Chlamydia is a common, curable sexually transmitted disease (STD). STDs are infections that spread through sexual contact. Most people with chlamydia do not have symptoms. Treatment can stop the spread of the infection and help prevent long-lasting problems.

Treatment:

• Your health care provider may prescribe a 7-day course of antibiotics or a 1-day course. For the 7-day course, don't stop the antibiotics early, even if the signs of chlamydia are gone, or the infection could come back.
• Tell all sexual partners from the past 2 months to get tested and treated too, even if they don't have symptoms of an STD (such as pain in the lower belly; fever; unusual discharge from the vagina, penis, or anus; and pain when peeing).
• Don't have sex until you and your partner finish the 7-day course of antibiotics or at least 7 days after a 1-dose treatment.
• Don't have sex until there are no symptoms of STDs in you and your partner.

Follow up:

• Go for follow-up STD testing as recommended by the health care provider. It's important to make sure the treatment worked.
• Get all doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (given as a shot). HPV is an STD that can lead to some kinds of cancer and genital warts.

• You can't get or take the antibiotics.
• You are not getting better after a few days on antibiotics.
• You get better, then develop signs of an STD.

• For girls: You have severe belly pain.
• For guys: You have swelling or severe pain in your testicles.

What happens if chlamydia is not treated? If it's not treated, chlamydia can lead to:

• a serious infection in a girl's reproductive system
• infertility (trouble getting pregnant)
• swelling in a guy's testicles and tubes at the back of the testicles

How can I avoid getting another STD? The only way to completely prevent chlamydia and other STDs is to not have sex. To lower the risk of getting an STD, you can:

• Use a latex condom every time you have sex (vaginal, oral, or anal).
• Get tested with any new partners before having sex. 
• Have sex with only one partner (who doesn't have sex with other people).

Where can we get more information? You can make safe choices about your sexuality. Here are some resources that can help:

• General information: TeensHealth.org
• Information for girls: girlshealth.gov
• Find a place to get tested: gettested.cdc.gov