Stay safe. Get tested.
Sexual health is an important part of general health and wellbeing.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are increasingly common and can affect anyone who is sexually active.
An STI may never cause symptoms or may become asymptomatic overtime.
Even if you have no symptoms, an STI can still be causing damage to your body and can be spread to your sexual partners.
How to arrange testing
Several testing options are available in Sydney and across NSW.
Book an appointment with a GP
Your GP can provide a request form for STI testing that can be used at any Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology (DHM) collection centre. DHM provides a range of Medicare-rebated STI testing, including a convenient option to self-collect your own samples.
If you don’t have a GP, IPN Medical Centres are high-quality GP practices that can be found across Sydney and Australia.
Visit a sexual health clinic
Dedicated sexual health clinics are located across Sydney and NSW, providing STI testing and treatment. A list of providers is available from Sexual Health Info Link or via ACON’s Ending HIV website. These services are usually free of charge .
Order online via SmartHealth
SmartHealth is an online STI testing platform – a request form is generated that can be used at 1,500 testing centres across Australia.
No proof of identity is required, ensuring absolute discretion, and results are sent by SMS. This process does not require a GP consultation, although a GP will be in contact if your results are positive and require follow up.
There is a fee for this testing. This service is suitable for people with no symptoms who do not wish to visit a doctor prior to getting tested, including locals and international/interstate visitors.
Who should get tested
The Australian STI Management Guidelines recommends three-monthly STI testing for men who have had any type of sex with another man in the previous three months.
STI testing is also recommended, even without symptoms, for:
- Everyone who wishes to get an STI test
- Everyone with a new sexual partner
- People with known exposure to, or history of, any STI within the past 12 months
- People living in, or travelling to, areas with higher rates of STIs in other countries
- Sex workers
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people under the age of 30 (or 35 in remote communities) who are not in a stable, long-term, monogamous relationship