Sexual health
STI Testing UK: Where to Go, How to Book, What Happens
Clinics, GPs, pharmacies and home kits in all four nations, from booking to results.
Go to a sexual health clinic. Anyone can use one, NHS tests carry no charge in any of the four UK nations, and in England you usually need no GP referral or appointment, though ringing first is wise. A GP, some pharmacies and home kits are the other routes. Each nation runs its own service.
Why a clinic is the usual first stop
You do not need symptoms. The NHS says anyone can go, and that many STIs show no symptoms at all.
In England the NHS lists STI tests and treatment, contraception, HIV prevention medicines (PrEP and PEP) and hepatitis and HPV vaccinations at its clinics. You may also know it as STD testing, or see it signposted as a GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinic.
Your options
Where can I get an STI test near me?
| Where | What it is | Who it suits | Things to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS sexual health clinic | Testing, treatment and prevention in one place. | Anyone, symptoms or not. | No charge for tests. In England you need not give your real name, and your GP is told nothing unless you ask. |
| GP surgery | Your own surgery. Some test for STIs. | People who prefer a doctor they know. | In England a GP will probably refer you on. In Scotland a GP helps where no service is near. |
| Home test kit | A kit you use yourself and post to a laboratory, or a quick HIV self-test. | Adults with no symptoms. | Availability varies by nation, area and age, says Brook. An HIV self-test should be marked for self-testing and carry a CE mark. |
| Pharmacy | Some test or supply kits, and staff will talk to you in private. | People who would rather talk to a pharmacist. | Not all do. In England some offer chlamydia tests to under-25s, and the NHS says you may have to pay. |
For HIV, the Terrence Higgins Trust says clinics, testing centres and GPs do not charge; private clinics do.
Booking to results
How to book, and what happens when you turn up
Find your nearest service
Each nation keeps its own directory: the NHS clinic finder in England, NHS inform in Scotland, NHS 111 Wales, and Sexual Health NI in Northern Ireland. Our city pages name local services.
Book, or walk in if you can
In England you do not usually need a referral or an appointment, though ringing first is wise; some clinics take drop-ins. In Scotland, book by phone, online in some areas, or use a drop-in where there is one.
Tell the nurse what is going on
A doctor or nurse asks about your sex life and picks the tests: urine sample, blood test, swabs. Staff are there to help, the NHS says, so try not to feel awkward. You can ask for a female or male clinician.
Get your results
Some tests give an answer and any treatment the same day. Others take a week or two. Welsh home-kit results come by text, usually 7 days after posting and up to 21 at busy times.
What gets tested
The infections a test looks for
UKHSA, the UK Health Security Agency, recorded 334,151 new STI diagnoses in England in 2025, against 364,261 in 2024. They count diagnoses, not people.
- Chlamydia
- Urine sample or swab. UKHSA counted 151,163 diagnoses in England in 2025.
- Gonorrhoea
- The same kinds of sample. UKHSA counted 63,943 diagnoses in 2025.
- Syphilis
- A blood test, plus a swab if there are ulcers. UKHSA counted 8,262 infectious diagnoses in 2025.
- HIV
- A blood test, or saliva or a finger-prick at home. With effective treatment and an undetectable viral load, the NHS says, it cannot be passed on.
- Genital herpes
- A swab from a sore. The NHS says herpes tests are not usually done unless there is one.
- Genital warts
- Caused by HPV, which the NHS vaccinates some groups against. See safer sex before you meet.
Timing
How soon after sex should you test?
Windows differ by infection and test, and a clinic can tell you which applies. Until you have had a check-up, the NHS says use a condom or dental dam for any sex, oral included.
- Up to 7 weeks (NHS, England, 2024). STIs can take that long to show on a test, and with no symptoms the NHS says wait the full time.
- 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 45 days (NHS inform). For Scottish home kits: 2 weeks for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, 6 for syphilis, 45 days for HIV.
- 45 and 90 days (Terrence Higgins Trust, 2026). HIV blood tests at clinics and labs use 45 days, home self-tests 90, and a self-test may miss an infection from the past three months.
- 72 hours is a different clock. After possible HIV exposure in that time, the NHS says go to a sexual health clinic or A&E and ask about PEP, the emergency HIV medicine. Do not wait for a window.
Meeting soon? See meeting a hookup safely and the safety page.
Rhythm
How often should you test?
- 3 monthsat least this often with many partners, says the Terrence Higgins Trust
- 6 monthsat least this often with casual sex and no regular partner, says the same charity
- 1 yearfor anyone sexually active, says NHS inform in Scotland
The NHS in England gives reasons rather than a number: new partners, worry after sex without protection, or a partner with symptoms.
If it is positive
After a positive result
NHS inform says almost all STIs can now be cured or managed effectively, HIV included.
- Hold off on sex. Oral sex too, until you and your partner or partners have finished treatment (NHS, England).
- Tell partners, or let the clinic. The NHS advises telling current and ex-partners so they can be tested. A clinic can usually do it for you: NHS inform says you can give their details to your sexual health service, which contacts them without naming you.
- It is not a verdict. NHS inform says a positive test does not necessarily mean someone has been seeing other people, because some STIs go unnoticed for a long time.
Four nations
Where to start in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- England. Use the clinic finder on the NHS website. Tests carry no charge, though a prescription for treatment may.
- Scotland. NHS inform lists the services, and none of them charge.
- Wales. Public Health Wales runs Test and Post: order online and post the kit back. It covers chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C, but not mpox, which needs a clinic.
- Northern Ireland. nidirect says testing costs nothing and is confidential at a GUM clinic or some GP surgeries. Sexual Health NI, from the Public Health Agency, says people 16 and over with no symptoms can order online.
General information, not medical advice: ask a sexual health clinic, a GP or your nation’s health service about your own situation.
Questions people ask before they book
How often should I get tested?
The Terrence Higgins Trust (reviewed April 2025) says at least every six months for casual sex with no regular partner, and at least every three for many partners. NHS inform says yearly for anyone sexually active, and every six months if you change partners.
Where can I get an STI test near me?
Use your nation’s directory: the NHS website in England, NHS inform in Scotland, NHS 111 Wales or Sexual Health NI. Clinics, some GPs, some pharmacies and home kits are the usual routes, and the table above compares them.
Are home STI test kits reliable?
NHS inform says home sampling can be just as reliable as a clinic test when done correctly. It is meant for people with no symptoms, and Scotland is still rolling it out. For an HIV self-test, the NHS says check the self-testing mark, CE mark and seal.
Do I have to tell my partner if I test positive?
The NHS advises telling current partners and any ex-partners so they can be tested and treated. If you would rather not, a clinic can usually do it without naming you. Avoid sex, oral included, until treatment is finished.
What happens at a sexual health clinic?
A doctor or nurse asks about your sex life, then takes the samples that suit it: urine, blood or swabs. Some results arrive the same day, others in a week or two, and in England your GP hears nothing unless you ask.