Sexual health screening / STI testing (Sexually transmitted infection screening and testing)

What is sexual health screening / STI testing?

Sexual health screening means testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), even when you feel completely well. Many STIs, including chlamydia and sometimes gonorrhoea, often cause no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know your status and to avoid passing an infection on without realising.

A typical screen checks for the common infections — usually chlamydia and gonorrhoea (from a urine sample or swabs) and HIV and syphilis (from a blood sample). Hepatitis B and C, and other tests such as herpes or Mycoplasma genitalium, may be added depending on your history and any symptoms.

Testing is confidential and non-judgemental. You do not have to give a reason, and free NHS sexual health (GUM) services let you attend without involving your regular GP if you prefer. Home test kits are also widely available.

One important idea is the 'window period' — the time between catching an infection and when a test can reliably detect it. Testing too soon after a possible exposure can give a falsely reassuring result, so timing matters.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Clinic testing vs home kit

Home kits are excellent for symptom-free screening and privacy. If you have symptoms, a recent high-risk exposure, or need examination or treatment, a sexual health clinic is the better choice.

Preparing for your test

• Think about when your last possible exposure was, as testing too early may miss an infection (the 'window period').
• Try not to pass urine for about an hour before a chlamydia/gonorrhoea urine test, as a recent wee can affect the sample.
• Note any symptoms — discharge, pain, sores, rash, bleeding — so testing can be guided by them.
• Bring a list of any medicines and tell staff if you might be pregnant.
• Decide whether you prefer a clinic, your GP, or a home kit; free NHS sexual health services are confidential and self-referral.
• If using a home kit, read the instructions fully before collecting samples to avoid an inadequate result.
• Know that you can attend confidentially and do not have to justify why you want testing.

What happens

At a clinic, a nurse or doctor asks some confidential questions about your sexual history to work out which tests you need — this is to guide testing, not to judge. You may be asked for a urine sample, to take your own swabs, or to have swabs and an examination if you have symptoms, plus a blood sample for HIV and syphilis.

With a home kit, you collect the samples yourself following the instructions — typically urine, a swab and a finger-prick blood spot — and post them to the laboratory.

Results usually come back within a few days to about a week, often by text or online, with a phone call if anything needs discussing. If an infection is found, the service explains treatment and can help you tell current and former partners confidentially.

Is this test right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

The biggest pitfall is timing: testing inside the 'window period' can miss a recent infection and give false reassurance. Window periods differ by infection and between services — broadly, chlamydia and gonorrhoea can usually be detected from around two weeks, HIV by around four to six weeks (with confirmation by three months), and syphilis and hepatitis can take up to around twelve weeks. If you have symptoms, or a specific high-risk exposure, do not just wait — seek advice, as you may need earlier assessment, treatment or HIV prevention (PEP).

Published figures to discuss

Modern STI tests are highly accurate when used correctly and timed after the window period, but no test is perfect. Screening tests can occasionally give false positives, which is why reactive results (for example on rapid HIV tests) are confirmed with a second laboratory test; false negatives can occur if testing is done too early or a sample is inadequate. Because performance varies by infection, test type and timing, exact figures are not given here — ask the service about the specific tests being used.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

There is no physical recovery from STI testing. 'Afterwards' is about waiting for results, getting treatment if needed, and telling partners — all of which the service supports confidentially.

• A small bruise where blood was taken
• Some anxiety while waiting for results
• Being advised to repeat a test after the window period
• Avoiding sex or using condoms until results or treatment are complete

Aftercare

• Wait for your results and follow any advice about repeating a test after the window period.
• If treated, complete the full course of medicine and avoid sex as advised until it is finished.
• Tell current and recent partners so they can be tested and treated; the service can do this confidentially.
• Have a 'test of cure' or repeat test if the service recommends one for certain infections.
• Consider regular screening if you have new or multiple partners, and ask about PrEP if relevant.
• Avoid retesting for chlamydia or gonorrhoea too soon after treatment, as tests can stay positive for some weeks even when cured.
• Consider sharing results with your NHS GP for continuity, though sexual health services can also keep this separate if you prefer.

