National Chlamydia Screening Programme

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the UK. It affects both men and women of any age, but is more common in young people under 25. It is passed on through unprotected sex.

Most people with chlamydia don’t notice any symptoms and often don’t know they have it. If symptoms do develop, they include:

• Pain when passing urine
• Discharge from the vagina, penis or rectum
• In women, stomach pain, bleeding during or after sex, and bleeding in between periods
• In men, pain and swelling in the testicles

Chlamydia can normally be treated with a short course of antibiotics. If it is not treated early, the infection can spread to other parts of the body and lead to health problems.

The only way to find out if you have chlamydia is to be tested. This is usually done through a urine or a swab test.

From April 2016, we have been running the local chlamydia screening programme.

Testing is free, easy to do and will be kept confidential.If your test is positive, we can arrange treatment for you and any partners who may also have been infected.

There are various ways you can get tested:

• Testing can be done at any of our clinics. Check our opening times for all clinics, including those dedicated 24 years and under.
• The Outreach Education Team can provide you with a kit if they visit your place of education
• Get a chlamydia testing kit posted to your house discreetly if you live within the Luton area.
• Get a kit from a pharmacy or GP within Luton. See the below table for locations providing the self testing kits