Can I Have Sex During Chlamydia Treatment?

Having sex during chlamydia treatment is something we often get asked about in our private STD clinics. Our resident Medical Director, Dr Rashid Bani, has all the answers… So, can you have sex during treatment for chlamydia?

No – you should abstain from sex whilst you receive treatment for chlamydia. Although treatment for the infection is usually just a single dose of antibiotics, you need to wait at least seven days until having sex to ensure that the bacteria have left your system to avoid passing it on.  

Read on to find out when you can have sex after treatment for chlamydia, how to protect your partner, and how to protect yourself to avoid re-infection.

Can You Have Sex During Chlamydia Treatment?

No, you shouldn’t have sex during chlamydia treatment. Once you’ve been diagnosed with chlamydia you’ll be given a course of antibiotics to clear up the infection. Usually, the antibiotic treatment for chlamydia is taken in one single dose, but it still takes up to seven days for the chlamydia bacteria to completely leave your system. Because of this, you are still at risk of passing on the infection to a partner up to a week after finishing treatment.

Whilst penetrative sex carries the highest risk of passing on the infection, you should also avoid:

• Giving oral sex to someone who has the infection
• Receiving oral sex from someone who has an oral chlamydia infection
• Genital to genital rubbing
• Sharing sex toys
• Anal sex

You can, however, partake in the following (with care and caution):

• Masturbation 
• Mutual masturbation (however you must avoid contact with each other’s genital fluids)
• Kissing 

To learn more about what you can and can’t do with a chlamydia infection, read this helpful blog: How Do You Get Chlamydia Without Being Sexually Active?

How Long Should You Abstain From Sex After Being Treated For Chlamydia?

Because the chlamydial infection doesn’t leave your body straight away, it’s important not to have sex until seven days after you finish the chlamydia medication. If you’ve had a longer course of antibiotics, you should wait until seven days after the full course of treatment has finished.

If you’d like to learn more about the antibiotics used to treat a chlamydial infection, read one of our recent blogs: How Do You Treat Chlamydia?

What If I Had Sex Whilst On Antibiotics?

Antibiotics for chlamydia need up to seven days to work, so if you had sex before the timeframe is up, you risk reinfecting yourself. If you had sex during chlamydia treatment, we’d recommend getting another sexual health test two weeks after chlamydia treatment has finished to ensure that you don’t still carry the infection. It is important to abstain from sexual contact whilst you wait for your test results.

Can I Have Protected Sex Following Chlamydia Treatment?

No, you shouldn’t have protected sex during chlamydia treatment. Even though condoms can dramatically reduce the chances of chlamydia passing from person to person they do not completely eliminate the chances of the infection spreading. For this reason, it’s important that you completely refrain from sexual intercourse of any kind until seven days after your medication has finished – even if you use a condom!

How Do I Know If Chlamydia Treatment Has Worked?

Once the seven-day period has passed following your treatment, the chlamydia trachomatis bacteria should have passed out of your system. In order to be certain, you should complete another sexual health test to confirm that you’re clear. The test should be taken two weeks after completing the antibiotic treatment to be sure.

Once it is confirmed that you no longer have the infection you can continue having sex, safe in the knowledge that you won’t be able to pass it on. If your partner was also infected, you must wait until they successfully complete a sexual health test before having sex again.

Discreet STD Testing From Your Sexual Health

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with chlamydia, you might find one of our recent blogs helpful: What to do if you have chlamydia, or you can read our dedicated Chlamydia Advice Page.

You can book a private chlamydia test with Your Sexual Health and get tested at one of our clinic locations across the UK. If you prefer to get tested within the comfort of your own home, we also offer discreet postal test kits. If your test returns positive results, positive tests can be actioned by your own GP.  We can also recommend an independent private GP service should you require it. Book a test appointment today.

Related Questions

Can You Masturbate Whilst Being Treated For Chlamydia?

Yes, you can masturbate by yourself whilst being treated for chlamydia, however, mutual masturbation must be approached with caution. You must avoid genital fluids coming into contact in order to prevent the spreading of infection.

If you’ve used a sex toy, you must clean it properly before and afterwards to avoid passing the active infection on to a partner, or back to yourself. If you want to be extra careful, use a dental dam or a condom with the toy to prevent the spreading of bacteria.

How Do You Prevent Chlamydia Re-Infection?

Remember that once the infection has passed you can still catch it again if you come into contact with the bacteria so make sure you practice safe sex. To have safe sex, follow these tips:

• Always use a condom when having sex with a new partner
• Get checked regularly, especially if you’ve had sex with multiple partners
• If you’re starting a relationship with a new partner ensure they get tested