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The best way to prevent the transmission of STIs is by getting regularly tested and using condoms during sex.
You can do this by ordering an STI kit online that you complete at home and send back in the post
Unsure of how it works? Read some of our common FAQs about testing below.
See if you can order a free STI test kit from Brook
STI testing is an important part of taking care of your sexual health and keeping you and your sexual partners safe.
Anyone can get an STI, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve had sex or what type of sex you’re having. If you are sexually active, you should test for STIs regularly. And remember: STIs often don’t have symptoms!
It is important to make sure STIs are diagnosed and treated as early as possible to prevent them from causing long term health complications.
As a general rule you should get tested:
It can take two weeks for chlamydia and gonorrhoea to show up on STI tests after unprotected sex (sex without a condom or barrier method) and 6-7 weeks for HIV. If you don’t have symptoms, it’s best to wait this long before doing a test.
In most cases it’s easier to order an STI test to complete at home, however you can also get tested for STIs at sexual health clinics or your GP.
The tests are different depending on what genitals you have and what STI you are testing for:
A urine (wee) test. You can usually do these at home by yourself
A swab of the vagina. You can usually do these at home by yourself
You can sometimes do the blood sample at home by yourself depending on what tests are available in your area. If you’re not able to, you can do this test in clinic.
You will need to be examined in clinic by a clinician.
This depends on what’s available in your area for people your age.
Usually, you will be able to test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, the two most common and often symptomless STIs. For these, you will either need to take a vaginal swab or provide a urine sample.
You may also be able to test for HIV and syphilis, both of which are tested for using a blood sample and possibly Hepatitis B and C.
Brook offers STI home testing kits for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in some parts of the country and with Brook you can also test at home for HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B and C in some areas.
If you have symptoms of an STI, we recommend you contact your local sexual health service for advice.
They may tell you to order a home test, or they might ask you to come into a clinic so they can help you test and then get you treatment faster if you do test positive.
Brook offers free STI test kits in certain areas of England and for certain ages*. To see if you can order a test from Brook, click the link below and enter your age and postcode.
To make sure you get sent the right test, you’ll need to answer a couple of questions about what sex you’ve had recently and what genitals you have.
You’ll also be asked to provide other personal information which may include:
Your address is the address you receive your test to.
It’s important that you give us the correct details. If you give us an incorrect phone number, we won’t be able to send you your results. Please use your real name and age too – we need to be sure that the sample you send back belongs to you.
*If Brook doesn’t provide home tests in your area, you visit our page with details about free home test kits in different parts of the UK.
You can only order one kit at a time, and you should only ever order an STI test for yourself as and when you need it, so:
It’s really important that we have accurate information for each person so please don’t order kits for other people. Don’t stock up on tests as they do expire and if they’re damaged, your results might not be accurate.
Brook doesn’t offer home testing for people under 16 at the moment, but you are welcome to come into clinic where our friendly staff will support you with completing a test and any other help you might need.
All Brook services are free and confidential – find out more about your rights accessing sexual health services.
Which tests are available for you to order will depend on your location. Check if it’s possible to order an at-home STI test kit for HIV and syphilis using our free STI home test kit page. If it’s not available then you will likely need to visit your nearest sexual health clinic where a clinician will take a blood sample.
You can do the vaginal swab test for gonorrhoea and chlamydia at any point during your menstrual cycle, including during your period and regardless of how heavy your flow is.
Your period will not interfere with the result although it may make it slightly harder to take the sample.
It’s always best to do an STI test as soon as possible after receiving it and especially while you remember!
You need to send off your test within 24 hours of collecting your sample. After this time the results are less accurate.
Plan to do your test on a day when you can get to a post office that way you’re less likely to forget to send it.
Our STI testing kits come in discrete packaging in a white envelope. From this no one will know what is inside.
If this is still an issue, you could order the test to another address, maybe you and your friend can order and complete the test together? If you do this, make sure to include your own name and contact details so the tests don’t get mixed up!
The Test Request form that is included in your kit is essential for our labs to link the test back to you.
Without this, you are not likely to receive your results.
If you realise you’ve forgotten to put the form in, you can contact your local Brook clinic to ask what to do now. It might be that you will need to order a new test.
STI tests are nothing to worry about and they only take 10-15 minutes to complete. Tests come with detailed instructions in the box, take your time and follow the steps.
You could also do the test with someone else. Maybe you and a friend could do your tests together or talk each other through it.
If you’re really worried, you can go to a clinic to get the test done by a clinician or for a clinician to explain the test to you.
It can be difficult to get enough blood but there are a few things you can do to make it easier:
Remember the lancets (finger pricks) can only be used once. If you run out and haven’t been able to complete the test, you can order another test or visit your nearest clinic where they can give you another test or take the blood test in person. Don’t try to draw blood using anything else – it may put you at risk of infection.
Some people are not comfortable with collecting their own blood sample, and that’s completely fine. If this is you, you can go to your local sexual health clinic where they can take a blood sample for you.
Generally, you should receive your results within 3-7 days of returning your test. You normally receive your results via text, if your test is with Brook, we may contact you by phone or email if we’re unable to reach you by text.
If you’re tested at a clinic, you can sometimes get your results during the appointment.
At Brook we aim to get your results to you within four working days but it can take up to 10 days if there are postage delays.
If your test was with Brook and it’s been 10 days and you haven’t had your test result, contact your local sexual health clinic and they will be able to check what’s happening with your test.
Most STIs can be easily treated with antibiotics.
One of our friendly clinicians will be in touch to support you to get treatment, which is always free.
Most antibiotics are safe to use with hormonal contraception (like the pill, patch, injection or implant) but talk to the person prescribing the treatment to make sure.
Tell the nurse or doctor if you are pregnant or think you may be, or if you are breastfeeding. This will affect the type of antibiotics you are given.
When you get your treatment, Brook staff will also help you to contact your current sexual partner(s) and sometimes previous partner(s) so they can be tested as well. If you would prefer, Brook staff can notify them for you through anonymous ‘partner notification’ and not even mention your name.
Don’t pass it on! Avoid having sex until you’ve been given the all-clear to make sure you don’t give it to someone else.
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