How do you treat chlamydia?

Chlamydia is treated with a routine course of antibiotics that are available with a prescription following a positive test or if a doctor believes it’s highly likely that you have the condition. This form of treatment is effective in 95% of people who take their antibiotic treatment as prescribed.

There are two common types of antibiotics that are prescribed to treat chlamydia, they are: –

• Azithromycin – the course will consist of 2 or 4 tablets taken in one sitting
• Doxycycline – this is taken as 2 tablets taken every day for a week

In some instances doctors may prescribe different antibiotics if a patient is allergic to penicillin or is breastfeeding. A longer course of antibiotics may also be prescribed in instances that the patient is suffering from complications or severe symptoms as a result of chlamydia.

What to do once you’ve been treated

Once you’ve received treatment for chlamydia you should abstain from sexual activity for at least 7 days following the successful completion of antibiotics. It’s also recommended that you are retested two weeks following treatment to confirm a negative test. If you have a regular sexual partner it’s important that they are tested and then treated before you have sex with them again.

Getting treated without a test

Antibiotic treatment for chlamydia should only ever be taken if you have a prescription or following a positive test. Unfortunately many patients have been known to seek out treatment without a positive test by purchasing the drug online.

Taking antibiotics without a need can have a long term impact on your bodies immunity against serious infections. It can strengthen the resistance to the medication of dangerous bacteria that live inside the body meaning that if you get a serious infection in future it may be harder for you to fight it.

How to avoid getting chlamydia in future

Once you’ve been tested for chlamydia you’ll want to avoid getting the disease in future. You’ll also want to avoid the potential embarrassment of passing it on. These helpful tips can help you do so: –

• Always use a condom when having sex with a new partner – condoms dramatically reduce the risk of infection
• Get tested regularly and whenever you have a new sexual partner
• If you’ve just begun having sex with someone new, encourage them to get tested

Your Sexual Health have a wide range of private chlamydia tests that are available to be carried out at one of our clinics nationwide or using our convenient postal or home visits service.