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Can You Die From Chlamydia If Left untreated?

By: Author Dr Akatakpo Dunn, MBBS, PG Dip Ultrasound, Prof Dip O&G (RCPI) Medical Director & Lead Obstetrician/Ultrasonologist, Verah Clinic & Maternity

Posted on Last updated:

Question — Can you die from chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can affect men and women after unsafe sexual intercourse. It is caused by a bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis and is one of the most frequently reported STIs worldwide. Although death directly from chlamydia is very rare, serious complications from untreated infection can sometimes be life-threatening. CDC+1

Untreated chlamydia, either showing symptoms or not, may result in severe health problems. In most males and females who have chlamydia, symptoms and signs may not show up. This can be deceptive because long-term problems of the infection such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy and infertility can still occur if it is not treated.

Many public health organisations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend regular chlamydia screening for sexually active young people, especially women under 25 years, and older women at increased risk. Local or national guidelines may vary, so follow advice in your country or from your doctor.

The genitals are not the only parts of the body that can be affected. Chlamydia can infect the cervix, urethra, rectum, throat and eyes, and in women it can spread to the Fallopian tubes and uterus. You can read more basic facts about chlamydia from the World Health Organization (WHO). 

How to catch chlamydia

Commonest route of transmission are:

  • Anal sex without use of condom

  • Oral sex without protection

  • Unprotected vaginal intercourse

  • Coming in contact with seminal or vaginal fluid of an infected partner

  • Unsafe and unhygienic sharing of toys while making love

Chlamydia can also be passed from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal birth. Health & Human Services+1

What are symptoms of chlamydia in men and women?

Chlamydia symptoms in men and women are only present in a handful of infected people. Though infected, you may not have any symptoms. This can be deceptive because chlamydia long term effects like infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease can still occur if you do not have symptoms.

In men, common symptoms are abnormal penile clear, watery, cloud-like discharge with a burning sensation during urination.

Other symptoms in men are

Epididymitis – when chlamydia affects the testes and epididymis, causing swelling and pain in the scrotum. Fever, rectal discharge and joint pain may occur in some men. Men who have receptive anal sex may also have rectal pain, bleeding or discharge. 

In women, Chlamydia trachomatis infection can affect the vagina and cervix, resulting in abnormal vaginal discharge that may be clear, yellowish or mucous-like, sometimes with foul smell, itching and pain during intercourse. Mayo Clinic+1

Other symptoms in women are

Can you die from chlamydia if not treated?

The chances you could die from chlamydia infection itself is very slim. However, leaving chlamydia untreated can lead to complications that are sometimes life-threatening, especially in women and in pregnancy. CDC+1

Chlamydia may lead to infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic abscess, chronic pelvic pain and an increased chance of catching HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. More importantly, PID from chlamydia can result in ectopic (tubal) pregnancy or severe infection in the pelvis and abdomen, which in rare cases can cause serious internal bleeding, sepsis and death if not urgently treated.

An ectopic pregnancy occurs after a tubal surgery or disruption of inner lining covering the Fallopian tube due to infections and other risk factors. This may cause severe bleeding and death if not urgently treated. For more about complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy, see Mayo Clinic’s pelvic inflammatory disease page. Mayo Clinic+1

Though chlamydia can easily be treated and cured with antibiotics, any damage from the infection (such as scarring of the tubes) is hardly reversed after treatment. ECDC+1

Can Men die from chlamydia infections?

Yes, it’s possible a man can get chlamydia with abnormal watery discharge, swollen testes and infertility, but the chances of death from chlamydia complications in men is extremely low; the main problems are pain, infection around the testes and sometimes fertility issues. Indian Health Service+1

How can I test and treat chlamydia infections?

With all the scare about chlamydia death that rarely occurs, it can be treated and cured.

You can easily check from the comfort of your home in some countries by purchasing a chlamydia kit that uses urine samples, but it is still important to confirm your results and treatment with a doctor or at a sexual health clinic. The best way to test is with a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) done on urine or a swab from the cervix, vagina, throat or anus. [CDC – Chlamydial Infections Treatment Guidelines](https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/chlamydia.htm) [MedlinePlus – Chlamydia Test](https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/chlamydia-test/) [Mayo Clinic – Diagnosis & Treatment](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chlamydia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355355)

If you have mouth symptoms of chlamydia or anal discharge, you should let your doctor know so that a sample can be taken from those areas and sent to the lab for testing.

If positive, chlamydia is usually treated with tablets such as doxycycline taken for 7 days, or in some people with a single dose of azithromycin, following current STI treatment guidelines in your country. [CDC STI Guidelines](https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/chlamydia.htm) Your recent sexual partner(s) should also be treated, and many guidelines advise a repeat test after about 3 months to check you have not been re-infected.