Will I be tested for chlamydia during my smear test?

Cervical screening

Cervical screening doesn't include tests for chlamydia or other

If you want to be tested for chlamydia when you go for your smear test, ask your doctor or nurse.

Who should have a chlamydia test?

If you're sexually active and under 25, the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) recommends you should be tested for chlamydia each year, or when you change your sexual partner.

Regardless of age, you should also get tested for chlamydia if:

• you or your partner think you have any symptoms
• you've had unprotected sex with a new partner

Where to get a chlamydia test

You can get a free chlamydia test at:

• your GP surgery
• a sexual health or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic
• a contraceptive and young people's clinic

If you go to a clinic, your records will be kept there and the information won't be shared with your GP unless you give your permission. Your visit is completely confidential.

You can also buy a chlamydia test from a pharmacy to use at home.

Testing for chlamydia

There are 2 ways of testing for chlamydia in women:

• using a urine sample by taking a swab of cells from the cervix or inside the vagina A swab looks like a cotton bud, but the head is smaller and rounder, and on a longer stick.

In men, chlamydia tests are done with a urine sample.

Symptoms of chlamydia

Chlamydia doesn't always cause symptoms, so you may not know you have it. In women, symptoms of chlamydia can include:

• cystitis (pain when passing urine)
• a change in your vaginal discharge
• lower abdominal pain
• pain or bleeding during sex
• bleeding after sex
• bleeding between periods or heavier periods

Treating chlamydia

If you think you or your partner may have chlamydia, it's important to get medical advice so the infection can be treated with antibiotics.

If chlamydia isn't treated, it can spread to other parts of the body and cause long-term health problems, such as infertility (being unable to have children).