Chlamydia Partner Notification: Who to Tell and How
Who to tell after a chlamydia diagnosis, how far back to go, and how to do it, including anonymous options and what to do if it doesn’t feel safe.
Part of our Chlamydia condition guide.
Get urgent help first. Go to A&E or call 999 for sudden, severe pain in a testicle, or severe pain low in your tummy with a fever, fainting or any chance you could be pregnant. Contact NHS 111 (NHS 24 on 111 in Scotland) or your GP the same day for pelvic pain, pain during sex, bleeding between periods or after sex, or a fever with genital symptoms. Online treatment is not suitable in these situations.
Key fact: Telling recent partners is the most effective way to stop chlamydia coming straight back after treatment. You don’t have to do it alone: a sexual health clinic can tell partners for you without giving your name.
Tested Positive? Get Chlamydia Treatment Online
Access Doctor is a GPhC-registered pharmacy (#9011198). If you’ve tested positive for chlamydia, or a sexual partner has, a pharmacist independent prescriber reviews your online consultation and prescribes treatment if it’s suitable for you. Dispensed from our UK pharmacy. Approved before 3pm, Monday to Friday? Dispatched the same day, by Royal Mail Tracked 48, Tracked 24 or Special Delivery guaranteed by 1pm next working day: you choose.
Start Chlamydia Consultation →Adults only online. Access Doctor’s online chlamydia service is for adults aged 18 and over who are not pregnant or breastfeeding. If you’re under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, an NHS sexual health clinic or your GP can test and treat you free and in confidence, and under 25s can also get help from Brook.
6 months
How far back most people need to go
2 weeks
After sex before a test is reliable
2–6 months
After treatment, when under 25s should test again
Why telling partners matters
Partner notification means letting recent sexual partners know they may have been exposed to chlamydia, so they can get tested and treated. Most people with chlamydia have no symptoms, so a partner may have it without knowing. If they aren’t treated, they can pass it back to you as soon as you have sex again, pass it to others, and face the same risks of untreated infection, such as pelvic inflammatory disease or swelling of the testicles.
NICE guidance on reducing sexually transmitted infections (NG221) says anyone diagnosed with an STI should be helped to decide how to tell partners, and offered specialist support if they find it difficult. This guide walks you through the options.
Who needs to be told
- Anyone you’ve had vaginal, anal or oral sex with during the look-back period (see below)
- Anyone you’ve had genital contact with, even without penetration, or shared sex toys with
- Regular, casual and one-off partners alike: the risk doesn’t depend on the type of relationship
- Your current partner, even if you’ve been together a long time. Chlamydia can go unnoticed for months, so it’s often impossible to tell who had it first.
How far back to go
The look-back period is how far back you need to go when telling partners. Current UK guidance from the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) is:
| Your situation | Who to tell |
|---|---|
| A man with symptoms from the penis (such as discharge or pain when peeing) | Everyone you’ve had sex with since your symptoms started, and in the 4 weeks before |
| Everyone else: women, people with no symptoms, and anyone with a rectal or throat infection | Everyone you’ve had sex with in the last 6 months |
| No partners in that time | Your most recent partner, however long ago |
If you’re not sure which applies, the clinic or prescriber who treats you can help you work it out.
How to tell a partner
There’s no single right way. What matters is that the message gets through clearly and soon. Many people choose to tell partners themselves:
1
Choose a calm moment
A private, unhurried conversation, phone call or message usually goes best. If you’re worried about how a partner might react, see the section on staying safe below.
2
Keep it simple and factual
For example: “I’ve tested positive for chlamydia, so you might have it too. It’s easy to treat, but you should get tested.” Try not to blame: it’s usually impossible to know who had it first.
3
Explain that it’s easy to treat
Testing is usually a urine sample or a self-taken swab, and treatment is a short course of antibiotics.
4
Suggest where to go
NHS sexual health clinics test and treat for free, many areas offer free home test kits, and partners can also see their GP. A partner of someone with confirmed chlamydia can usually be treated straight away.
5
Agree to wait before having sex
Neither of you should have sex until you’ve both finished treatment and any symptoms have gone. If either of you takes azithromycin, wait until 7 days after the last tablet.
