What are the symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhoea?
Most people have no symptoms at all. Here's what chlamydia and gonorrhoea can look like in men and women, and when to test.
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are both common bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Chlamydia is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis, and gonorrhoea by a different one, Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea symptoms can overlap, and can include discharge, or pain and burning when you pee. But most people with either infection don't get any symptoms at all. That means getting an STI test is the only way to know for sure. If you do test positive, the good news is both are easily treated with antibiotics.
Key takeaways
- Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are common bacterial STIs, caused by different bacteria.
- You can have either infection with no symptoms at all.
- Chlamydia symptoms in men include discharge and pain when peeing. In women, discharge and lower tummy pain are common.
- Gonorrhoea symptoms in men include pain when peeing and discharge. In women, they include changes in discharge and lower abdominal pain.
- Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can also affect the anus, throat or eyes.
- Chlamydia symptoms can take a week to several months to appear. Gonorrhoea usually shows within 2 weeks.
- Left untreated, either infection can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and affect fertility.
- In 2025, there were 151,163 chlamydia diagnoses and 63,943 gonorrhoea diagnoses in England, so regular testing matters.
Can you have chlamydia or gonorrhoea with no symptoms?
Yes. You can have chlamydia or gonorrhoea without any symptoms at all.
Most people with chlamydia don't have symptoms. With gonorrhoea, women often have no symptoms, while men are more likely to notice symptoms such as pain or burning when peeing, or discharge from the penis.
Feeling completely well doesn't mean you don't have an STI. If you've had sex without a condom, or have a new partner, testing can tell you for sure rather than waiting to see if symptoms show up.
What are chlamydia symptoms in men?
Chlamydia symptoms in men, when they appear, can include:
- A cloudy, watery or white discharge coming from your penis
- Itching or a burning feeling around your penis and testicles
- Swelling or tenderness in your testicles
- Stinging or burning when you urinate
Symptoms can start anywhere from a week to several months after infection. Just as many men get none at all.
What are chlamydia symptoms in women?
In women, chlamydia symptoms can include:
- Discharge from the vagina that seems different from usual
- Spotting or bleeding outside your normal period, including after sex
- A stinging or burning feeling when you urinate
- Cramping or pain in your lower abdomen
These are easy to mistake for a urine infection or a change in your cycle. Only a test can tell you which it is.
What are gonorrhoea symptoms in men?
Gonorrhoea symptoms in men may include:
- White, yellow or green coloured discharge from your penis
- Stinging or burning when you urinate
- Tenderness or soreness in your testicles
Most men will experience one of these symptoms, but some can be asymptomatic and can still pass on the infection without realising.
What are gonorrhoea symptoms in women?
In women, gonorrhoea symptoms can include:
- A yellow or green tinged vaginal discharge
- Burning or stinging when you urinate
- Cramping or pain in your lower abdomen
- Spotting between periods, though this is uncommon
Most women with gonorrhoea don't get symptoms obvious enough to flag the infection on their own.
Can chlamydia or gonorrhoea affect other parts of the body?
Yes. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can affect other parts of the body that come into contact with semen or vaginal fluid, including the anus, throat and eyes.
Symptoms depend on where the infection is. Rectal chlamydia can cause pain, bleeding and discharge, while rectal gonorrhoea can cause discharge, bleeding, itchiness, soreness or pain during bowel movements.
Throat gonorrhoea is most often symptomless, and chlamydia in the throat is usually symptomless too. If symptoms do occur, a sore throat is one possibility.
If the eyes are affected, either infection can cause redness, pain and discharge.
With gonorrhoea, red, itchy or painful eyes, pus that sticks to your eyelashes, a high temperature, joint pain or swelling, or a bumpy, spotty or blotchy rash can sometimes be signs that the infection has spread. If this happens, call 111.
How soon do symptoms appear?
Chlamydia symptoms and gonorrhoea symptoms don't appear on the same timeline.
| Infection | Typical onset |
|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 1 week to several months after infection |
| Gonorrhoea | Around 2 weeks after infection, sometimes months later |
This means you can have either infection for weeks or even months before symptoms appear, if they appear at all. That's why testing is more reliable than waiting to see how you feel.
What happens if chlamydia or gonorrhoea goes untreated?
Complications are far less likely if treatment starts early, but here's what can happen if either infection is left untreated.
Chlamydia complications
- In women, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), raising the risk of long-term pelvic pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancy.
- In men, it can cause a painful testicle infection called epididymitis.
