What you see (chlamydia signs)

In this section, we’ll talk about the signs of chlamydia—what you can see when you have chlamydia.

Knowing the signs should help you with early chlamydia diagnosis and treatment. Signs, unlike symptoms, are objective, which is why they are more trusted by doctors. Signs are things you and others see due to the disease process. Signs usually follow symptoms or occur at the same time. Here we summarize in tables chlamydia signs in the genital, oral, and rectal areas. Then you will see frequently asked questions that are answered by an expert STD doctor.

Chlamydia genital signs for male and females

This table presents concise information about genital signs of chlamydia. It’s divided into several columns:

Most common signs: what most people notice *
Unusual signs: what some people may see but that aren’t as common
Most reliable signs: the signs that are most suggestive of chlamydia because they are the most consistent with the pathophysiology of the disease
Incubation period: the time between when chlamydia is contracted and when the signs appear
No signs: the percentage of people without signs

* Other symptoms might be more common but easily missed.

Most Common Symptoms	Unusual Symptoms	Most Reliable Symptoms	Incubation Period	Symptom-free
Males Penile discharge (yellow, white, or colorless) Tender, swollen testicles Tender groin lymph nodes Females Vaginal discharge (yellow or white) Bleeding between periods Bleeding after sexual intercourse	Males Penile rash Tender, swollen lymph nodes Females Painful intercourse	Males Visible penile discharge Redness at the tip of the penis Females Vaginal discharge Bleeding between periods Bleeding after sexual intercourse	As early as 5–7 days to as late as 3–6 weeks (on average, 20–30 days)	Male 50%–90% Females 70%–95%

Most Common
Symptoms

Unusual
Symptoms

Most Reliable
Symptoms

Incubation
Period

Symptom-free

Males

Penile discharge (yellow, white, or colorless)
Tender, swollen testicles
Tender groin lymph nodes

Females

Vaginal discharge (yellow or white)
Bleeding between periods
Bleeding after sexual intercourse

Males

Penile rash
Tender, swollen lymph nodes

Females

Painful intercourse

Males

Visible penile discharge
Redness at the tip of the penis

Females

Vaginal discharge
Bleeding between periods
Bleeding after sexual intercourse

As early as 5–7 days to as late as 3–6 weeks (on average, 20–30 days)

Male

50%–90%

Females

70%–95%

Below is a graph showing the prevalence of chlamydia symptoms in males.

In a study conducted in Melbourne, Australia:

25% of men who tested chlamydia-positive had dysuria (pain with urination)
15% had urethral discharge
5% had testicular pain

chlamydia symptoms and signs frequesncy for men

Below is a graph showing the prevalence of chlamydia symptoms in females.

In a study conducted in Melbourne, Australia:

25% of women who tested chlamydia-positive had vaginal discharge
18% had pelvic pain
14% had vaginal bleeding

The most common chlamydai symptoms and signs among women

Chlamydia oral and rectal symptoms

The table below presents concise information about oral and rectal signs of chlamydia, irrespective of gender. It is divided into several columns:

Most common signs: what most people notice *
Unusual signs: what some people may see but that aren’t as common
Most reliable signs: the signs that are most suggestive of chlamydia because they are the most consistent with the pathophysiology of the disease
Incubation period: the time between when chlamydia is contracted and when the signs appear
No signs: the percentage of people without signs

* Other symptoms might be more common but easily missed.

Note the high chance of asymptomatic oral chlamydia.

Chlamydia	Most Common Symptoms	Most Reliable Symptoms	Incubation Period	Symptom-free
Oral	Swollen, red tonsils Swollen lymph nodes	Throat redness	As early as 5–7 days to as late as 3–6 weeks (on average, 20–30 days)	High
Rectal	Rectal discharge Rectal bleeding	Rectal discharge Rectal bleeding	As early as 5–7 days to as late as 3–6 weeks (on average, 20–30 days)	84% if infected with non-LGV (non- ymphogranuloma venerum) strain of chlamydia 5% if infected with LGV (lymphogranuloma venerum) strain of chlamydia

Below is a graph showing the prevalence of oral chlamydia symptoms.

The most common oral symptoms are:

Pharyngitis or throat pain (65%)
Enlarged neck lymph nodes (16 %)
Oral inflammation or mouth pain, swelling, and sores (10%)

Below is a graph showing the prevalence of rectal chlamydia symptoms:

The most common rectal symptoms are:

Itch or pruritus (36%)
Anal discharge (17%)
Burning (13%)
Pain (11%)
Redness around the anus (6%)

Chlamydia discharge

Here we will describe chlamydia discharge when the patient has no other conditions. *

Color

Chlamydia discharge is usually colorless to white.

Consistency

It’s usually very thin and watery. If the consistency is thicker or changing over time, most likely there’s another STD present as well.