If you met partners through a dating or hook-up app, NICE suggests the app can be a practical way to let them know they should contact a sexual health service for a test.
If telling a partner doesn’t feel safe
Your safety comes first. If you’re worried a partner might react with anger or violence, or a partner controls or pressures you, you don’t have to tell them yourself. A sexual health clinic can tell them without giving your name, and can help you think about your own safety. Free, confidential support is also available: in England, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline (0808 2000 247, 24 hours); in Scotland, the Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline (0800 027 1234); in Wales, Live Fear Free (0808 80 10 800); and in Northern Ireland, the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline (0808 802 1414). If you’re in immediate danger, call 999.
If sex happened without your agreement, the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line (0808 500 2222) and Rape Crisis Scotland (08088 01 03 02) can help, and a sexual assault referral centre can offer medical care without you having to report to the police. Our support page lists more services.
Anonymous options
If you can’t or would rather not contact a partner yourself, these are all accepted ways to let them know:
Clinic health adviser
Sexual health clinics have health advisers trained in partner notification. With your consent, they can contact partners for you without revealing who you are.
Anonymous text
Services such as SH:24 partner notification send an anonymous text telling a partner they may have been exposed to an infection and should get tested.
Contact slips
Some clinics give you a slip to pass on. It tells the partner to attend for a check-up, without naming you.
Clinic referral
If you share a partner’s contact details with a clinic, a health adviser can get in touch with them directly. This helps if you’ve lost touch or don’t feel safe.
Confidentiality: information you give a sexual health clinic about your partners is confidential. Clinic staff won’t contact anyone without your consent, and won’t tell a partner who you are unless you ask them to. Access Doctor never contacts partners: we give you the information and point you to these services.
If a partner won’t get tested
You can’t make another adult get tested or treated. You can make sure they have the information, and protect yourself:
- Ask a clinic health adviser to contact them: hearing it from a health professional can make a difference
- Send an anonymous text so they at least have the information
- Don’t have sex with them until they’ve been treated, or use condoms every time
- Test again yourself 2 to 6 months after treatment, or sooner if you’ve had sex with an untreated partner
What partners should do
If you’ve been told you may have been exposed to chlamydia:
- Get treated, and tested. Because you’re the partner of someone with confirmed chlamydia, a clinic can usually treat you straight away, without waiting for your own result. If you’re 18 or over and not pregnant or breastfeeding, an online service such as ours can too. It’s still worth having a test, and a full STI check.
- Time your test. Tests are reliable from about 2 weeks after the last time you had sex with the person. If you test sooner and it’s negative, test again 2 weeks after that contact.
- Avoid sex until you’ve finished treatment and any symptoms have gone (and until 7 days after your last tablet if you take azithromycin).
- Tell your own partners if your test is positive.
- See a clinic if you have symptoms, are pregnant, or have pain, discharge or bleeding from your bottom.
Treatment is usually doxycycline for 7 days, or azithromycin if doxycycline isn’t suitable. Pregnancy needs different care: see our chlamydia in pregnancy guide.
Has a Partner Tested Positive? Get Treated Online
Access Doctor is a GPhC-registered pharmacy (#9011198). If you’ve tested positive for chlamydia, or a sexual partner has, a pharmacist independent prescriber reviews your online consultation and prescribes treatment if it’s suitable for you. Dispensed from our UK pharmacy. Approved before 3pm, Monday to Friday? Dispatched the same day, by Royal Mail Tracked 48, Tracked 24 or Special Delivery guaranteed by 1pm next working day: you choose.
Start Chlamydia Consultation →Protecting yourself from reinfection
Finish your treatment
Take every dose, even if you feel fine.
Wait before having sex
Until you and your partner have both finished treatment and symptoms have gone; 7 days after the last azithromycin tablet.
Test again
If you’re under 25, test again 2 to 6 months after treatment, because catching it again is common. Test sooner with a new partner.
Use condoms
Condoms used correctly every time reduce the risk of chlamydia and other STIs, including gonorrhoea and HIV.
