Chlamydia: Symptoms, Testing and Treatment in Philadelphia

Chlamydia is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections in the United States. It is also one of the easiest to treat. The hard part is that many people never notice anything is wrong, so the only way to know is a test.

This guide explains the symptoms of chlamydia, who should be screened, how testing works, how chlamydia treatment works, and what to do about partners. It also points to free and low-cost testing in Philadelphia. The goal is simple: help you decide on your next step without fear or guesswork.

Table of Contents

1. What chlamydia is and how it spreads
2. Symptoms of chlamydia
3. Who should be tested, and how often
4. How chlamydia testing works
5. Is chlamydia curable? Treatment, retesting and partners
6. Chlamydia in Philadelphia: data, laws and privacy
7. Free and low-cost testing in Philadelphia
8. Common questions

What chlamydia is and how it spreads

Chlamydia is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis. It can infect the genitals, the rectum and the throat. It is passed through vaginal, anal or oral sex with a person who has the infection. It can also pass from a pregnant person to a baby during birth.

Who can get chlamydia

Anyone who has sex can get chlamydia. It does not depend on gender, orientation, age or how many partners a person has. A single partner is enough. Using condoms consistently and correctly lowers the chance of passing it on, according to the CDC.

What chlamydia is not

Chlamydia does not spread through toilet seats, hugging, sharing food or casual contact. It is also not a sign of anything about a person's character. It is a common infection, and clinicians treat it every day.

Why it matters to treat it

Chlamydia is usually simple to clear with treatment. Left untreated, it can sometimes lead to health problems. The CDC notes that in people with a cervix, untreated chlamydia can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes. This is called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause long-term pelvic pain, trouble getting pregnant and a higher chance of pregnancy outside the uterus.

In people with a penis, the infection can cause painful swelling near the testicles (epididymitis), though this is less common. In pregnancy, chlamydia can be passed to a newborn and may cause an eye infection or pneumonia. Treating the infection early prevents these outcomes.

Symptoms of chlamydia

The CDC says most people with chlamydia have no symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they often show up one to three weeks after exposure, but they can appear later. Some people never have any.

Symptoms cannot tell you whether you have chlamydia. Many other conditions cause the same signs, including other STIs, urinary tract infections and yeast infections. Only a test and a clinician can sort out the cause.

Possible symptoms in people with a vagina or cervix

• Unusual vaginal discharge
• Burning or pain when urinating
• Pain during sex
• Bleeding between periods or after sex
• Lower belly or pelvic pain

Possible symptoms in people with a penis

• Discharge from the penis
• Burning or pain when urinating
• Pain or swelling in one or both testicles

Possible symptoms in the rectum

Chlamydia in the rectum may cause rectal pain, discharge or bleeding. It often causes no symptoms at all. This applies to anyone who has receptive anal sex, whatever their gender.

Possible symptoms in the throat

Chlamydia in the throat usually causes no symptoms. Because of that, the CDC recommends testing at the body sites where sex took place for some groups, which is covered below.

When to get seen sooner

Do not wait for a routine check if you have new discharge, burning when you urinate, testicle pain, or pelvic or belly pain, especially with fever. A clinician can examine you, test you and start treatment if it is needed. The Health Center 1 STI clinic in Philadelphia is built for exactly this kind of visit and takes walk-ins, as described later in this guide.

Why "no symptoms" does not mean "nothing to check"

Because the infection is often silent, symptoms are a poor guide. A person can pass chlamydia to a partner without knowing. A person can also have the infection for months. This is the reason health agencies recommend routine screening for certain groups instead of waiting for signs.

Who should be tested, and how often

Screening means testing when you have no symptoms. The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) both recommend regular screening for groups with higher chances of infection.

Women and others with a cervix

The CDC recommends yearly chlamydia screening for all sexually active women under 25. The USPSTF makes the same recommendation for sexually active women 24 and younger. Both also recommend screening for older women who have higher chances of infection. This includes having a new partner, more than one partner, or a partner who has other partners or has had an STI.

Pregnant people

The CDC recommends chlamydia screening at the first prenatal visit for pregnant women under 25 and for older pregnant women at increased risk. Clinicians may repeat the test later in pregnancy for some people. If you are pregnant or planning to be, ask your prenatal provider which tests they recommend for you.

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men

The CDC recommends screening at least once a year for sexually active men who have sex with men. Testing should cover the body sites where sex occurred: urine for the penis, a swab for the rectum, and a swab for the throat where relevant. The CDC suggests more frequent screening, every three to six months, for people with multiple or anonymous partners.

Transgender and nonbinary people

The CDC advises clinicians to screen based on a person's current anatomy and sexual practices, not only on gender identity. That means a clinician should ask about the body parts involved in sex and test the matching sites. You can tell a clinician which words you prefer. Good clinics will use them.

