Why test?
Getting tested regularly is one of the best ways to look after your sexual health. STIs are common and they don’t always have symptoms, or it can take a little while for symptoms to show up.
Finding out you have an STI means you can get the treatment you need -- it’s the infections we don’t know about that cause the most harm! Routine STI testing is a way of taking control of your sexual health and wellbeing.
When to test?
How often to test depends on a bunch of factors, but as a basic guide, if you’re sexually active, consider testing:
At least once a year (and as much as every three months), PLUS
Any time you have unexplained genital symptoms,
Start a new relationship, or
Have a sexual partner tell you they’ve been diagnosed with an STI.
There’s no one-size-fits-all testing rule for LGBTQ+ women because our bodies, partners and sexual practices are so diverse!
For personalised advice about testing, talk to your doctor or call the NSW Sexual Health Infolink to speak with a nurse.
What’s in a test?
A routine STI check includes tests for:
Chlamydia,
Gonorrhoea,
HIV,
Syphilis
Hepatitis B if you haven’t been vaccinated.
These are done through a urine test or genital swab plus a blood test. Sometimes a throat swab and anal swab are recommended too.
When you don’t have symptoms, everything can be self-collected. That means you don’t need any kind of genital examination to get reliable STI results.
Where to test?
Routine testing is really simple and there is more than one way to do it:
General Practitioner (GP)
Most STI testing happens as part of your usual healthcare with a GP or nurse.
If you have Medicare and the GP ‘bulk bills’, the appointment and testing can be free, otherwise there will be a co-payment.
If you don’t have Medicare, you may be able to get free – or more affordable – testing through your local sexual health clinic, student health centre or by using private health insurance.
Sexual Health Centres
Sexual health centres across NSW provide free STI testing and treatment to priority groups, even without Medicare or insurance.
As public clinics vary in capacity, each centre has their own triage process.
Usually, priority groups include:
People living with HIV,
Gay, bisexual, queer and other men who have sex with men
Sexual partners of gay, bisexual, queer and other men who have sex with men,
Sex workers,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,
Trans and gender diverse people,
Young people,
People who inject drugs,
Someone identified as a contact of certain STIs,
People in urgent need of STI related care
Contact your local clinic to find out if their services are right for you.
Specialised Primary Health Services
These clinics have a specialised focus, but are staffed by GPs and other healthcare providers who can offer STI testing:
Student health clinics at your university or college
a[TEST] - Sydney based, peer-led STI testing for gay, bisexual, queer and other men who sex with men
t150 clinic at the Albion Centre - Sydney based, peer-led STI
Home or self-testing kits
The ATOMO HIV self-test is the only kit in Australia approved by the TGA. It’s about $25 and can be purchased online as well as at some pharmacies.
The Dried Blood Spot (DBS) Test provides HIV and Hepatitis C testing through a mail-in test pack. It’s provided for free to anyone in NSW considered to be at risk HIV.
Remember, no matter where you get tested, your health information will always be kept private. You can read more about privacy and other healthcare rights here.
