Chlamydia Symptoms, Testing and Treatment in Spain

Chlamydia symptoms are often absent. When they do appear, they include burning when you pee, unusual discharge, bleeding after sex or between periods, and pain low in the tummy or in the testicles. Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection and antibiotics cure it. In Spain you can test through a GP, a public STI clinic or a private lab.

Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is a GP licensed in Spain (Colegiado No. 484814280).

For a medical emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest local emergency department. Do not wait for a video consultation or an online reply.

What are the symptoms of chlamydia?

Most people have none. A guide from IUSTI, the international STI society, says more than 70% of women and about half of men have no genital symptoms. When symptoms come, the NHS says they can start from 1 week to several months after sex.

• Women: unusual vaginal discharge, bleeding after sex or between periods, burning when peeing, and pain low in the tummy.
• Men: white, cloudy or watery discharge from the penis, burning when peeing, and pain or swelling in the testicles.
• Anyone: pain, discharge or bleeding from the bottom after anal sex, a sore throat, or red, sore eyes.

Burning when you pee can also be a urine infection. If you are unsure, see our guide to UTI symptoms and care in Spain. In Spanish, chlamydia is clamidia and an STI is an ITS (infección de transmisión sexual).

Who should get tested for chlamydia?

Test if you have symptoms, if a partner has an STI, or after sex without a condom with a new partner. The NHS suggests a test every year, and whenever you have a new partner.

Advice on routine checks differs by country. In the US, the CDC advises a yearly test for sexually active women under 25. It also advises one for older women at higher risk, and for gay and bisexual men. In England, under-25s may be able to get free NHS home test kits. In Spain, ask your doctor which checks suit you. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, mention any risk.

Where can you get a chlamydia test in Spain?

• Your health centre (centro de salud). If you have a public health card, your family doctor or nurse can request the test.
• A public STI clinic (centro de ITS). Several cities have one, often free and confidential.
• A private lab. You need a test request from a doctor. A private GP can write one.
• A pharmacy self-test. Since late 2025, Spanish rules (Real Decreto 942/2025) let pharmacies sell self-tests without a prescription. They may only be sold by pharmacies or their own websites. Stock varies, so ask.

The test looks for the germ's genetic material, often called a PCR test. The CDC says these lab tests are the most sensitive. Women can use a vaginal swab, often self-taken, or urine. Men give a first-catch urine sample. Swabs from the throat or bottom are added if you have had oral or anal sex. A positive self-test needs a doctor to confirm it and treat you. A negative quick test does not rule out chlamydia if you have symptoms. Ask for a lab test. The Ministry of Health's Punto ITS website explains which service to use.

The clinic may also offer tests for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and gonorrhoea, because these can occur together.

How is chlamydia treated?

Antibiotics cure chlamydia. The CDC's first choice is doxycycline, with azithromycin as an alternative. In pregnancy, azithromycin is used, because doxycycline is not suitable. In Spain these antibiotics need a prescription. Take all of the treatment, and never share it.

• No sex until it is cleared. Avoid vaginal, anal and oral sex, even with a condom, until you and your partners have finished treatment and symptoms have gone. Your doctor will tell you how long to wait.
• Repeat the test. The CDC advises a new test about 3 months after treatment, because reinfection is common. A test much sooner than 4 weeks can give a false positive.
• In pregnancy, a check that the infection has gone is done about 4 weeks after treatment, say the NHS and CDC. Some Spanish guidance (INFAC, Basque Health Service) uses 3 weeks. Follow your midwife's or doctor's plan.

Do my sexual partners need to know?

Yes. Without treatment they can pass it back to you, or develop problems themselves. The CDC advises checking everyone you had sex with in the 60 days before your symptoms or diagnosis. Your most recent partner needs a check even if it was longer ago. If telling partners feels hard, a sexual health clinic can contact them for you without using your name.

What happens if chlamydia is not treated?

• Pelvic inflammatory disease (infection of the womb and tubes). It can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy and long-term pelvic pain.
• Infection of the testicles, which is painful.
• Reactive arthritis, with sore joints and sometimes sore eyes.
• A higher risk of getting or passing on HIV, says the CDC.
• In pregnancy, the baby can catch it at birth and get an eye infection or pneumonia.

Treatment stops the infection but cannot undo damage already done. That is why testing early matters.

When should you see a doctor today?

• Lower tummy pain with a fever, pain during sex, or unusual bleeding.
• A painful, swollen testicle.
• You are pregnant and have symptoms or a positive test. Contact your doctor or midwife (matrona).
• A child has symptoms of an STI. This always needs a doctor's check. A baby can catch chlamydia at birth, but the doctor will also make sure the child is safe, as child-protection guidance asks.

Go to urgencias or call 112 if you have sudden, severe pain in a testicle, or severe tummy pain with fainting when you could be pregnant. Go now too if you may have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, as emergency medicine (PEP) is given in hospital emergency departments. If you have been sexually assaulted, call 112 for urgent care and support.

Talking it through with a doctor by video

Dr. Yelamo is a GP licensed in Spain. He sees adults, children and pregnant patients by video, every day from 07:30 to 20:30 (Spain time). In the visit he will:

• Ask about your symptoms, partners and the kind of sex you have had, in a calm, private way.
• Write a private request for the right tests at a lab near you, or point you to a public STI clinic.
• Plan treatment where appropriate, explain partner care and retesting, and tell you if you need an in-person exam.

He does not promise any test or prescription before the visit. Where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Treatment and prescriptions are issued solely at the doctor's discretion based on evidence-based clinical guidelines.

A prescription is never guaranteed: it is issued only where clinically appropriate after a genuine evaluation, as a private electronic prescription under Spanish law. This service is for urgent, non-emergency care. In an emergency, call 112.

See how the Urgent Care video visit works. It lasts 15 minutes and costs €50.

This guide is general information. It does not replace a consultation with your doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NHS: Chlamydia
• CDC: Chlamydial infections, STI treatment guidelines
• IUSTI: Chlamydia patient information (in Spanish)
• Ministerio de Sanidad: Punto ITS website (in Spanish)
• BOE: Real Decreto 942/2025 on in vitro diagnostic devices (in Spanish)

Related guides

• Sexual health care online
• Genital warts and HPV
• PrEP in Spain
• UTI symptoms and care in Spain
• Antibiotics in Spain: why you need a prescription
• Urgent Care video visit