People with HIV

The CDC recommends that sexually active people with HIV be screened for chlamydia at their first HIV care visit and at least yearly after that, with more frequent testing when chances are higher.

Anyone with a new partner or a partner who has an STI

Regardless of age, a test makes sense if a partner has been diagnosed with chlamydia, if you have symptoms, or if you are starting a new relationship and want to know your status. You do not need a reason beyond wanting to know.

What about the timing after exposure?

People often ask how soon a test works after a possible exposure. The CDC treatment guidelines do not give a single fixed window period for chlamydia testing that applies to everyone. If you had a recent exposure, ask a clinician when to test and whether a repeat test later is a good idea. If a partner tells you they have chlamydia, you do not need to wait for results to be treated. A clinician can talk through your options right away.

How chlamydia testing works

Testing for chlamydia is quick and does not usually involve a blood draw. The CDC recommends a nucleic acid amplification test, called a NAAT, as the most sensitive way to detect the bacterium. A NAAT looks for the genetic material of the bacteria in a sample.

What samples are used

• Vaginal swab. The CDC says this is the preferred sample for women. Many clinics let you collect it yourself in a private room. It is quick and not painful.
• Urine. This is the usual sample for people with a penis. For women, urine is an acceptable but slightly less sensitive option.
• Rectal swab. Used for people who have had receptive anal sex.
• Throat swab. Used for people who have had oral sex, when the clinician and the situation call for it.

What to do before the visit

If you are giving a urine sample, the CDC suggests the first part of the urine stream, ideally with at least an hour since you last urinated. A clinic will tell you what they need. You do not need to stop other medicines or prepare in special ways.

Getting results

Results timing depends on the clinic and the lab. Some give results in a few days. Ask when and how you will hear back, and which phone number or portal they will use. If you want results delivered a certain way, tell the staff before you leave.

Often tested together with other infections

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are frequently tested at the same time, using the same sample. A full panel may also include HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C, depending on your history. A clinician can help you choose. Testing for several infections at once is routine and not a sign that something is assumed about you.

Home testing

The City of Philadelphia, through Philly, Keep On Loving, says Philadelphia residents can order free HIV or STI test kits, condoms and lube online. Its page does not list eligibility details, so check the order page for current terms. If a home test is positive or unclear, follow up with a clinician for care and treatment.

Understanding the result

A negative result means the test did not detect chlamydia in that sample at that time. If you were exposed very recently or have symptoms that continue, a clinician may suggest repeat testing. A positive result means the test found the bacterium, and a clinician can prescribe treatment, which is effective.

Is chlamydia curable? Treatment, retesting and partners

Yes. Chlamydia is curable. It is a bacterial infection, and the CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) describe antibiotic treatment that clears it in most people. This is different from HIV, herpes and HPV, which are not curable but are treatable or manageable.

Chlamydia treatment is prescribed by a clinician

Chlamydia treatment is a course of antibiotics prescribed by a clinician. The 2021 CDC guidelines list doxycycline as the recommended choice for most adults, and name alternatives when it is not a good fit, such as in pregnancy. Your clinician chooses the medicine, how long you take it and how you take it. Always follow their instructions and finish the whole course, even if you feel better early. Do not use leftover antibiotics or someone else's prescription.

Treatment in pregnancy

Pregnant people are treated with a different antibiotic choice than most adults, according to the CDC. The CDC also recommends a follow-up test about four weeks after treatment in pregnancy, and another around three months later. Tell any clinician that you are or might be pregnant.

Pause sex while treatment works

The CDC advises people to avoid sex for seven days after starting treatment, and until any partners have also been treated. This helps stop the infection from passing back and forth. Ask your clinician how this applies to you.

Retesting at about three months

Repeat infection is common, often because a partner was not treated. The CDC recommends retesting about three months after treatment for most people, whether or not you think your partners were treated. If you cannot get retested at three months, the CDC says to test whenever you next see a clinician within the following year.

A test right after treatment can sometimes pick up leftover genetic material from bacteria that are no longer alive. For that reason, the CDC does not generally recommend a "test of cure" soon after treatment, except in pregnancy and in a few other situations your clinician will explain.

Treating partners

The CDC recommends that people who had sex with someone diagnosed with chlamydia in the prior 60 days be evaluated, tested and treated. If a person has not had sex in that time, the most recent partner should be treated. Telling a partner can feel uncomfortable. A plain, short message works well: you were treated for an infection, and they should get tested and treated too.

If you would rather not contact partners yourself, the City of Philadelphia's STD Control Program offers partner services. These include referral, testing and treatment for the sex partners of people with an STI. You can reach the program at (215) 685-6740.

