# STI testing & safer sex

> Free, confidential and way less awkward than you think.

Category: Sex & relationships · 5 min read · Written by the Splash team · Sources checked October 2026
URL: https://splash.care/learn/sex-relationships/sti-testing-safer-sex

## 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 [STI](https://splash.care/learn/glossary/sti)s 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](https://splash.care/tools/pregnancy-test-timing). 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.

**334,151** New STI diagnoses in England in 2025, down 8% on 2024 (UKHSA). Rates stay highest in people aged 15 to 24.

> NHS sexual health clinics are confidential – you don’t have to give your real name, your GP won’t be told without permission, and under-16s are welcome. They can even let partners know anonymously.

## Safer sex toolkit

- Condoms for vaginal, anal and oral sex
- Condoms on shared sex toys
- The [HPV](https://splash.care/learn/glossary/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.

> **Splash says:** many areas offer free home testing kits by post. Pee in a pot, swab, send – done!

**Myth:** You’d know if you had an STI.

**Fact:** Many STIs, including chlamydia, often have no symptoms – but can still cause problems like PID and fertility issues if untreated.

### When to see a doctor

Get tested if you notice unusual discharge, pain when peeing, bleeding after sex or between periods, lower tummy pain, or sores, blisters or lumps around your genitals or anus. Many STIs are easily treated with antibiotics.

## Sources

1. [NHS – Visiting an STI clinic](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/visiting-an-sti-clinic/)
2. [NHS – Sexually transmitted infections](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis/)
3. [NHS – Chlamydia](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chlamydia/)
4. [NHS – HPV vaccine](https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/hpv-vaccine/)
5. [NHS – PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)](https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep/)
6. [UKHSA – Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): annual data for England](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-annual-data-tables)
7. [WHO – Sexually transmitted infections fact sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis))

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).