• Note of your last possible exposure date
• Awareness of the window period for the infections tested
• Decision on clinic, GP or home kit
• Plan to avoid sex or use condoms until results are clear
• List of recent partners for notification if needed
• Clear way to receive results and ask questions

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Severe lower abdominal or pelvic pain, especially with fever — seek urgent care (possible pelvic infection)
• Pain or swelling in the testicles
• A high fever, feeling very unwell, or a widespread rash
• Painful blisters or ulcers on the genitals that are severe or spreading
• Heavy or unusual bleeding, or pain during or after sex that is severe
• A specific recent high-risk exposure to HIV — seek advice urgently, as emergency prevention (PEP) is time-critical (ideally within 72 hours)
• Symptoms that persist or worsen despite a negative test — get reviewed rather than reassured by the result alone

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your GP gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good result is a clear answer obtained at the right time. A negative result, when testing was done after the relevant window period, is reassuring for the infections checked. But a negative result only covers the infections you were tested for, at that point in time, and does not protect against future infection.

If an infection is found, most are very treatable, and finding it means it can be cleared and partners protected. A 'reactive' screening result (for example on a rapid HIV test) is not a final diagnosis — it always needs a confirmatory laboratory test before anything is certain.

An STI result reflects your status only up to the window period before the test. It says nothing about exposures since, or about future risk. If you have new or multiple partners, regular screening (for example every few months or with each new partner) is sensible. After treatment, some tests can stay positive for weeks, so follow the service's advice on when, or whether, to retest.

Related tests, treatments or support

Sexual health screening is often combined with contraception advice, HPV and hepatitis B vaccination, cervical screening discussion, and HIV prevention (PrEP or PEP). Testing for several infections is usually done together in one visit or one home kit. If symptoms point to a specific problem, additional targeted tests or an examination may be added.

Follow-up & long-term care

How results reach you should be clear before you leave or post your kit: usually a text or online message, with a phone call if something needs discussing. Positive results are followed by treatment, advice and partner notification support. Some infections need a test of cure or a repeat test. If you do not receive results when expected, contact the service.

• Test regularly if you have new or multiple partners, or as your service advises.
• Use condoms to reduce the risk of future infection between tests.
• Consider PrEP if you are at higher risk of HIV, and keep up any related monitoring.
• Keep up to date with hepatitis B and HPV vaccination if recommended.
• Repeat testing after the window period if an earlier test was done too soon.

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• A test done inside the window period may need repeating after enough time has passed.
• A reactive screening result always needs a confirmatory laboratory test before diagnosis.
• Some infections require a test of cure or repeat test after treatment, and tests can stay positive for weeks post-treatment.
• Regular repeat screening is advised for people with new or multiple partners.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• A clear, confidential route to receive results and ask questions.
• Treatment and clear advice on when sex is safe again if an infection is found.
• Confidential partner notification support.
• Advice on repeat testing, regular screening, vaccination and HIV prevention as relevant.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• Which infections are included in the screen (a basic four vs an extended panel).
• Whether testing is in a clinic, by home postal kit, or with rapid/same-day results.
• How quickly results are returned (faster turnaround can cost more privately).
• Whether a consultation, examination or treatment is included.
• Any add-on services such as PrEP assessment, vaccination or partner treatment.
• Confirmatory or repeat tests if a screening result is reactive or timing was early.

• Exactly which infections the screen tests for.
• Whether the same testing is available free on the NHS.
• How and when results are delivered, and turnaround time.
• Whether treatment is included or charged separately if something is found.
• What happens, and what it costs, if a result is reactive and needs confirming.
• Whether partner notification support and any vaccinations are included.

On the NHS? Free, confidential NHS sexual health (GUM) services and many home test kits are widely available; private STI testing is mainly used for speed, choice or convenience.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the GP is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the GP who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good GP will welcome every one of these.

• Given when I last had sex, am I testing at the right time, or should I repeat it later?
• Which infections does this screen actually cover, and should any others be added?
• What happens if a result is positive, negative or unclear?
• Do I need a test of cure or a repeat test for anything?
• Could I benefit from HIV prevention (PrEP or PEP) or any vaccinations?
• How will you contact me with results, and how is my confidentiality protected?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the GP who carries out my test, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this test not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified GP for sexual health screening / sti testing

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NHS — Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) BASHH — Summary guidance on STI testing (2023) NHS — HIV and AIDS FPA / sexual health information

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.