Can chlamydia lie dormant for years?

You've been together for years, and now one of you has a positive chlamydia result. The question that follows is usually the hardest one: how long has this been there?

Chlamydia can sit in the body for months or longer without causing any symptoms, often from the very start. That's different from herpes, which hides and flares up again. So a positive result years into a relationship tells you the infection is there now; it can't tell you when it was caught, or by whom.

If you'd like a current answer for both of you, a chlamydia test is £104, from a urine sample or swab, with results within 3 working days. You can walk in seven days a week at 117a Harley Street.

Does chlamydia really go "dormant" like herpes?

Not in the way herpes does. Herpes hides in nerve cells between outbreaks and can reactivate and cause symptoms again later. Chlamydia has no equivalent hidden, inactive phase. It's either present and active, or it has been cleared, by treatment or, in some cases, by the immune system over time.

The confusion comes from how often chlamydia causes no symptoms in the first place. When a test finally picks it up, it can feel as if it appeared out of nowhere, when in fact it was there all along, quietly. If you want to check for other silent infections at the same time, our private STI screening packages test for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis together for £250 in the Bronze Package, or in 6 hours for £350 with FAST Screen Simple.

A short comparison of how the two infections behave once someone is exposed.

How long can chlamydia persist without symptoms?

For months, and in people who are never tested, considerably longer. Most people with chlamydia have no symptoms at all, so there's often nothing to prompt a test. Without one, the infection simply carries on.

Can chlamydia clear up on its own?

Some untreated infections do clear over time, but there's no way to predict whether yours will. Antibiotics are the reliable way to clear it, and they stop it being passed on or causing complications in the meantime. If you've had a possible exposure, testing and treating where needed is the safer choice than waiting to see.

Does a positive result mean my partner was unfaithful?

Not necessarily. Because chlamydia can persist quietly for a long time, a positive test after years together can't tell you when the infection was caught or by whom. It may have been there since before the relationship began, in either partner, and simply never tested for.

A result like this is understandably upsetting. On its own, though, it isn't evidence of recent infidelity.

What happens if chlamydia is left untreated for a long time?

In women, long-standing chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, with a risk of chronic pelvic pain and fertility problems. In men, it can cause epididymitis, with pain and swelling in the testicle. Reactive arthritis, which affects the joints, eyes and urethra, is a less common complication in either sex.

These risks are the reason to test and treat, even when an infection seems to have been silent for years.

Should I get retested after treatment?

A test of cure isn't routinely needed after standard treatment for uncomplicated genital chlamydia. It may be recommended in some situations, such as pregnancy or some rectal or throat infections, and your clinician will tell you whether you need a repeat test and when. It's also sensible to test again after any new partner.

How testing works at our Harley Street clinic

Whatever the history behind it, the test is the same. A chlamydia test is £104, from a urine sample or swab, with results within 3 working days. Walk in seven days a week at 117a Harley Street. Every visit is confidential, as our page on private STI testing in London explains.

For a broader check in one visit, our screening packages start at £250 for Bronze, covering chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis. Results for blood tests come back in about 24 hours, and urine and swab results within 3 working days.

If you need an answer the same day, our same-day STI testing includes the FAST Screen Simple (HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea) for £350, and the FAST Screen Complex, which adds hepatitis B and C, for £450. Both return all results in 6 hours, as our guide to same-day STI test results explains.

Whatever the history, a test gives you a current answer. Book a chlamydia test at 117a Harley Street: £104, results within 3 working days.

References

• Chlamydia (NHS.uk condition page)
• Chlamydia: uncomplicated genital (NICE CKS)
• UK National Guideline for the Management of Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (BASHH)
• Genital herpes (NHS.uk condition page)
• Sexually transmitted infections and chlamydia screening in England: official statistics (UKHSA)