Chlamydia treatment

During the appointment, MinuteClinic providers might order diagnostic tests, as well as provide prescription treatment. Depending on the results of your screening, you may receive antibiotics to aid you in your chlamydia treatment.

1. You may have to answer a few questions about symptoms to help us prepare for your visit prior to scheduling your appointment.

2. Check-in varies depending on how you scheduled your appointment.

   If you made your appointment online
   Check in using the email or text message we sent to confirm your appointment. If you prefer to check in using the electronic kiosk, make sure you have your confirmation code.

   If you made your appointment in the clinic
   Sign in at the electronic kiosk.

   If you made a MinuteClinic Virtual Care® appointment

   To join your virtual visit, use the link in the email or text message we sent you to confirm your appointment. Please join 15 minutes before your scheduled visit time, you will need your date of birth and zip code to join the visit.

3. When it's time for your appointment, a provider will call your name.
   
4. Your provider will conduct a thorough examination based on your reason for the visit, presenting symptoms and health history. Charges will be based on examination and services provided during the visit.
   
5. At the end of your visit, you will be provided with a visit summary, a receipt and educational material about your diagnosis. At your request, we can send your primary care provider information about your visit.

If you've had unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia, there's a chance they have passed along the infection to you. The bacteria mostly spread through oral, vaginal or anal sex. Although chlamydia primarily impacts young people (14 to 24 years old), anyone at any age can be infected.

In some cases, it’s also possible for childbirth to spread chlamydia to the newborn baby during vaginal delivery.

Early symptoms of chlamydia can be easy to overlook. This happens because the infection might take a while to make itself known. Even then, symptoms can be relatively mild. Chlamydia symptoms may include:

• Abnormal discharge from the vagina or penis
• Random bleeding from the vagina or penis
• Pain during sex
• Burning during urination
• Pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis
• Rectal discharge, discomfort or bleeding

Chlamydial eye infections (inclusion conjunctivitis or in rarer cases, trachoma) can also occur. At MinuteClinic^®, patients who are suspected of having this infection may receive a referral for further evaluation. Chlamydia eye infections happen when one or both of your eyes come into contact with the bacteria that cause chlamydia. This infection may produce the following symptoms in the eye or eyes:

• Itchiness
• Sensitivity to light
• Mucous or pus from the eyes
• Pain
• Redness

If left untreated, a chlamydial eye infection can lead to blindness. However, these infections are easy to treat and should be addressed as soon as you notice any symptoms.

Chlamydia is not difficult to treat, but if left untreated, it can lead to more serious health problems, including:

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): This is an infection of the female reproductive organs, such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus.
• Testicular pain and swelling and epididymitis: Epididymitis is inflammation of the tube at the back of the testicle.
• Reactive arthritis: This is a condition that can cause painful inflammation of the joints, eyes and tissue surrounding the urethra.
• Fertility problems: Chlamydia is easy to cure but can make pregnancy difficult if left untreated.

In addition, vaginal childbirth can pass on the infection to the baby during childbirth, which can result in an eye infection or other issues.

If you are sexually active, the best preventative measures to reduce the risk of infection include:

• Using condoms and contraceptives during sexual activities
• Limiting your number of sexual partners
• Regular sexually transmitted infection screening (STI), sometimes called a sexually transmitted disease (STD), and chlamydia-specific screenings
• Limited douching of the vagina

If your partner has been diagnosed with an STD, you should get tested immediately through an STD partner treatment program at MinuteClinic.

A chlamydial bacterial infection can be cured with antibiotics. With treatment, the infection typically clears up after one or two weeks. It’s important to complete the treatment even if you start to feel better. In addition, it’s best to avoid all forms of sexual activity for at least seven days and to have sexual partners treated.

If you're looking to take a chlamydia test, make an appointment for an in-person visit with a MinuteClinic provider. MinuteClinic^® screens and treats non-pregnant patients 18 years and older. However, if you are pregnant or under 18 years, our providers will refer you to another health care setting. They will also refer you to another provider or resource If there is any evidence or self-report of sexual assault during your screening.