Can You Get Chlamydia From Oral Sex?
Quick answer
Yes. The CDC says you can get chlamydia through oral sex without a condom with someone who has the infection. It can infect the throat, and most people with a throat infection have no symptoms. A throat swab can test for it, and treatment with antibiotics prescribed by a clinician can cure it.
Is a throat test worth considering?
Tick the field marks that match.
Most throat infections cause no symptoms, so not having a sore throat doesn't rule it out. This is not a diagnosis. Only a test can show whether you have chlamydia.
Chlamydia is usually talked about as a genital infection, so it can be a surprise that oral sex counts as a way to catch it. It does, and you can’t tell by looking or feeling, because it often causes no symptoms.
Can you get chlamydia from oral sex?
Yes. The CDC says you can get chlamydia through vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom with someone who has the infection. MedlinePlus and the NHS say the same.
That includes giving oral sex to a partner with a genital infection, and receiving it from a partner who has a throat infection. The CDC says oropharyngeal (throat) chlamydia can be sexually transmitted to genital sites.
Can chlamydia infect your throat?
Yes. The CDC says people who have oral sex can get chlamydia in the throat. What’s less clear is how much it matters on its own. The CDC says the clinical significance of throat chlamydia is unclear and its prevalence is low, even among groups at higher risk. Even so, the CDC says that if chlamydia is found in a throat sample taken while testing for throat gonorrhea, it should be treated, because it can be passed on to genital sites.
Does throat chlamydia cause symptoms?
Usually not. The CDC says the majority of people with chlamydia in the throat have no throat symptoms. The NHS lists a sore throat as one possible symptom when chlamydia affects parts of the body that have had contact with semen or vaginal fluid, but a sore throat has many everyday causes, so it doesn’t tell you much by itself.
Genital chlamydia also often causes no symptoms, and the CDC says it can cause serious health problems even then. That’s why the lack of a sore throat shouldn’t reassure you after a possible exposure.
How do I get tested for chlamydia in the throat?
A throat swab is taken. The CDC says chlamydia in the throat can be diagnosed by testing at the exposure site using a NAAT, a very sensitive lab test, and that some of these tests are cleared by the FDA for the throat.
Two things are worth knowing:
- Routine throat testing isn’t recommended for everyone. The CDC doesn’t recommend routine throat screening for chlamydia, so choose a test that includes a throat sample if you’ve had oral sex and are worried.
- Gonorrhea testing may show it. When a throat swab is done for gonorrhea, the chlamydia result may also be reported, because some tests detect both from one sample.
The NHS says swabs may be taken from the throat, anus or eyes if those areas are affected. When you order a test online, check which sample types it includes.
How is throat chlamydia treated?
Chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics prescribed by a clinician. The CDC says the evidence for treating throat infection is limited, which is one more reason to let a clinician choose the medicine. Take all of it as prescribed, and don’t share it with anyone.
The CDC says to avoid sex for 7 days after a single-dose treatment, or until you finish a 7-day course, and until your partners have been treated too. The NHS says this includes oral sex. Retest about three months after treatment.
How can I lower my risk during oral sex?
The only sure way to avoid chlamydia is not to have vaginal, anal or oral sex, according to the CDC. Other ways to lower your risk are:
- Barriers. The NHS advises a condom to cover the penis, or a latex or plastic square (dam) to cover the vagina, during oral sex.
- Testing. The NHS suggests testing once a year, or when you have a new partner. You can order a test online.
- Telling partners. If you test positive, current and recent partners need testing too.
If you’re unsure which test to choose, see which STD test do I need and think about the types of sex you’ve had, so the samples match. Many tests also cover other infections at the same time, as the NHS notes, so check the list.
Getting chlamydia is not a sign you did something wrong. It’s common, treatable and very easy to pass on without knowing.
Get care today if
- You have a painful, swollen testicle, or pelvic or lower belly pain, after a possible chlamydia exposure
- You have a fever along with genital pain or discharge
- You are pregnant and think you may have chlamydia
- You have eye redness, pain or discharge after a possible exposure
Call 911 for a medical emergency. Otherwise, urgent care or your doctor can see you today.
When to test
- As soon as you know a partner has chlamydiaOrder an online STD test, and see a doctor or clinician for treatment if it is positive. The CDC says partners from the past 60 days should be tested and treated, and the most recent partner should be too, even if it was longer ago.
- If you want to be checked after oral sexCheck that the test you order includes a throat sample as well as a urine or genital sample. The CDC says chlamydia in the throat is diagnosed by testing at the site of exposure, with a type of test called a NAAT. STIs can take up to 7 weeks to show on a test, so test now if you have symptoms, or test about 7 weeks after the exposure (NHS).
- About 3 months after treatmentThe CDC says to test again about three months after treatment, because repeat infections are common, even if your partners were treated. You can order the retest online.
Common questions
Can you get chlamydia in your throat?
Yes. The CDC says chlamydia can infect the throat (the oropharynx) of people who have oral sex. The majority of people with a throat infection do not have throat symptoms.
What are the symptoms of chlamydia in the throat?
Often none. The NHS lists a sore throat among possible symptoms when chlamydia affects other parts of the body, but a sore throat has many other causes. A test is the only way to know.
How do you test for chlamydia in the throat?
A swab is taken from the throat. The CDC says the swab is tested with a NAAT. When a throat swab is done for gonorrhea, the lab may also report chlamydia results, because some tests detect both from one sample.
Is a throat infection treated differently?
It is still treated with antibiotics prescribed by a clinician. The CDC says that if chlamydia is found in a throat sample taken during gonorrhea testing, it should be treated. Which antibiotic you get is the clinician's decision, so ask them.
Sources
This guide is general information written by a patient advocate using public health sources. It is not a diagnosis. Only a clinician who examines you, or a lab test, can tell you what you have. Read how we write and check our guides.