No, you can’t get chlamydia from a koala. But if you get tested for chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections (STDs), you can protect not only yourself and your community, but the planet itself. Let’s unpack how.
If you watched this year’s season Love Islandyou may recall one participant who confidently claimed that humans can get chlamydia from koalas. Although both types are affected by Chlamydia bacteria, they carry different types – there is no transmission between species. Yet this viral moment provides a surprisingly useful learning tool for sexual health professionals: it highlights how deeply interconnected human, animal, and environmental health really are.
Chlamydia: common, often silent and persistent
Chlamydia is the most common diagnosed STD in the world. Within the US alone About 1.5 million cases were diagnosed last yearwhich amounts to approximately 2 in 3 STD cases. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Because most infections are asymptomatic, many people do not realize they have chlamydia, meaning the actual number of infections is estimated at almost double of what is reported. Young people aged 15 to 24 are responsible for this about half of all new infectionsbut as we know, anyone who is sexually active is at risk.
Testing remains one of our most effective prevention tools. By encouraging regular STD screening, we can interrupt chains of transmission, initiate timely treatment and prevent long-term health consequences.
Potential long-term health consequences include:
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): For people with uteruses, PID can cause hospitalization, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility.
Complications during pregnancy: Chlamydia can lead to premature labor and can be transmitted to newborns during childbirth.
Infertility: Infections can cause damage to the fallopian tubes or uterus, and in people with testicles, they can affect sperm health.
Epididymitis: Infection and inflammation of the epididymis, which can spread to the testicles and cause pain or swelling.
Increased risk of HIV acquisition: Chlamydia infection can increase susceptibility to HIV and other STDs.
Reactive arthritis: A rare but documented complication that can affect joints, eyes and the urinary tract.
For providers, reinforcing the message that “testing is caring” helps normalize prevention and reduce stigma – two critical steps to closing the gap between infection and intervention.
When healthcare meets climate care and STD testing
This is where the One Health connection comes into play One Health approach brings people, animals and the environment together under one common goal: preserving the health of all. It recognizes that the well-being of people, animals, plants and ecosystems are interconnected, and that protecting one ultimately protects them all.
Globally, the healthcare sector is responsible for approx 5% of greenhouse gas emissions. Early detection and treatment reduces complications, specialist visits and medical waste. Untreated infections, on the other hand, often require more intensive care, which entails higher costs and greater environmental consequences.
In the US alone, new STDs cause more than $16 billion in direct medical costs annually – a reminder that prevention is not just a personal or public health investment, but an environmental investment.
The Growing Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
Gonorrhea in particular has become increasingly resistant to virtually all available antibiotics. This is an example of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which has now been identified by the World Health Organization as an urgent global health threat.
And now more attention is being paid to chlamydia. There have been reports of drug resistance, including a recent study reporting on this In 1 in 10 chlamydia infections, treatment with azithromycin fails.
For our sexual health professionals, this underlines the importance of preventive interventions. Every infection prevented is one less opportunity for resistant strains to develop, protecting not only future patients but also our shared ecosystems. AMR does not respect species boundaries; it can circulate among people, animals and the environment, threatening nature and biodiversity.
Vaccines on the horizon: lessons from koalas
Koalas are also in the middle of a chlamydia crisis. Their infections cause blindness and infertility and contribute to a declining population. In response, Australia recently introduced a chlamydia vaccination campaign for koalaswhat has turned out promising protection.
Research into human vaccines is also progressing. Several gonorrhea vaccine candidates are in clinical trials, and there is evidence that existing meningococcal B vaccines may provide partial cross-protection.
A new systematic review collected research from several countries and concluded that the vaccine provided moderate protection against gonorrhea, depending on the dose – between 23% and 47%. However, one study suggested that this protection may begin to fade about three years after vaccination.
Researchers are also exploring chlamydia vaccine options for humans. These scientific advances could transform STD prevention, shifting our field from reactive treatment to proactive immunity.
As sexual health professionals, staying abreast of vaccine research prepares us to answer individuals’ questions, build vaccine confidence, and integrate emerging prevention tools into care models.
STD testing: shared challenges, shared solutions
Whether it’s humans or koalas, the health barriers are often surprisingly similar. For people, limited access to care, stigma, and systemic inequities continue to make STD testing more difficult than it should be. long shadow of reproductive injustice and the lack of universal health care. And as politics change, new challenges continue to emerge, impacting the kind of sexual health education and services people can actually access. For koalas, even well-intentioned efforts to help can sometimes disrupt fragile ecosystems, showing how interconnected these systems really are.
In both cases, early detection, surveillance and prevention remain crucial. When we support testing, counseling and stigma reduction in our own communities, we contribute to global efforts to reduce the burden of disease – across species and systems.
A ‘One Health’ call to action for STD testing
Encouraging STD testing not only protects individuals; it strengthens communities, promotes healthcare equity and supports the well-being of the planet. As sexual health professionals, we are uniquely positioned to bridge these connections – to show that caring for sexual health also means caring for the health of our shared world.
So no, getting tested will not directly save the koalas. But it could just help protect everything we love – from our relationships to our ecosystems.
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