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Why you should get tested for STIs

Getting tested for STIs regularly keeps you and other people safe. Find out about why you should get tested if you are sexually active. 

It is important to get tested for STIs if you are sexually active (which means any activity that involves touching someone’s genitals), because it keeps you and other people safe.  

Sometimes people decide not to get tested because

  • They don’t have symptoms, so they think they don’t need to
  • They think it’s too much effort
  • They are worried about what will happen if they test positive for an STI or what people might think
  • They don’t have the right information about how STIs are passed on

However, avoiding testing for whatever reason puts you at risk of STIs. STIs are like any other infection and are best treated quickly to avoid passing it on or having long-term complications for your health. 

With this is mind, here are our top reasons for why you should get tested for STIs.

1. Testing looks after your health and the health of others 

Getting tested regularly means you’re looking after your health and reducing the likelihood of passing an STI to other people.

Aside from using a barrier method like condoms, regular STI testing is the best way to prevent the spread of STIs. Also, the more often you get tested, the easier it will be to work out who you might have contracted an STI from. This also means you will need to contact less people if you do test positive.  

2. Most STIs don’t have symptoms

Anyone can get an STI, even if they have only taken part in sexual activity once. This includes touching of genitals with hands and vaginal, anal and oral sex

The most common STIs,  chlamydia and gonorrhoea, often don’t have any symptoms, meaning you and your partner(s) could have an STI without knowing

It’s important to get tested every time you have sex with a new partner, and if you are in a long-term relationship it’s recommended to get tested about once a year.

3. Condoms aren’t guaranteed protection from STIs

Condoms are an excellent barrier method for preventing the transmission of STIs, and are very easy to access.

However it’s important to remember mistakes can happen, and that condoms can also only be used during certain types of sex, such as sexual contact involving a penis or sex toys.

Essentially, the best way to protect yourself and others from STIs is to get regularly tested even when you are using condoms.

4. Testing is quick and easy

Getting tested for STIs is a very quick process, usually involving a swab of the vagina, mouth or anus, a urine sample and/or blood sample. STI testing is available from sexual health clinics and GP surgeries but the easiest way is to order a home testing kit: You receive your test in the post, complete in your own time and send back in the post – all without having to go to a clinic.

You don’t have to do it alone

If you are nervous about getting tested, maybe you could go with your sexual partner(s) or friends. It may feel less scary than going on your own, and you’ll have someone to talk to while you wait!

5. You’ll get peace of mind

Sometimes people are anxious about getting tested because they don’t want to find out they have got an STI. But this anxiety won’t go away without doing a test. The sooner you get tested, the sooner you can get treatment if you do test positive.

“I’m worried about what people will think of me”

Testing positive for an STI says nothing about you, your personality or hygiene. No one should be judging you for your sexual activity as long as it is consensual. This being said, the only people you need to tell about a diagnosis are your current and past sexual partner(s), and this can be done anonymously using ‘partner notification’ services if you don’t feel comfortable telling them yourself. 

Find out more about STIs and stigma

6. Treatment will reduce the chance of complications

Most STIs can be treated very easily with antibiotics, and those which can’t be treated can still be very effectively managed. For instance, HIV can be managed using anti-viral medication that prevents it from being passed on to sexual partners. More about living with an STI

It is important to make sure STIs are treated as early as possible to prevent them from causing long term health complications.  

Certain STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhoea can cause infertility if left untreated, while others like HIV and syphilis can be fatal if they aren’t diagnosed early enough or managed well. 

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