Home STI Test Kits

• At home – you can do this with a home test kit purchased online
• At a sexual health (GUM) clinic
• At your GP surgery

What does testing involve?

The way you get tested for an STI depends on which STI you might have been exposed to.

Tests that require a pin-prick blood test:

• The combined syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B and C test kit
• The standalone syphilis test kit
• The standalone HIV test kit
• The extended STI test kit

Tests that require a urine sample for men or a vaginal swab for women:

• The combined genital chlamydia and gonorrhoea test kit
• The standalone genital chlamydia test kit
• The HPV test kit

Tests that require a genital swab for men or women:

• The genital herpes test kit

Tests that require a rectal swab:

• The anal chlamydia and gonorrhea test kit

Tests that require a throat swab:

• The oral chlamydia and gonorrhea test kit

Tests that require a pin-prick blood test, a urine sample for men or a vaginal swab for women, a rectal swab, and a throat swab, include:

• The female test kit
• The men who have sex with men test kit

Always get tested as soon as you can. If you think you could have caught an STI, you should get tested as soon as possible. Then, if it’s a positive test, you could start treatment right away.

But, even if you’ve actually caught an STI, if you test for it soon after you caught it, sometimes the test may miss it. So, if this is the case for you and a test comes back negative, you may need to repeat the test to be sure that it’s correct.

Different STIs can take different amounts of time to show up on tests so it’s important to test at the right time to ensure that you’re getting the most accurate result.

When to test after unprotected sexual intercourse:

• Chlamydia: 2 weeks
• Gonorrhoea: 2 weeks
• Mycoplasma genitalium: 2 weeks
• Ureaplasma urelayticum: 2 weeks
• Trichomonas vaginalis: 2 weeks
• Gardnerella vaginalis: 2 weeks
• Syphilis: 3-6 weeks, retest at 3 months
• HIV: 45 days, retest at 3 months
• Hepatitis B: 3 months
• Hepatitis C: 3 months
• Herpes Type I & II: 2 weeks for swab test
• HPV: at any time

If you think you were exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, please visit your local sexual health clinic or A&E department as soon as possible. You may be able to take PEP which can reduce your chance of contracting the virus.

If you would like to check whether you have an STI status you can easily order a test kit through our online doctor service:

• Complete a short assessment
• Place an order for the test kit you think is right for you
• Log into (or create) your account
• Finalise your order and provide payment details
• You will be billed and your test kit will be dispatched
• You can expect to receive your kit within 1-2 days
• Once you’ve performed your test you can post your samples directly to the lab for testing

Is it the same as getting tested in person?

There are some differences between getting tested at a clinic or surgery and carrying out a home test kit. Advantages of the home test kit include:

• No face-to-face appointments required
• No discussions about your sexual health required
• It can be done at home
• Our Customer Support team is happy to help with any queries you may have

When would I get my results?

• You should receive your results 2 to 3 days after your samples reach the lab
• Your results will NOT be sent to you directly – you can see them in your patient account and you will only be notified by email to say that a message is waiting for you in your account

No matter which test kit you order, it will come with detailed instructions on how to collect your samples. Below are brief explanations of each sample:

• Blood test – use the lancet (device for pricking your skin) to create a pin-prick on your finger. Place your finger over the sample tube and drip blood into it, up to the fill line. Seal and label your tube
• Urine sample – fill out the label and attach it to the sample tube. Use the urine collection box to collect the very first bit of urine when you urinate. Transfer the urine from the collection box to the sample tube and seal it
• Swabs – fill out the label in the swab packet and attach it to the swab bottle. Open the bottle and remove the swab. Once you’ve used the swab, put it back into the bottle. Check the instructions for how to do the swab depending on whether it’s vaginal, oral, or rectal

For all test kits:

• Make sure you fully complete your labels and attach them to your samples
• Put all your samples into the clear specimen bags provided before putting them in your self addressed envelope
• Always complete your checklists to make sure you’ve done everything you need to complete you test

Please call our Customer Support team if you’re at all unsure of how to complete your test. They can talk you through the process and make sure you complete your test properly before sending it off.

If you’re unsure of which test to choose, refer to our List of STIs and their symptoms page for further information or see below.

If you are not sure which STI you have been exposed to or you think you may have been exposed to more than one, you may wish to be tested for a wider range of STIs using the Extended STI test kit.

STI symptoms in men :

• Itching or burning feelings around your genitals
• Pain when you urinate
• Any lumps, spots, sore, or blisters around your genitals or anus
• Irritation or pain in your urethra (inside your penis)
• Discharge (unusual liquid) coming from your penis

STI symptoms in women:

• Itching or burning feelings around your genitals
• Pain when you urinate
• Any lumps, spots, sores, or blisters around your genitals or anus
• You find sex painful
• Strong-smelling, yellow, or green discharge coming from your vagina
• Pain around your lower stomach
• Irregular (not normal period) bleeding from your vagina

When do symptoms usually show up?

This varies from person to person and depends on the STI. It can often be as quickly as 1-2 weeks after you have unprotected sex or may take months or even years for any symptoms to develop. Some people find they have not experienced any symptoms at all, and this is particularly common in men. It’s important to have regular testing regardless of whether you have symptoms or not. Getting tested is the only reliable way to know if you’ve caught an STI.

STIs are normally passed between people by unprotected sexual contact. This can include activities such as masturbation and oral sex as well as sharing sex toys, and penetrative sex. Some STIs, such as HIV and hepatitis, can be passed through blood-to-blood transmission from things like needle-stick injuries or sharing needles.

How to tell if you’re at risk of getting an STI?

These things can increase your chances of getting an STI:

• Not using protection
• Sharing needles or sex toys
• Not knowing the status of your partners

When should you use protection?

• Always. Unless you are trying to fall pregnant