STIs Happen, Be Proud to Test

All activities that bring us close to another person pose a potential risk for the transmission of infection, whether it is something like the common cold or an STI. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a common and normal reality that comes with being sexually active.

There’s a lot that we can do to try and prevent STIs but they still happen. And that’s okay. We believe there should never be any shame in getting an STI. It’s a normal part of being human. We also believe there should never be any shame in getting tested.

Getting a sexual health test is a really easy way to take control of your sexual health. When you know if you have something, you can deal with it. You can get treated if you need to. You can manage conditions as needed. You can take the actions you need to support your own health. So be proud to test!

STIs are super common: Some statistics on STIs in Australia

16% of Australians will report having had an STI like chlamydia, gonorrhoea, hepatitis or syphilis in their lifetime.
Rates of chlamydia have increased substantially over the last two decades, particularly among young people. Rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis have also risen in the past 5 years.
WA is currently experiencing a syphilis outbreak.
About 30 thousand Australians live with HIV.
91% of people living with HIV are receiving treatment. HIV treatment is highly effective and most people on medication can’t pass on HIV through sexual contact. Learn more about it on our U=U page.
Approximately 95% of people will have some form of human papillomavirus (HPV) throughout their life.
There are over 100 different variations of HPV. Some can cause warts, others can cause cancer, but most do nothing. The nine strains of HPV that can cause genital warts and cancers of the anal, genital and oral regions are covered by the Gardasil vaccine. So get vaccinated!
It’s estimated that three-quarters (75%) of Australian adults have oral herpes and 1 in 8 have genital herpes.
Only 1 in 6 people with herpes will have a herpes outbreak (sores, cold sores). Most people never have any symptoms and never know.

The most common symptom is no symptoms

There is a pervasive myth that you can tell if you or someone else has an STI just by looking at them. The reality is that you just can’t.

Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human papillomavirus, herpes, HIV. All of these can have symptoms, but they can also have no symptoms.

This is why getting tested is so vital. Testing answers the questions you can’t answer for yourself. It gives you peace of mind and it allows you to know whether you have something you need to get treated for.

Getting tested

Any general practitioner (GP) can give you a sexual health test. However, many doctors don’t have much experience in sexual health.

Sexual health clinics and doctors with a special interest in sexual health are who we recommend seeing. They can provide safe, confidential and judgement-free support.

Getting tested should never be embarrassing or shameful. You are taking steps that look after your sexual health and that of your partners. That’s awesome and you should be proud of it.

Our top recommendations are M Clinic (for men who have sex with men, trans people and non-binary people), Sexual Health Quarters, RPH Sexual Health Clinic and South Terrace Clinic.

Check out the map below to find a sexual health clinic near you.

The clinics listed above are just recommendations, as they are either well known to us or are specifically sexual health clinics.

If a healthcare provider makes you feel ashamed, embarrassed, or uncomfortable during your appointment, please let us know. You have the right to always be treated with respect.

What does a sexual health test look like?

Sexual health tests are meant to be super easy. You may be asked questions like what body parts you’ve had sex with, whether you have used protection or not, when you were last tested, and how many sexual partners you have had since your last test.

These questions are all designed to guide your clinician so that they know what test they will need to provide you.

The samples you need to provide depend on what sort of sex you’ve been having and what you want to be tested for. A full health screening should include:

A blood test
A urine sample
A throat swab (if you’ve had oral sex)
A rectal swab (if you’ve had anal sex)

The blood test is looking for HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis. The urine sample and the swabs are looking for chlamydia and gonorrhoea mainly.

If you have symptoms of an STI like herpes sores or a syphilis chancre, you will also want a swab of the sore.

If you have a cervix, it’s recommended you get a cervical smear every five years. This used to be called a pap smear. This checks for human papillomavirus, the main cause of cervical cancer.

Once your samples have been collected, they get sent off for collecting. Depending on your clinic, you may get a call or text with results or need to come back in. If anything comes back positive, you’ll be supported by the clinic in getting it treated.