On this page 5 sections
Quick answer
- Many STIs have no symptoms – testing is the only way to know.
- Clinics are free, confidential and often use simple urine or swab tests. Some infections take weeks to show up.
- Condoms are your main protection; the HPV vaccine helps too.
- Untreated infections can affect fertility, so test regularly.
Getting tested is a normal part of looking after yourself – like dental check-ups, but for your bits. Many STIs have no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know.
When to test
- With a new partner, before ditching condoms
- After unprotected sex or a condom accident
- If you or a partner has symptoms
- If a partner tells you they have an STI
- Regularly if you have multiple partners
What happens at a clinic
- Questions about your sexual history – no judgement, it helps them pick the right tests
- Often just a urine sample or a self-taken vaginal swab for chlamydia and gonorrhoea
- A blood test for HIV and syphilis
- Some results the same day, others in 1–2 weeks – by text, call or unmarked letter
Some infections take a while to show up on a test. The NHS says it can be up to 7 weeks after unprotected sex, so a clinic may test now and ask you to come back for a repeat. Don’t have sex without a condom or dental dam until you have been checked.
Safer sex toolkit
- Condoms for vaginal, anal and oral sex
- Condoms on shared sex toys
- The HPV vaccine – free on the NHS for eligible groups
- PrEP, a medicine that cuts the risk of getting HIV, for people at higher risk – ask a clinic
- PEP, a short course of HIV medicine that can stop infection if you start it within 72 hours of a possible exposure – available from sexual health clinics and A&E
- Since August 2025, some gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in England are offered a gonorrhoea vaccine at sexual health clinics. It gives partial protection, not a guarantee.
MythYou’d know if you had an STI.
Many STIs, including chlamydia, often have no symptoms – but can still cause problems like PID and fertility issues if untreated.
Sources
Written by the Splash teamSources checked
This is general information, not medical advice. Splash can’t diagnose. If you’re worried, talk to a GP, pharmacist or sexual health clinic. In an emergency call 999 (UK) or 911 (US). How we write and check articles.