How Often Should You Get Tested for STIs? A Guide by Situation
How often to get tested for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea depending on your age, partners and type of sex, and when to test after a risk.
In summary
- Everyone aged 13 to 64: at least one HIV test in their lifetime.
- Sexually active women under 25: chlamydia and gonorrhoea every year.
- Women 25 and over: every year if they have a new partner, several partners or a partner with an infection.
- Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men: HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea at least once a year, and every 3 to 6 months with several or anonymous partners.
- During pregnancy: HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C early on, and sometimes again later.
Many sexually transmitted infections cause no symptoms, so feeling fine does not mean you do not have one. Testing is quick, usually confidential, and the only reliable way to know. How often to test depends on your age, your partners and the kind of sex you have.
Why test if you have no symptoms?
How often, depending on your situation
| Situation | Recommended tests | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone aged 13–64 | HIV | At least once |
| Most sexually active adults | Syphilis | Depending on how common it is where you live |
| Sexually active women under 25 | Chlamydia and gonorrhoea | Every year |
| Women 25+ with a new or several partners, or a partner with an STI | Chlamydia and gonorrhoea | Every year |
| Men who have sex with men | HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea | At least every year; every 3–6 months with several or anonymous partners |
| Pregnant people | HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C (sometimes chlamydia and gonorrhoea) | Early in pregnancy, sometimes repeated |
| People who share injection equipment | HIV | At least every year |
When to test after a risk
Tests cannot detect an infection the same day. For HIV, there is a window period between the risk and the moment a test can detect it:
- laboratory nucleic acid test (NAT): 10 to 33 days;
- laboratory antigen/antibody test (blood from a vein): 18 to 45 days;
- rapid antigen/antibody test (finger prick): 18 to 90 days;
- antibody tests, including most self-tests: 23 to 90 days.
If you test negative within the window, repeat the test once it is over. If the risk was in the last 72 hours, ask urgently about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV.
Test sooner if…
- you have symptoms: discharge, pain when urinating, sores, warts or a rash on the genitals or mouth;
- a partner tells you they have an infection;
- you have had sex without a condom with a new partner.
Where to get tested
At your doctor, a sexual health or STI clinic, a family planning centre or, in many countries, with home sampling kits. Testing is often free and confidential. If you test positive, tell your recent partners or ask the clinic to help you do it anonymously.
More about each infection in our infections guide.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I get tested for STIs?+
It depends on your situation: everyone should have at least one HIV test, women under 25 should test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea every year, and men who have sex with men at least once a year, or every 3 to 6 months with several partners.
How long after sex should I wait to test for HIV?+
It depends on the test: from 10 to 33 days for a laboratory NAT up to 23 to 90 days for most self-tests. If you test negative within that window, repeat the test later.
Does a urine test detect all STIs?+
No. Infections in the throat or rectum need swabs from those areas, and HIV and syphilis need a blood test.