If you have pain or discharge from the penis or vagina, you should see your doctor to be tested for an STD. Unfortunately, chlamydia causes no symptoms at all in about three quarters of infected women and about half of infected men. Because of this, and because of the risk of complications due to untreated chlamydia infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends annual chlamydia tests for all sexually active women age 25 and younger and for older women who have risk factors for chlamydia infection (See: “Who is at risk for chlamydia?”). Pregnant women should also be tested for chlamydia to avoid passing the infection on during delivery.

Screening and diagnosis of chlamydia is relatively simple. A swab of the cervix can be taken at the same time as a Pap test and examined for the presence of chlamydia bacteria. Men can have a swab inserted into the urethra to obtain a sample for testing. Alternatively, a urine test is also available to test for chlamydia.