A test can normally detect chlamydia within 1–2 weeks of exposure.
Testing for chlamydia is most accurate 7-10 days or longer after sexual contact. However, chlamydia has been detected as early as 3-4 days after becoming infected, in some cases.
It can take 5–14 days or more after exposure for a chlamydia test to be positive. Even when a person waits long enough, false negatives are fairly common.
Each STD has a different time-frame for accurate testing. For example, chlamydia may be tested for around five days after exposure. However, getting tested again after two weeks following the last test should be done to ensure the clearing of bacteria, especially if treatment is performed.
Gonorrhea. The symptoms of gonorrhea can become apparent 24-48 hours following exposure in some cases. However, in most cases, it will take 2-5 days.
How soon after I had sex can I get tested for STDs? It depends. It can take 3 months for HIV to show up on a test, but it only takes a matter of days to a few weeks for STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis to show up. Practicing safer sex lowers your chances of getting or spreading STDs.
Chlamydia. A doctor can test for chlamydia by swabbing the vagina, cervix, rectum, or throat, or by taking a urine sample. If symptoms appear, they usually present within 7–21 days of exposure. A test can normally detect chlamydia within 1–2 weeks of exposure.
The "window period" for the chlamydia and gonorrhea NAAT test is unknown. It may range from ~5 days up to 2 weeks. If patients have a known exposure, they should be tested and treated. If there was a risk exposure, they should be tested at time of visit.
Cloudy urine. Abnormal vaginal discharge. Abnormal vaginal bleeding with intercourse or between periods.
If your partner has gonorrhea or chlamydia, is it possible to have unprotected sex and not get these infections? While it is possible to have vaginal, oral, or anal sex with an infected partner and not get infected, it's unlikely.
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.
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.
You can get a chlamydia test at any time – although you might be advised to repeat the test later on if you have it less than 2 weeks since you had sex because the infection might not always be found in the early stages.
In as little as one day, chlamydia may show up in your system, but testing should be done at least five days after exposure. It is recommended you retest two weeks after treatment to make sure you are free of the infection.
Test results are usually ready in a day. There are some rapid chlamydia tests that can provide results in 90 minutes or less. You can also buy at-home collection kits to test for chlamydia and other STDs. With these kits, you collect a swab or urine sample at home and send it to a lab for testing.
Symptoms can develop within a few days or weeks, but sometimes they do not appear until months or even years later. Often there are few or no symptoms and you may not know you have an STI. If there's any chance you have an STI, go to a sexual health clinic or GP for a free and confidential check-up.
If you do get symptoms, these usually appear between 1 and 3 weeks after having unprotected sex with an infected person. For some people they don't develop until many months later. Sometimes the symptoms can disappear after a few days.
It takes seven days for the medicine to cure chlamydia. If you have sex during those first seven days you can still pass the infection on to your sex partners and you can also get re-infected yourself.
You may be started on antibiotics once test results have confirmed you have chlamydia. But if it's very likely you have the infection, you might be started on treatment before you get your results. The two most commonly prescribed antibiotics for chlamydia are: doxycycline – taken every day for a week.
Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmissible infection. If left untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women, which can lead to chronic pain and infertility. In men, untreated chlamydia can cause pain and swelling in one or both testicles.
If you have chlamydia, there is a 30% to 50% chance of your partner catching it every time you have unprotected sex. Since chlamydia often has no symptoms, you probably won't know whether your partner has it. Chlamydia can't spread from toilets, swimming pools or usual contact with people.
Getting tested
If you've been told by a sexual partner that you may have chlamydia, the first thing to do is get tested. There are a range of chlamydia tests available, both free on the NHS and at private testing companies such as Your Sexual Health.