Sexual health screening

Why you should get tested

If there's a possibility you may have an STI, it's important to get tested. Don't wait for obvious symptoms to appear.Chlamydia, for example, has few recognisable symptoms, especially in women. You can be infected and not know.

Those particularly at risk of infection are young people who've had several partners and men who have sex with other men.

You can reduce the risk of infection by always using a condom, but not all STIs are just passed on by penetrative vaginal or anal intercourse. Some can be picked up through oral sex too, while genital herpes, HPV and even sometimes infections such as gonorrhoea can be transferred by intimate contact, so condoms don’t protect against all infections.

Growing problem

The number of STIs has increased recently, especially in the past two years. According to the Health Protection Agency, the number of new cases diagnosed in specialist clinics in the UK in 2008 rose to 399,738 – that’s six per cent more compared to 2006, and a massive 50 per cent up from ten years ago.

One of the most common infections is Chlamydia, which is rapidly increasing. In 2008, more than 1230,000 new cases were diagnosed in the UK, up eight per cent per cent from 2006 and 115 per cent up from 10 years ago.

Where to get tested

See your GP or make an appointment at the genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic at your local hospital.

To find a GUM clinic:

• Call the Department of Health's sexual health helpline on 0800 567 123
• Use the fpa's GUM clinic search

There are also special rapid testing clinics. Some services are aimed specifically at younger people, such as Brook.

All these services are confidential. You'll be asked your name, address and GP's name, but you don't have to give your real name and you can ask them not to contact your GP.

Diagnosis and treatment

The clinic will ask for a urine sample to check for gonorrhoea and chlamydia and, for women, a vaginal swab ( you may be given this to do yourself as it is very easy to do). If you have ulcers or warts the nurse or doctor will examine you and may take more specific swabs A blood test may also be necessary for diseases such as syphilis, HIV and hepatitis.

It can take a week for test results to come back, so many clinics will diagnose you from symptoms alone (if there are any) and start treatment immediately.

Treatment can range from antibiotics (for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis) to creams (for genital warts).

You'll be advised not to have sex until you've finished the treatment. It's also important to finish any antibiotics to ensure the infection doesn't return. Most treatments are highly effective if taken properly.

Some infections, such as hepatitis B and genital herpes, can't be cured. In both cases, the virus remains in your body. But you can be vaccinated against hepatitis B - ask your GP for details.

Herpes flares up from time to time. When it does, you can treat the sores with an over-the-counter cream, avoiding sex until they've gone. Using a condom won't offer 100 per cent protection as it doesn't cover the entire genital area.

If tests show you have HIV, you'll receive specialist advice, counselling and treatment.

Telling your partners

If you do have an infection, you'll be asked to contact anyone you've recently had sex with, so they can get treatment.

If you don't want to do that yourself, clinic staff will contact them. They won't give your name, but will say they believe a former partner has an infection and they should seek treatment.

Screening programmes

The Department of Health has introduced an England-wide screening programme for chlamydia, offering tests to those who seek contraceptive advice and through youth clubs. To find out if this is happening in your area, call the sexual health helpline on 0800 567 123 .

In some areas testing kits are available free by post. Some pharmacies, are also providing free NHS chlamydia screening for 16 to 24-year-olds in certain regions across the UK.

See also

• STI screening
• Male and female condoms