STI testing articles

Articles on when to test, how testing works, and treatment, written by our clinical team. Updated regularly.

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STI Testing - Articles

Articles on when to test for STIs, how testing and results actually work, and what treatment involves. No judgement, no assumptions.

For a full overview see our STI testing service page.

When to test

A man checking his phone on a train platform at dusk. When to test for STIs, and the window periods that matter A woman pausing during a morning run on a bridge. Testing without symptoms: why it is normal A person filling in a form on a tablet in a bright waiting area. Which STIs to test for, and how each is sampled

Testing and results

A plain test kit box on a kitchen table by a window. At-home self-sampling vs testing at the clinic A man on a phone call at home, relaxed, in evening lamplight. What happens if an STI result is positive Two people talking on a park bench in autumn. Telling a partner: how partner notification works

Treatment and safety

Hands passing a small paper bag across a pharmacy counter. STI treatment, and what is included A woman cycling through a leafy city street in afternoon light. How often should you test for STIs A person climbing the steps of a public health building. STIs we refer on: HIV, hepatitis, and where PrEP and PEP come from

The infections

Two young friends laughing in a shared kitchen. Chlamydia, explained A macro image of a laboratory agar plate under cool light. Gonorrhoea, and antibiotic resistance A figure with an umbrella on a rain-slicked city street at dusk. Syphilis, and why it is rising A person reading in bed on a calm morning. Genital herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2) A young woman with a coffee on a bright market street. Genital warts and HPV A diverse group chatting over street food at a market. Trichomonas A person weighing a decision at a home desk by a window. Mycoplasma genitalium, and what we do not screen for

Understanding your results

A woman reading calmly from her phone at an evening kitchen table. Understanding your STI results A relaxed couple chatting on a city rooftop at golden hour. STIs from oral and anal sex: why throat and rectal swabs matter

Read across our other services

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