Can you get Chlamydia from kissing?

Chlamydia isn’t known to spread through kissing. The NHS says it’s spread through vaginal fluid and semen, and lists vaginal, oral and anal sex without a condom, and fluid on sex toys or hands, as the ways it passes on. Kissing isn’t on the list.

Chlamydia can infect the throat, usually through oral sex. But throat Chlamydia is uncommon, it rarely causes symptoms, and it can clear up on its own. Read more in “What does an oral Chlamydia infection look like?”

Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed STI in England. There were 151,163 diagnoses in 2025, and about half were in people aged 15 to 24. You can get it from:

• vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom
• your genitals touching a partner’s genitals, even without penetration
• sharing sex toys
• vaginal fluid or semen on your hands
• infected semen or vaginal fluid getting into your eye

Most people with Chlamydia don’t have any symptoms, so they can pass it on without knowing. Read more in “Can you catch Chlamydia without cheating?”

Most people with Chlamydia don’t get any symptoms. If you do, they can start from 1 week to several months after infection.

In women

• vaginal discharge that isn’t normal for you
• bleeding after sex or between periods
• a burning feeling when you pee
• pain in your lower tummy

In men

• white, cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis
• burning and itching around the testicles and penis
• pain and swelling in the testicles
• a burning feeling when you pee

It can also cause pain, bleeding or discharge from your bottom, a sore throat, or red, painful eyes with discharge.

Chlamydia is easy to treat with antibiotics, but without treatment it can spread and cause:

• pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection of the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries, which can lead to infertility or ectopic pregnancy
• infection in the testicles
• joint pain (reactive arthritis), which usually gets better after a few months

If you’re pregnant, untreated Chlamydia can pass to your baby during birth and cause an eye or lung infection, which can be treated with antibiotics.

Cold sores

Cold sores are caused by the Herpes simplex virus and spread through close skin contact, such as kissing. They’re contagious from the first tingle until the sore has completely healed, so avoid kissing and oral sex until then. Read more in “How long after a cold sore can you give oral sex?”

Syphilis

Syphilis can pass on through contact with a sore, including one inside the mouth or on the lips. Read more in “Can Syphilis be transmitted through saliva?”

Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is usually passed on through sex. Some research in gay and bisexual men suggests deep kissing might play a part in passing on Gonorrhoea in the throat, but the evidence isn’t settled. Read more in “Can you get Gonorrhoea from kissing?”

HPV

It isn’t clear how much of a part kissing plays in passing on HPV. Read more in “Can you get HPV from kissing?”

Glandular fever

Glandular fever isn’t an STI, but it spreads through spit, so you can get it from kissing or sharing cups or cutlery. It’s most common in 15 to 24 year olds.

If you’ve only kissed someone, you don’t need a Chlamydia test. If you’ve had oral, vaginal or anal sex, it’s worth testing, even if you feel fine. Better2Know offers:

• Oral Screen: a home test kit that checks a throat swab and a urine sample for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, and a finger-prick blood sample for Herpes 1, Herpes 2 and Syphilis. You can take it from 14 days after sex (28 days for Herpes), with results in 2 days.
• Chlamydia: a urine test you do at home, from 14 days after sex, with results in 2 days.
• Peace of Mind: tests for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Syphilis from 14 days after sex, with results in 2 days. You can book it at one of our clinics or order a home test kit.

A urine test checks for infections in your genitals, not your throat. A Syphilis test in the first 3 months after sex can miss the infection, so you may need a repeat test. Not sure which test you need? Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Can you get HIV from kissing?

No. The NHS says you can’t get HIV from kissing, hugging or shaking hands, or from sharing cups or cutlery.

Can you get Chlamydia in your mouth?

Yes, through oral sex, although it’s uncommon. Throat Chlamydia rarely causes symptoms, and it takes a throat swab to find it.

Can you get Chlamydia in your eyes?

Yes, if infected semen or vaginal fluid gets into your eye. Read more in “Can you get Chlamydia in your eyes?”

You won’t catch Chlamydia from a kiss, but kissing isn’t risk free: cold sores and Syphilis sores can spread through close contact with the mouth. Chlamydia is passed on through sex, and most people who have it don’t know. If you’ve had sex without a condom, including oral sex, a test is the only way to be sure.

Order an Oral Screen home test kit, or book a test at a clinic near you. Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Not in the UK? Choose your country from the selector at the top of the page for local tests and prices.

This article originally appeared on 15 February 2024 and was last updated on 1 October 2026.

This article is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

Sources

1. NHS, Chlamydia, reviewed 24 October 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chlamydia/
2. NHS inform, Chlamydia. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/sexual-and-reproductive/chlamydia/
3. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, UK national guideline for the management of infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, 2026. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/national_guideline_for_the_management_of_infection_chlamydia_trachomatis_2026.pdf
4. UK Health Security Agency, Sexually transmitted infections and screening for chlamydia in England: 2025 report, 2 June 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-annual-data-tables/sexually-transmitted-infections-and-screening-for-chlamydia-in-england-2025-report
5. NHS, Gonorrhoea, reviewed 16 December 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gonorrhoea/
6. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, UK national guideline for the management of infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, 2025. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/fiferetal2025britishassociationofsexualhealthandhivuknationalguidelineforthemanagementofinfection_1.pdf
7. Chow EPF, Cornelisse VJ, Williamson DA, et al. Kissing may be an important and neglected risk factor for oropharyngeal gonorrhoea: a cross-sectional study in men who have sex with men. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2019;95(7):516. https://sti.bmj.com/content/95/7/516
8. NHS, Cold sores, reviewed 19 February 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cold-sores/
9. NHS, Syphilis, reviewed 17 March 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/syphilis/
10. NHS, Human papillomavirus (HPV), reviewed 10 March 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/human-papilloma-virus-hpv/
11. NHS, Glandular fever, reviewed 20 December 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/glandular-fever/
12. NHS, HIV and AIDS, reviewed 9 July 2025. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/
13. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, UK guidelines for the management of syphilis, 2024. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/syphilis_2024.pdf