If you have been treated for chlamydia, you can still pass the infection on to partners if you have sex too soon after finishing treatment. This is because the treatment does not work instantly – it takes 7 days for azithromycin or up to 2 weeks for doxycycline to fully clear chlamydia from the body. During this time, you can still be contagious. However, if you avoid sex for 7 days after treatment, you should no longer be able to transmit chlamydia.
How long is chlamydia contagious after treatment?
Chlamydia is contagious for up to 2 weeks after starting antibiotic treatment. This is because the antibiotics take time to fully clear the infection from the body. Here is a breakdown:
- Azithromycin (single 1g dose): Contagious for 7 days after treatment
- Doxycycline (100mg twice a day for 7 days): Contagious for up to 14 days after starting treatment
So you can still spread chlamydia to partners during this time. It takes up to 7 days for azithromycin or 14 days for doxycycline to clear chlamydia from the body.
When is it safe to have sex again after chlamydia treatment?
Experts recommend avoiding all sexual contact for 7 days after finishing chlamydia antibiotics. This gives time for the medication to work and clear the infection fully.
Guidelines recommend:
- No sex for 7 days after completing azithromycin or doxycycline chlamydia treatment.
- No sex until both you and your partner(s) have finished treatment and waited 7 days if you are both infected.
After 7 days, the antibiotics should have cleared chlamydia from your system completely and you should no longer be contagious.
What if I had sex too soon after chlamydia treatment?
If you had sex before completing the 7 day waiting period after chlamydia treatment, you may still be at risk of passing on the infection.
To be safe, you and your partner(s) should:
- Take the full chlamydia treatment as prescribed.
- Abstain from sex for 7 days after finishing treatment.
- Get retested 3 weeks after finishing antibiotics to check you are clear of chlamydia.
By following these steps, you give any remaining bacteria time to clear and confirm the infection is gone before having sex again.
When is it safe to stop using condoms after chlamydia?
You should continue to use condoms during sex for 7 days after finishing chlamydia treatment. This prevents transmission in case any bacteria remain.
After 7 days, it is safe to stop using condoms provided:
- You avoided sex or used protection for the 7 day period.
- You and your partner(s) took the full course of antibiotics.
- You have been re-tested after 3 weeks to confirm the infection has cleared.
Once these criteria are met, the risk of transmitting chlamydia is very low and condoms are no longer necessary solely to prevent chlamydia transmission.
Key points
- Chlamydia remains contagious for up to 7 days after azithromycin treatment or 14 days after starting doxycycline.
- You should avoid sex for 7 days after treatment to ensure you don’t transmit bacteria.
- Get retested in 3 weeks to check the infection has cleared.
- Once treatment is finished and waiting period observed, risk of transmission is very low.
Conclusion
In summary, chlamydia is contagious for up to 2 weeks after starting antibiotic treatment. To avoid transmission, you should avoid all sexual contact for 7 days after finishing chlamydia medication. This allows time for the antibiotics to fully work and clear the bacteria. If you had sex too soon, get retested in 3 weeks to check you have not transmitted the infection. Once treatment is complete and the waiting period is over, it should then be safe to have sex again without condoms solely to prevent chlamydia.