Self-test postal kits
Why get tested?
Most
people that have sexually transmitted infections (STIs) do not have any
symptoms, so if you don’t get tested you won’t know if ‘most people’ is you!
It
is important to get tested so you can be treated. Having an STI for a long time
without treatment can result in complications such as PID (pelvic inflammatory
disease) in women, epididymo-orchitis in men and complications of untreated HIV
in all genders.
Untreated
PID is a serious concern, and as many as 1 in 10 women become infertile because
of it.
When to get tested?
If
you have been to visit us in the clinic you will have heard us talk about a
‘window period’. The window period is the time from potential exposure
(unprotected sex) to when our tests will be able to reliably detect an
infection if you have one.
For
Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, this window period is 2 weeks, HIV is 7 weeks and Syphilis is 12 weeks, after sexual contact.
e.g.
if you were to have unprotected sex with a new partner on Tuesday, we would
advise not taking a test until 2 weeks later on the Wednesday to be outside the
window period for chlamydia and Gonorrhoea.
If you take a test today the result you get will be looking to see if you have an STI from a partner you had more than 2 weeks ago for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, more than 7 weeks ago for HIV and more than 12 weeks ago for Syphilis.
| Chlamydia | 2 weeks |
| Gonorrhoea | 2 weeks |
| HIV | 7 weeks |
| Syphilis | 12 weeks |
What you will be tested for
If
you are ordering the STI kit, this will test you for the 2 most common STIs,
Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea only. If your test results come back clear and you
have symptoms please attend the clinic where we can test for other infections.
If you are ordering the HIV and Syphilis test kit, this will test for HIV and Syphilis only. If you are concerned about any other blood borne viruses, please visit us in clinic.
How
to take your test
Vaginal swab test for Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia
Pharyngeal swab for Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia
Urine test for Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia
Rectal swab test for Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia
Finger prick test for HIV and Syphilis
How will I get my results?
You will get your results via text
message within 2 weeks of the lab having received your kit for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea.
You will receive a text message from the lab when they have your HIV and Syphilis self-testing kit sample. You will then receive another text message with your results within three working days.
The sender will be NHS NO REPLY and
the message will either be Your results from the tests on <RequestedDate> are all
clear. No further action needed. Or a text advising them to call the
department.
If
you require treatment please give us a call on 01709 427777 to arrange an
appointment.