Expedited Partner Therapy in Pennsylvania

Expedited Partner Therapy, or EPT, lets a clinician give a patient treatment or a prescription to bring to a partner without examining the partner first. According to the CDC's legal status page for Pennsylvania, the state's Expedited Partner Therapy Act (Act 147 of 2022, signed November 3, 2022) allows practitioners to prescribe or provide antibiotics for STIs to partners without an exam, following CDC guidance. Pharmacists may dispense these under the law. The effective date is listed by the CDC as February 1, 2023, and other sources give early February 2023.

Which infections EPT covers in Philadelphia, and how each clinic uses it, was not published in a source we could confirm. Ask your clinician whether EPT is an option for your partner. EPT does not replace a partner's own visit, which is still the best route, especially if the partner has symptoms or is pregnant.

What about doxy-PEP?

In 2024, the CDC issued guidance on doxycycline taken after sex to lower the chance of certain bacterial STIs. This is called doxy-PEP. The CDC's guidance focuses on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender women who have had a bacterial STI in the past year. It is a prevention strategy, and it is prescribed by a clinician. It is not a substitute for testing. A Philadelphia-specific doxy-PEP program page was not available to us, so ask a sexual health clinician whether it fits your situation.

What if symptoms do not go away?

See a clinician again. Ongoing symptoms can come from a repeat infection, a different infection or another cause. Do not assume treatment failed, and do not assume it worked. A clinician can re-examine you and test again.

Chlamydia in Philadelphia: data, laws and privacy

What the numbers show

According to the CDC's 2023 STI Surveillance Report, Pennsylvania recorded 54,600 chlamydia cases, a rate of 421.2 per 100,000 people. That makes chlamydia the most commonly reported of the bacterial STIs the state tracks. The same report listed a gonorrhea rate of 144.7 per 100,000 and a primary and secondary syphilis rate of 9.1 per 100,000 for Pennsylvania.

We could not confirm a Philadelphia-only chlamydia rate from a published source. For current city figures, check with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. What the statewide numbers do show is that chlamydia is common, which is why screening is routine care and not a reason for worry.

Reporting is confidential public health work

Under 28 Pa. Code 27.21a, health care practitioners and facilities must report chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV to public health authorities within five work days of identifying them. Chlamydia is reportable when confirmed by laboratory evidence. This is routine surveillance, used to track trends and to connect people to partner services. It does not mean your result is shared with your employer or family. If you have questions about how a particular clinic handles your information, ask the staff.

Consent for young people

Pennsylvania's Minors' Consent Act (Act 186 of 1970) allows minors to consent to services for the detection and treatment of venereal disease. The Guttmacher Institute's summary of state policy says Pennsylvania minors may consent to STI testing and treatment, lists no minimum age, and shows no parental-notification provision. The City's Health Center 1 clinic states that anyone over 13 can get testing and treatment. Whether other clinics have their own age policies was not published, so confirm by phone.

The STD Control Program also says gonorrhea and chlamydia urine screening is available in all Philadelphia public high schools.

Chlamydia and pregnancy testing rules

Pennsylvania regulation 28 Pa. Code 27.89 covers syphilis testing in pregnancy, not chlamydia. For chlamydia, the CDC guidance described above applies. Ask your prenatal clinician which STI tests are part of your care.

Free and low-cost testing in Philadelphia

You have several options in the city. Some take walk-ins, and some need an appointment. Hours and costs can change, so call before you go. For a broader list, see our guide to STD testing in Philadelphia and where to get tested. You can also use the CDC's GetTested tool at gettested.cdc.gov to find sites by ZIP code.

STI clinic at Health Center 1 (City of Philadelphia)

• Address: 1930 S. Broad St., Fl. 2, Philadelphia, PA 19145
• Phone: (215) 685-6570 or (215) 685-6575
• Cost: Free
• How it works: Walk-in only, first-come first-served. Anyone over 13 can get testing and treatment.
• Hours: Monday and Wednesday 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the first Wednesday of each month, the clinic opens at 1 p.m. On very busy days, the clinic may close earlier.
• Also offers: HIV testing, PrEP, PEP, treatment, and hepatitis A and B, HPV and mpox vaccines.

The City's page says the Health Center 5 satellite clinic was temporarily unavailable as of September 12, 2025. Call 311 or the clinic number above to confirm which locations are open.

Mazzoni Center

• Address: 1201 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
• Phone: (215) 985-9206
• Hours: Monday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Services: The City lists it as a community testing site for HIV and STI testing, hepatitis C testing, PrEP and PEP.
• Cost: The City page does not state a price. A separate CDC GetTested listing for Mazzoni Center at 1348 Bainbridge St., phone (215) 563-0652, lists free HIV and STI tests and says an appointment is not required. Confirm the address and cost before you go.

