How long should I wait to have sex after starting a 7-day chlamydia treatment with doxycycline (antibiotic) and when should I get retested?

Chlamydia Treatment and Follow-up Recommendations

You should wait until you complete the full 7-day doxycycline treatment course before having sex, and you should be retested approximately 3 months after treatment completion. 1

Sexual Activity After Treatment

• Abstain from sexual intercourse until you have completed the full 7-day doxycycline treatment course (all 7 days) 1
• Additionally, you should ensure all sexual partners from the previous 60 days have been evaluated and treated before resuming sexual activity 1
• This abstinence period is critical to prevent transmission of infection and to ensure the treatment has time to be fully effective 1

Treatment Effectiveness

• Doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 7 days is a highly effective first-line treatment for chlamydia with approximately 97-98% efficacy 2
• It's important to complete the entire 7-day course, even if symptoms improve before completion 1
• Taking medication with food and a full glass of water while remaining upright for at least an hour afterward can help prevent side effects like esophagitis 1

Retesting Recommendations

• You should be retested approximately 3 months after treatment completion to check for reinfection 3
• Test-of-cure (retesting shortly after treatment) is NOT recommended for non-pregnant individuals treated with doxycycline unless:
  • Symptoms persist after treatment 1
  • Reinfection is suspected 1
  • There are concerns about treatment compliance 3
• Testing less than 3 weeks after treatment completion can lead to false results:
  • False-negatives may occur due to small numbers of organisms 1
  • False-positives may occur due to detection of dead organisms 1

Partner Management

• All sexual partners from the 60 days before your diagnosis should be notified, evaluated, and treated 1
• Even if your last sexual contact was more than 60 days before diagnosis, your most recent partner should still be evaluated and treated 1
• Treating partners is essential to prevent reinfection, which is a common cause of persistent or recurrent infection 1

Important Considerations

• Reinfection rates are high after chlamydia treatment, which is why retesting at 3 months is strongly recommended 3
• Doxycycline may be more effective than azithromycin for treating chlamydia, particularly when there might be concurrent rectal infection 4, 5
• Avoid taking doxycycline with dairy products, antacids, or supplements containing calcium, iron, magnesium, or sodium bicarbonate (separate by at least 2 hours) 1