Treatment
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Persons with chlamydia and/or gonorrhea should also be tested for other STIs.
Can Chlamydia and Gonorrhea be Treated?
Chlamydia and gonorrhea can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics. The treatments prescribed for chlamydia and gonorrhea are different; one prescription will not treat both infections.
How to Have a Successful Treatment
Take Medication as Prescribed
- Medication will treat the infection, but it will not repair any permanent damage caused by the disease. The sooner an infected individual is treated, the better.
- Individuals who have been treated can be reinfected if they have sexual contact with an infected person(s).
- If symptoms persist after treatment, return to health care provider for a re-evaluation.
All Sex Partners Should Be Evaluated, Tested, And Treated
- Abstinence should be continued until seven days after a single-dose regimen or 24 hours after completion of a 7-day regimen.
- Persons with chlamydia/gonorrhea should abstain from sexual intercourse until they and their sex partner(s) have completed treatment and abstained from sex for 7 days, otherwise re-infection is possible.
Special Considerations For Women
- Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection.
- Re-infections increase a woman’s risk of serious reproductive health complications, including infertility.
- Re-testing should be encouraged for women at least four to six weeks after treatment. This is especially true if a woman does not know if her sex partner(s) received treatment.