aspect of Chlamydia and answer your burning questions.
Alternatively, if you’re ready to test, take a look at our range of Chlamydia STI tests. We offer a variety of testing options at our clinics across the UK, or via a home testing kit. We also offer instant testing and tests that check for a range of common STIs. Get in touch with us today if you’re not quite sure what you need and a friendly member of our team will be happy to point you in the right direction.
