For urgent after-hours in-person care the nearest clinic is White Cross Ascot, 90 Greenlane East, Remuera, Auckland. Phone 09 520 9555. For emergencies, please call an ambulance 111, or go to Auckland City Hospital, Park Road, Grafton.
Most people who book an STI check are not unwell. There has been a new partner, or a condom failed, or a relationship has ended, or a routine simply lapsed and they would rather know than wonder.
That is what the appointment is for. An STI check is a short and ordinary piece of general practice, and for most people the part they were dreading is the conversation rather than the tests. The tests themselves are usually a urine sample, a swab you take yourself, or a blood test.
This guide covers what actually happens at an STI check, which samples are taken and why, how soon after a possible exposure it is worth testing, how results and confidentiality work, and what happens if something comes back positive.
The main reason is that many sexually transmitted infections cause no symptoms at all, particularly early on. Someone can carry chlamydia for months and feel completely well, and the first sign of a problem can be a complication rather than the infection itself. Testing is the only way to know.
It is worth booking a check if any of the following apply:
None of these is unusual, and none of them needs explaining or justifying at the appointment. Asking for a check is enough.
Some symptoms should not wait for a routine appointment.
If any of those apply, ask for a same day appointment rather than booking a routine check, and say what the symptom is when you call so the clinic can prioritise it.
This is the part people most often get wrong, and testing too early is the more common mistake. Every test has a period after exposure during which an infection may be present but not yet detectable, so a test done the morning after a risky night can be reassuring and wrong at the same time.
Broadly, chlamydia and gonorrhoea become detectable within a couple of weeks of exposure. The blood tests, including HIV and syphilis, take longer to become reliable, and a repeat test some weeks later is usually advised before anyone calls the result final.
The exact timing depends on which test is used and on the type of exposure, so rather than working it out yourself, tell the clinician when it happened and what happened. They will set the testing schedule, and if it is too early for one test they will usually still do the others and arrange the rest for later.
If a possible HIV exposure was in the last 72 hours, that is a different conversation and it is time critical. Post exposure prophylaxis, usually called PEP, is emergency medication that has to start within 72 hours of the exposure, and the sooner the better. Do not wait for a routine STI appointment. See our guide to HIV PEP, phone the clinic and say it is about a recent exposure, or if it is after hours go to an emergency department.
The clinician will ask some questions about what kind of testing would be useful for you. That usually covers when the possible exposure was, what type of sex was involved, whether you have any symptoms, and whether there is anything specific you are worried about.
The questions are practical rather than personal. Which samples are worth taking depends on the answers, because an infection at the throat or the rectum will not show up in a urine sample. Being straightforward about what happened is what gets you the right tests rather than an incomplete set.
Which of these you need depends on the conversation above. Most people having a routine check with no symptoms give a urine sample, or a self taken swab, and a blood sample.
| Sample | Usually used for | How it is taken |
|---|---|---|
| Urine sample | Chlamydia and gonorrhoea | You pass a small amount of urine into a container, ideally when you have not been to the toilet for an hour or so |
| Self taken swab | Chlamydia and gonorrhoea | You take it yourself in private, from the vagina, throat or rectum depending on the exposure |
| Blood test | HIV and syphilis, and hepatitis where relevant | An ordinary blood sample taken from the arm |
| Clinician taken swab | A visible sore, discharge or rash | Taken from the affected area during an examination |
| Examination | Only where there are symptoms or something to look at | Not a routine part of a check when you have no symptoms |
For a straightforward check with no symptoms, the appointment usually takes about as long as a standard GP consultation, and much of that is the conversation rather than the sampling.
A standard check generally looks for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are added where there is a reason to include them.
Two points are worth knowing, because they surprise people.
First, there is no single test that covers everything. What people call a full screen is a set of tests chosen for the situation, not a single catch all, and it is reasonable to ask which infections your set covers.
Second, genital herpes and HPV are usually not part of routine screening when you have no symptoms. Both are common, both are often silent, and testing without something to see does not generally change what anyone does next. If you have a sore or a lump, that is different and it will be looked at.
Most results come back within a few days, and the clinic will tell you at the appointment how you will hear and roughly when. It is worth asking rather than assuming, because practices differ, and no news is not always the same as good news.
If everything is negative you will usually be told briefly, along with any advice about repeating a test later where it was taken early. If something needs treatment, someone will contact you directly to arrange it rather than leaving it to you to notice.
The most common infections found at a routine check are treatable, and the treatment is usually short and straightforward. It is arranged through the clinic and the clinician will explain what is involved, including whether you need to avoid sex for a period and whether a repeat test is needed afterwards to confirm the infection has cleared.
You will also be asked about recent partners. This is because they may have the same infection without knowing, and treating one person while leaving a partner untreated tends to end with reinfection. Partner notification can be done by you, or by the clinic on your behalf, and there are ways to let someone know without your name being attached. The clinician will talk through the options rather than leaving you to work it out.
An STI check is confidential in the same way as any other consultation. It becomes part of your medical record, which is held by the practice and is not shared with family, employers or insurers without your consent.
Some sexually transmitted infections are notifiable, which means the diagnosis is reported for public health purposes. That reporting is about tracking infections in the population and limiting spread, and it is not a disclosure to anyone in your personal life. If you have questions about who sees what, ask at the appointment.
Cost depends on whether you are enrolled with the practice, and some testing is funded in certain circumstances. Because both the fees and the funding rules change over time, our current rates are published on the fees page rather than repeated here, and it is worth asking when you book if cost is a factor in whether you come in.
Enrolling with a practice generally reduces what you pay, and it also means the same clinic holds your history, which matters for follow up testing.
Testing tells you where you are now. A few things reduce the chance of the next check finding something.
For a routine check with no symptoms, about the length of a standard GP consultation. Most of that is the conversation about which tests are useful for your situation. Giving a urine sample or taking a swab yourself takes only a few minutes.
No, and most people who have one do not have symptoms. Many sexually transmitted infections are silent, which is the reason testing exists. You do not need a reason beyond wanting to know.
It depends on the infection and the test. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are generally detectable within a couple of weeks, while the blood tests take longer to become reliable and often need repeating before a result is considered final. Tell the clinician when the exposure was and they will arrange the timing.
Yes, in the same way as any other consultation and test. Your record is confidential and is not released to family, employers or insurers without your consent. Some diagnoses are reported for public health purposes, which is separate from anyone in your personal life being told.
Usually not. If you have no symptoms, a routine check is normally samples only. An examination is offered when there is a symptom or something visible that needs looking at, and you can say if you would prefer to discuss it first.
CityMed provides confidential sexual health care and STI screening in Auckland CBD, including testing, treatment and advice on partner notification.
You do not need symptoms and you do not need a reason. If a possible HIV exposure was within the last 72 hours, say so when you call, because that is time critical.
Book an appointment or get in touch, or call 09 377 5525.
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Which tests are appropriate, and when they should be taken, depends on your situation and is decided at the consultation. If you have a symptom or a specific concern, please speak with your GP or another registered health professional.
General health information | Reviewed by Dr. Terry Zhang, GP | CityMed Medical Centre, Auckland CBD
