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Chlamydia is sometimes called the "silent disease" because you can have it without knowing it. As many as 8 in 10 women with chlamydia and 5 in 10 men don't have obvious signs of infection.

If you do get symptoms, they start one week to three weeks after you've been infected.¹

The most common symptoms in women are:¹

• Unusual discharge from your vagina
• Bleeding between periods
• Pain when passing urine
• Pain in the lower abdomen.

The most common symptoms in men are:¹

• Discharge from your penis
• Burning and itching around your genitals
• Pain when passing urine.

In men or women who have anal sex, chlamydia can cause inflammation in their rectum.² This is called proctitis. It can cause pain, discomfort, bleeding, constipation or an unusual discharge.

Symptoms of chlamydia may carry on, but sometimes they disappear after a few days.

If you're at risk of chlamydia and have one or more symptoms, you should see your doctor or visit your local sexual health clinic (also known as an STD clinic). You'll be offered a simple test that will show whether you have the infection.

The test for chlamydia can be done on either a sample of your urine or a swab sample. A swab is a twist of cotton at the end of a thin stick. Your nurse or doctor uses the swab to take a sample of fluid. The fluid can then be tested for the bacteria that cause chlamydia.

• If you're a woman, your doctor or nurse will usually take the swab sample from the neck of your womb (cervix). There are tests that allow you to take your own swab sample at home. But these tests may not be available everywhere.^{3 4 5}
• If you're a man, your doctor or nurse will take the swab sample from the tube (urethra) that carries urine down from your bladder. You many find that a urine sample is best for you because taking a swab can be hard and uncomfortable for men.^{6 7}

If your test shows you have chlamydia, your last sex partner, and any other partners you've had within the past few months, should be tested too.⁸ Your recent partners need to have a test even if they don't have any signs of infection. And they may be offered treatment even if the test shows they don't have chlamydia, just in case. This will stop you from getting infected again and help to prevent the disease from spreading to other people.⁹

Most people with chlamydia don't know they've got it, so it's important for people who are at risk to have regular screening tests.

In the United States, doctors recommend screening for certain groups of people who are more at risk of getting infected with chlamydia:^{10 11}

• Adolescents girl or women younger than 25 who're sexually active should get tested once a year, whether or not they have symptoms
• Older women who're more at risk (for example, those who've had a new sex partner or those who have more than one sex partner) should also get tested once a year
• Pregnant women.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.