Jonathan Lax Treatment Center (Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers)

• Address: 1233 Locust St., 4th Fl., Philadelphia, PA 19107
• Phone: (215) 790-1788
• How it works: The CDC GetTested listing says an appointment is required.
• Cost: The listing shows free HIV and STI tests, and says insurance, Medicaid and Medicare are accepted. Hours are not published there, so call.

Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania

• Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center: 1144 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, (215) 351-5560
• Castor Avenue Health Center: 8210 Castor Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19152, (215) 745-5966
• How it works: Both CDC GetTested listings say an appointment is required.
• Cost: Sliding scale is listed, and insurance and Medicaid are accepted. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes and HIV tests are listed. Hours are not published, so call.

Bebashi - Transition to Hope

• Addresses: 4101 Woodland Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Bebashi West), and 1237 Spring Garden St., Philadelphia, PA 19123 (Bebashi North). The City page lists 1235 Spring Garden St., so confirm before you go.
• Phone: (215) 769-3561
• Services: The City lists Bebashi as a community testing site for HIV, STI and hepatitis C testing, PrEP and PEP.
• Hours and cost: Bebashi's own page lists health care screening hours at its West site Monday through Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The North site lists screening Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The site does not state a price or walk-in policy, so call ahead.

Courage Medicine

• Address: 3751 Island Ave., Suite 201, Philadelphia, PA 19153. The organization also lists sites on Castor Ave. and Kensington Ave.
• Phone: 267-217-3217
• Hours: The City page lists Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Island Ave. site. Mobile unit hours vary.
• Services: STI, hepatitis C and HIV testing, PrEP and PEP are listed by the City. Courage's own page does not state hours, cost or walk-in policy.

Tips for your visit

• Call first to confirm hours, cost and whether you need an appointment.
• Bring a photo ID if you have one, and insurance information if you plan to use it. Free clinics often do not require insurance.
• Say if you have symptoms, if you are pregnant, or if you have had receptive anal or oral sex. This helps the clinician choose the right swabs.
• Ask how and when you will get results.

Paying for care

Health Center 1 is free. Other sites vary, and several accept insurance or use a sliding scale based on income. If a price is not listed, ask for it when you call. If cost is a concern, say so. Clinic staff can often explain options.

Related prevention options

If you are thinking about HIV prevention along with STI testing, the City's Philly, Keep On Loving program offers TelePrEP, with online and phone access to HIV prevention medicine. The page we reviewed does not list cost or eligibility. You can reach the Health Information Helpline at 215-985-2437. The Pennsylvania Department of Health also notes that federal rules require most insurers to cover HIV PrEP medication with no out-of-pocket cost for insured people.

Common questions

Is chlamydia curable?

Yes. A clinician can prescribe antibiotics that cure chlamydia. Retesting about three months later is recommended because reinfection is common.

Can chlamydia go away on its own?

Do not count on it. Without treatment, the infection can stay in the body and be passed to partners. A clinician can test and treat it.

Can I get chlamydia again after treatment?

Yes. Treatment cures the current infection but does not protect against a new one. This is why partner treatment and retesting matter.

Do I have to tell my partners?

The CDC recommends that recent partners be tested and treated. Partner services at the STD Control Program can help, and Pennsylvania's EPT law may let a clinician provide a partner's treatment.

Does chlamydia affect fertility?

Untreated chlamydia can cause PID in people with a cervix, and PID can affect fertility, according to the CDC. Early testing and treatment lower that chance. If you have concerns, a clinician can talk through your history.

Is it okay to get tested if I have no symptoms?

Yes. Most chlamydia has no symptoms, and screening is made for exactly this situation.

Where can I start?

If you are in Philadelphia, call the Health Center 1 STI clinic at (215) 685-6570, or use gettested.cdc.gov to see other options. You can also call 311 with questions about city health centers.

Sources

• CDC: Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021, Chlamydial Infections
• CDC: STI Treatment Guidelines, 2021, and later updates including doxy-PEP guidance (2024)
• CDC: Legal Status of Expedited Partner Therapy in Pennsylvania
• CDC STI Surveillance 2023, state chlamydia table (mirror copy)
• CDC GetTested: find testing locations
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Screening
• City of Philadelphia: Get walk-in testing and treatment for STDs
• City of Philadelphia: Health Center 1
• City of Philadelphia: STD Control Program
• Philly, Keep On Loving (Philadelphia Department of Public Health)
• Pennsylvania Code: 28 Pa. Code 27.21a, reportable diseases
• Guttmacher Institute: Minors' Access to STI Services
• Pennsylvania Department of Health: No-cost HIV PrEP coverage available