About our enhanced female STI test kit

• What does the enhanced female STI test kit test for?

  This test for women tests for three STIs, these are:

  • Chlamydia
  • Gonorrhoea
  • HIV

• What samples do I need to provide for this STI test?

  You'll need to provide a urine sample to test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and a saliva sample to test for HIV. 

  The enhanced test kit will contain instructions on how best to collect this sample. 

• Who is the female enhanced STI test for?

  This test is for women who don't have symptoms and have sex with men and/or women. 

  If you do have symptoms, the best thing to do is contact your GP or visit your local sexual health clinic.

• When should I NOT take the female enhanced STI test?

  This test isn't for you if you think you have been exposed to HIV within the last 72 hours. It's also not suitable for you if you've tested positive for chlamydia or gonorrhoea in the last six weeks. And as we've mentioned already, if you have any symptoms, this test isn't for you. 

  If you think you have been exposed to HIV within the last 72 hours, you need to seek URGENT medical advice. You could go to your local sexual health clinic or Accident and Emergency. HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) may be recommended.

  If you have symptoms, you require a face to face assessment at your local sexual health clinic or GP.

  If you have recently tested positive for chlamydia or gonorrhoea, you should contact the service that did this test for further advice.

  If you have tested positive for HIV in the past, you can purchase one of our test kits that does not test for HIV.

• When do I need to take the female enhanced STI test?

  If you test too soon, they results may not be accurate. Depending on the STI you're testing for, the 'window period' might be different. This is the period of time between potential exposure and when the test will give correct results.  

  The window period for chlamydia and gonorrhoea is two weeks. The window period for HIV is 14 weeks.

  If you think you might have an STI, you can test immediately and repeat the test after the window period (you will need to purchase two test kits for this).

• How do I access my test results?

  If your test result is ‘negative’ we'll upload the results into your Patient Record, which you can access by logging in through our website.

  If you test positive for chlamydia we'll offer you free antibiotic treatment, provided that it is clinically appropriate. 

  If you test positive for gonorrhoea then we will advise you to attend your local sexual health clinic for further advice and treatment.

  If your HIV result is 'reactive' (i.e. potentially positive) or indeterminant, we will phone you to discuss these results with you. If we cannot get through, we will send you a message asking that you at arrange a telephone consultation through your Patient Record as soon as possible. We may also need to contact you if your sample is labelled incorrectly. 

• How long will I have to wait for my test result?

  Test results are normally ready within three working days of your sample arriving at the lab. You'll receive a text and an email when your result is ready.

• Confidentiality

  Your test results are completely confidential. We will not inform your GP or anyone else of your result, or that you have used our service, unless you specifically ask us to. However, please note that if you test positive for these STIs, we are legally bound to notify details to the Medical Officer of Health for the County in which you live.