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Sexual health check-ups | Next: What next? 
When should I get a check-up?
- As soon as possible if you’ve never had one.
- If you have any symptoms (such as discharge from the penis) or are worried.
- Whenever you think you may have had a chance of catching something.
- If you haven’t used a condom or the condom breaks during oral, anal or vaginal sex with a partner whose sexual health you don’t know a lot about.
- At least once a year if you are sexually active.
How is a check-up done?
- A urine test for gonorrhoea and chlamydia.
- A blood test for HIV, hepatitis B & C and syphilis. Read more about the HIV antibody test.
- Possible throat and rectal swabs for gonorrhoea and chlamydia.
- All of the tests are always optional.
When can I get my results?
- Usually in a week.
Where can I get a check-up?
- At a STRIP (Sexual-health Testing, Referral and Information Project) clinic (no cost and confidential testing).
- At the Canberra Sexual Health Centre (no cost and confidential testing).
- Your GP (see below).
If you decide to get a check-up, you will need to make a commitment to come back for your results.
Staff at the AIDS Action Council will be happy to answer any questions you have about testing, or where to get tested. Call us on 6257 2855.
Seeing your GP
Any general practitioner can perform a sexual health screen, and this is the most convenient option for many people. There may be fees, altough some of it may be covered by Medicare. See your GP for more information.
We recommend that men who have sex with men print out and take along to your GP the current STI testing guidelines (available here) to ensure that your check-up includes all the currently recommended tests.
Then what?
OK, so you've had the test, what next?
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