With a whopping 24.5% increase in chlamydia diagnoses since 2021, chlamydia remains the most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK. If you’re having unprotected sex, you must be able to spot the signs and symptoms of an infection. So, what does a chlamydia infection look like?

If you have chlamydia, you may experience some of these visual symptoms:

• Swelling & inflammation around the genital region
• Unusual discharge with an unusual, strong odour
• Bleeding from the anus or vagina
• Sticky, red discharge from the eye

Read on to learn more about the visual signs of a chlamydia infection, what discharge from an infection might look like, and the steps to take if you have symptoms.

What Does Chlamydia Look Like?

Chlamydia can present several different symptoms, some of which are visual, some of which aren’t, and some may not experience any symptoms at all! If you are to get symptoms, these will usually appear 7-21 days after exposure to the infection.

Here’s how you can spot a chlamydia infection by sight:

• Swelling & inflammation around the genital region
• Unusual discharge with an unusual, strong odour
• Bleeding from the anus or vagina
• Sticky, red discharge from the eye

If you have chlamydia in your mouth, you may experience visual symptoms such as:

• Sores in the mouth that don’t heal
• Sores and blisters on the lips and mouth
• Swollen lymph nodes

To learn more about an oral chlamydia infection, read this article from our medical experts: Can You Get Chlamydia in Your Mouth?

What Does Chlamydia Discharge Look Like?

The bacteria Chlamydia Trachomatis can cause a change in your discharge, not just in smell, but in look and feel too. In terms of colour, your discharge may have a yellow/green hue and may be described as stringy and mucousy in texture. Your discharge might also be blood-stained; however, this could also be due to menstruation. 

What Colour is Discharge For Chlamydia?

If you have chlamydia, your anal, penile or vaginal discharge might be white, yellow, or even slightly green in colour.

Discharge alone is not a reliable indicator of an infection. You know what ‘normal’ looks like for you, so if you have an unusual change in discharge colour, smell, texture, or quantity, please contact a GP.

If you’re looking for more information on how infections change what your discharge looks, smells, and feels like, read these helpful blogs: How do different STDs affect your vaginal discharge? And Is It Normal for Vaginal Odour to Change with an STD?

Does Chlamydia Have a Smell?

Discharge from chlamydia can cause a slight smell in the genital region alongside unusual discharge, which is usually described as a ‘strong and unpleasant’ odour. However, Chlamydia doesn’t always cause a smell, so this isn’t an accurate indicator of an infection. Instead, you should take a comprehensive STD test for accurate results. 

If you’d like to learn more about which STDs cause a change in your smell, read this helpful article: What Does Gonorrhoea Smell Like?

What Does Chlamydia Feel Like?

At the start of the infection, you may feel some pain in the genital region whilst urinating or having sex – some say that the pain is comparable to that of a UTI. As the infection pain progresses, you may feel:

• Stomach, pelvic, or lower back pain
• Pain and swelling of the testicles
• Fever-y or flu-like

If left untreated, a chlamydia infection can cause complications, including testicle inflammation (also called Epididymitis) or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which may present new symptoms.

If You Don’t Have Symptoms, You Could Still Have Chlamydia

It is important to note that chlamydia often doesn’t present any symptoms, and many people with the condition don’t know they have it and are, therefore, more likely to pass it on. This is why you must get tested if you have had unprotected sex with someone who has the infection. Chlamydia tests can either be done at one of our private sexual health clinics or in the comfort of your own home using our postal testing service.

Discreet Chlamydia Testing From Your Sexual Health

If you want more information about Chlamydia, read our comprehensive online guide: Chlamydia – everything you need to know.

You should get tested as soon as possible if you’re currently experiencing symptoms or if you have had sex with someone who has tested positive. For discreet yet comprehensive chlamydia testing, choose Your Sexual Health. We have a network of over 100 private sexual health clinics located up and down the UK, and we also offer a quick postal test service if you prefer to test from the comfort of your own home.

If you get a positive test result, you might find one of our recent articles helpful: What to do if you have chlamydia. For any other questions or queries, get in touch.