UK safety, support and free NHS options
Doxycycline and azithromycin are prescription-only medicines in the UK. Before anything is prescribed, a GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber reviews your consultation, including your allergies and the other medicines you take. Always read the patient information leaflet in the pack. Never share antibiotics with anyone else, even a partner with the same infection, and don’t keep leftovers for another time: return unused tablets to a pharmacy.
If you think you’ve had a side effect from a medicine, tell your pharmacist or doctor. You can also report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme, which helps keep medicines safe for everyone.
NHS sexual health clinics test and treat chlamydia free of charge across the UK, and you don’t need a GP referral: use the NHS website in England, NHS inform in Scotland, Sexual Health Wales in Wales and nidirect in Northern Ireland to find one. Our private chlamydia treatment online service is an alternative for adults aged 18 and over.
If anything about how you got this infection doesn’t feel right, for example if sex wasn’t your choice or a partner pressures or controls you, you can talk to someone in confidence. See support, if you need it for free, confidential helplines. If you’re in immediate danger, call 999.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to tell my partner I have chlamydia?
It’s your choice, but it’s strongly recommended. An untreated partner can pass the infection straight back to you and faces the same risks of untreated chlamydia. If you don’t want to tell a partner yourself, or it doesn’t feel safe, a sexual health clinic or an anonymous text service can let them know without giving your name.
How far back do I need to contact partners?
For most people, it’s everyone you’ve had sex with in the last 6 months. Men with symptoms from the penis should tell everyone since their symptoms started and in the 4 weeks before. If you haven’t had sex in the look-back period, tell your most recent partner, however long ago that was.
Can I tell a partner anonymously?
Yes. Services such as SH:24 can send a partner an anonymous text, and a health adviser at a sexual health clinic can contact partners for you without revealing your name. Some clinics also give out contact slips you can pass on.
What if telling my partner doesn’t feel safe?
You don’t have to tell them yourself. A sexual health clinic can tell them without naming you and can help you think about your safety. Free, confidential helplines include the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. If you’re in immediate danger, call 999.
Can my partner be treated without a test?
Yes. A partner of someone with confirmed chlamydia can usually be treated straight away, without waiting for their own result. This can be done at a sexual health clinic or GP, or, if they’re 18 or over and not pregnant, through an online service such as ours. A test, and a full STI check, is still recommended.
My partner tested negative. Are we safe?
It depends on timing. Tests are reliable from about 2 weeks after the last time you had sex. If your partner tested sooner than that, they should test again 2 weeks after your last contact. Because a partner of someone with chlamydia can be treated anyway, ask the clinic or prescriber whether treatment is advised.
When can I have sex again after treatment?
When you and your partner have both finished treatment and any symptoms have gone. With doxycycline, that means finishing the 7-day course. With azithromycin, wait until 7 days after the last tablet. This applies to oral sex and sex with a condom too.
What if I’ve lost contact with a partner?
Try any contact details you have, including social media. If that isn’t possible, tell the health adviser at a sexual health clinic, who may be able to help. You’re not expected to go to unreasonable lengths.
Will a clinic contact my partner without telling me?
No. Sexual health clinics ask for your consent before contacting a partner, and won’t reveal who you are unless you ask them to. Access Doctor doesn’t contact partners at all.
Chlamydia treatment from Access Doctor
If you’ve tested positive for chlamydia, or a partner has, our pharmacist independent prescribers can assess you online. Each person needs their own consultation.
Antibiotic · Rx · usual first choice
Doxycycline 100mg capsules
7-day course: one capsule twice a day. Prescribed after an online consultation.
View product →Antibiotic · Rx · if you can’t take doxycycline
Azithromycin 500mg tablets
3-day course for people allergic to, or unable to take, doxycycline. Prescribed after an online consultation.
View product →References
- British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH). UK national guideline for the management of infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, 2026 (Saunders J, et al.). doi.org
- NICE. Reducing sexually transmitted infections (NG221), 2022, recommendations 1.3.1 to 1.3.6 on partner notification. nice.org.uk
- NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. Chlamydia – uncomplicated genital. cks.nice.org.uk
- NHS. Chlamydia: treatment. nhs.uk
- SH:24. Partner notification. sh24.org.uk
Medical disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment. In a medical emergency, call 999.