- It can occasionally cause reactive arthritis, joint pain that usually settles after a few months.
- In pregnancy, it can pass to your baby during birth, causing conjunctivitis or pneumonia in the newborn. Both are treatable with antibiotics.
Gonorrhoea complications
- In women, it can also lead to PID, raising the risk of infertility and ectopic pregnancy.
- In men, it can reach the prostate gland (prostatitis) or narrow the urethra (urethral stricture).
- Rarely, it spreads further through the body, causing fever and infection in the skin, joints or heart. This is called disseminated gonococcal infection, and it's what the red flags above are warning you about.
- It also raises your risk of getting or passing on HIV.
- In pregnancy, it raises the risk of premature birth and low birth weight, and can cause a newborn eye infection that leads to blindness if it isn't treated.
What happens if you test positive?
The good news is that complications are much less likely when chlamydia or gonorrhoea is diagnosed and treated early. Both infections are treated with antibiotics.
If you have symptoms or there is a strong chance you have gonorrhoea, you may sometimes be offered treatment before your test result comes back. You may also be advised to have another test afterwards to check the infection has cleared. For gonorrhoea, that's usually about a week after treatment.
What's the difference between chlamydia and gonorrhoea symptoms?
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea symptoms can look very similar. Both infections can cause discharge, pain or burning when peeing, and sometimes no symptoms at all. You can also have both infections at the same time without knowing.
One possible difference is the type of discharge, although this is not reliable enough to differentiate between the two infections. In men, gonorrhoea discharge is often white, yellow or green, while chlamydia discharge may be white, cloudy or watery.
However, discharge can vary from person to person, and either infection may cause no discharge at all. The only way to know for sure whether you have chlamydia, gonorrhoea or both is to test.
Because the symptoms overlap so much, it often makes sense to test for both at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
Can you have chlamydia with no symptoms?
Yes. Most people with chlamydia do not have any symptoms, so you can have the infection without knowing. The only way to know for sure is to test.
Can you have gonorrhoea with no symptoms?
Yes. Gonorrhoea can cause no symptoms, particularly in women. Most men develop symptoms such as pain or burning when peeing or discharge from the penis, although some men have no symptoms.
How soon do chlamydia symptoms appear?
Chlamydia symptoms can appear anywhere from around 1 week to several months after infection. Many people never develop symptoms at all.
How soon do gonorrhoea symptoms appear?
Gonorrhoea symptoms usually appear around 2 weeks after infection, although they can sometimes take several months to develop.
Can chlamydia or gonorrhoea cause no symptoms for months?
Yes. Either infection can be present for weeks or months without causing noticeable symptoms. Some people never develop symptoms, which is why testing is more reliable than waiting to see how you feel.
Do chlamydia or gonorrhoea symptoms go away on their own?
Symptoms can settle down without treatment, but that doesn't mean the infection has cleared. You can still pass it on to a partner until you've been properly treated.
Can you have chlamydia and gonorrhoea at the same time?
Yes. You can have chlamydia and gonorrhoea at the same time without realising. Because their symptoms overlap, it often makes sense to test for both infections together.
Can chlamydia or gonorrhoea affect your throat, anus or eyes?
Yes. Both infections can affect the anus, throat and eyes. They may cause rectal pain or discharge, a sore throat, or red and painful eyes with discharge. Throat infections often cause no symptoms.
Are chlamydia and gonorrhoea treatable?
Yes. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are bacterial infections that can be treated with antibiotics. Getting diagnosed and treated early reduces the risk of complications.
References
- GOV.UK / UKHSA. "Sexually Transmitted Infections and Screening for Chlamydia in England: 2025 Report." GOV.UK, 2 June 2026, gov.uk/government/statistics/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-annual-data-tables/sexually-transmitted-infections-and-screening-for-chlamydia-in-england-2025-report.
- NHS. "Chlamydia." NHS, 24 Oct. 2024, nhs.uk/conditions/chlamydia.
- NHS. "Gonorrhoea." NHS, 16 Dec. 2024, nhs.uk/conditions/gonorrhoea.
Show all references
- NHS. "Symptoms - Gonorrhoea." NHS, nhs.uk/conditions/gonorrhoea/symptoms. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.
- World Health Organization. "Chlamydia." World Health Organization, 21 Nov. 2025, who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/chlamydia.
- World Health Organization. "Gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection)." World Health Organization, 22 Oct. 2025, who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/gonorrhoea-(neisseria-gonorrhoeae-infection).
