Each person is individually assessed and recommended tests will be discussed.
A standard STI test can include:
- a urine sample
- swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhoea
- a blood test for HIV and syphilis.
Extra tests may be recommended following the assessment.
Genital skin examination
As part of your check-up, the doctor or nurse will offer to examine the genital skin looking for lumps, bumps, sores or rashes. These may be signs of infections such as genital warts, genital herpes or syphilis.
An examination is recommended especially if you have symptoms.
Nurses and doctors at the clinic are experts at genital examinations and at making the experience as comfortable as possible for you. But if you are too embarrassed or shy to have an examination you can provide self-taken samples for chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing.
If you have a vagina
Routinely, swabs are taken from the vagina to detect infection. Sometimes it may be recommended to take swabs from your throat or anus depending on your history and symptoms.
Using our microscopes, we are sometimes able to see thrush, bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas and gonorrhoea on the day of attendance.
We also send samples away to the laboratory for further testing.
If you have a penis
A urine sample is taken for chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing. If you have pain passing urine or discharge from your penis a small swab may be taken from the tip of the urethra (opening at the tip of the penis).
This sample will be looked at under the microscope on the day so we can decide whether you need treatment before your other test results come back.
If you have sex with other men, it is usually recommended to have swabs taken from your throat and anus for testing for chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
Infections like chlamydia and gonorrhoea usually do not have symptoms and are easily passed on through:
- oral and anal sex
- from rimming, fingering and sharing of sex toys.
Blood tests
We offer routine screening for HIV and Syphilis. Hepatitis A, B and C screening is offered when appropriate.