Amount

Chlamydia infection does not cause significant inflammation, so the discharge is scanty.

Males usually see minimal discharge first thing in the morning.
Females might not notice it at all; they’re usually diagnosed during a gynecological exam or testing.

Smell

Chlamydia discharge usually doesn’t smell unless another condition is also present.

*Chlamydia discharge can be different in different people. And it can change if the patient also has other conditions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, our expert doctor will answer real-life patient questions about chlamydia signs. Most questions are grouped to make it easier to cover more topics. Dr. Fuzayloff has been a practicing physician at a busy STD center in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, for over two decades.

How are chlamydia signs used in establishing the diagnosis?
Signs are essential to making a diagnosis. They enable us to choose the most accurate testing methods and to initiate treatment while awaiting test results. In general, they give us the right vector, so we understand in which direction we should go to evaluate further. However, we cannot establish the final diagnosis based only on the signs of disease. We consider them in combination with laboratory findings before establishing the diagnosis.

Symptoms are subjective. They are sensations and experiences—you feel them rather than see them. Signs, on the other hand, are objective features of the disease—you can see them. And your healthcare provider can see them too. Therefore, signs are more reliable than symptoms.

Both symptoms and signs should be analyzed in light of relevant circumstances:
- How risky was the contact?
- How much time passed before you felt symptoms?
- Before you saw signs?
- Are the symptoms logical and predictable?
- Are the signs and symptoms progressing?
We can make educated assumptions based on symptoms and signs, but we can never establish the exact diagnosis based solely on them. Our assumptions are important because they allow us to start the treatment process without delay. But testing is always necessary and advised.
What are the most reliable signs of chlamydia?
We rely on signs that are either commonly seen or very specific to the disease and that have a clear, known explanation of their cause. When both of these criteria are met, a sign is referred to as reliable. Here are the most reliable signs for males and females and in the oral and rectal areas.
Males (genital)
The most reliable sign in a male is discharge from the penis, which can be yellowish, cloudy, milky, or transparent. It is caused by inflammation of the urethra.
Females (genital)
The most reliable signs in a female are:
- Scanty discharge from the vagina
- Bleeding after sexual intercourse
- Bleeding between periods
All these signs are explained by inflammation of the cervix (the part of the uterus that’s connected to the innermost part of the vagina)
Oral
You will usually notice no signs of oral chlamydia. We consider redness of the throat and tonsils to be the most reliable signs of the disease. They sometimes appear due to tissue damage caused by inflammation of the pharynx.
Rectal
In the case of proctitis (inflammation of the rectum), the most reliable signs are discharge and bleeding, which are caused by the inflammatory process in the rectal mucosa.

Can you show me some photographs that would be helpful for self-diagnosis?

Male genital chlamydia

Redness at the tip of the penis and transparent discharge can be seen.

Image source: https://www.tuyenlab.net/2018/04/stds-atlas-of-nongonococcal-urethritis.html

Male genital chlamydia

Milky discharge from the penis can be seen.

Image source: https://plushcare.com/blog/std-picture-description/

Male genital chlamydia

A rash at the tip of the penis can be seen

Image source: https://www.healthline.com/health/std/chlamydia#pictures

Oral chlamydia

Note the degree of oral involvement (white spots and redness). Only 10% of people with oral chlamydia might see it.

Image source: https://crank-it.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Chlamydia-in-Throat-Oral-Chlamydia-e1502887601120-700x428.jpg

Female discharge

Nite the dicharge color(white), consistency(thin), and amount(scanty).

Image source: http://medcoi.com/health/what-is-chlamydia-causes-symptoms-and-treatment/

Male discharge

Note the discharge amount(scanty) and color (colorless or white).

Image source: https://www.slideshare.net/misteraugie/health101chapter11

Testicular involvement

Notice the significant testicular swelling and redness of the scrotum

Image source: https://slideplayer.com/slide/17890786/106/images/27/CHLAMYDIA+-+Epididymitis.jpg

Lymph node enlargement (on both sides)

Notice the significant enlargement of the lymph nodes that sometimes is visible. There is a big difference in the normal size of palpable lymph nodes (meaning lymph nodes that you can feel, which generally is possible only when the patient is thin) and enlarged lymph nodes, which are big and tender.

Image source: Goldsmith LA, Katz SI, Gilchrest BA, Paller AS, Leffell DJ, Wolff K: Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine, 8th Edition: www.accessmedicine.com

Lymph nodes enlargement (on one side)

Image source: https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-017-2484-8

Select other section

What you see (chlamydia signs)

Chlamydia genital signs for male and females

Chlamydia oral and rectal symptoms

Chlamydia discharge

Frequently Asked Questions

How are chlamydia signs used in establishing the diagnosis?

What are the most reliable signs of chlamydia?

Can you show me some photographs that would be helpful for self-diagnosis?

Have a question?