Gonorrhea

The sexual health test kit checks for gonorrhea in the throat, urinary tract and anus. Gonorrhea is increasingly common in men who have sex with men. You will provide a throat swab, a rectal swab and a urine sample for analysis. In most cases, anal gonorrhea remains asymptomatic, which means that you may have it and not be aware of the infection. Undiagnosed and untreated gonorrhea can cause complications and you are likely to pass it on to your sexual partners.

Chlamydia

As a part of your sexual health test, the oral and rectal swab as well as urine sample you have provided will also be checked for chlamydia. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, which can be transmitted during vaginal, oral and anal sex. If left untreated, it can not only cause complications but it also makes you more susceptible to other STIs, including HIV.

HIV

You will provide a small blood sample using the needle provided with your test kit. The blood sample will be analysed for syphilis and HIV.

The human immunodeficiency virus can be transmitted via oral, anal and vaginal sex. In some patients, it does not cause any symptoms in the early stages and in others it may cause flu-like symptoms. Early treatment is essential to prevent AIDS and minimise the risk of infecting future sexual partners. If you have recently been exposed to HIV (or have had unprotected intercourse with someone who may have it) you should wait until four weeks after the incident. It can take up to four weeks for the virus to become detectable. If you get tested earlier, you may receive a false negative.

Syphilis

The number of syphilis diagnoses has been rising in the last few years. The illness is particularly common in men who have sex with men. When diagnosed in the early stages of infection, syphilis can effectively be treated with antibiotics. If the infection goes unnoticed it can progress and cause a variety of complications, including death. Being infected with syphilis can make it up to five times more likely for you to catch HIV. This is because it causes sores which bleed, allowing other infections to enter your bloodstream.

Most STIs can be prevented by using condoms during oral, anal and vaginal sex. Even if infection can not entirely be prevented by using a condom, it will still reduce your risk of infection significantly

The full screen checks for all infections included in the basic test, plus the following:

Hepatitis C is a viral infection which can be transmitted during sexual intercourse. Many patients fail to identify their symptoms as signs of hepatitis C, as they can be relatively unspecific. Hepatitis C can cause flu-like symptoms and tiredness. While some patients will successfully fight the virus and be clear of the infection thereafter, others develop chronic hepatitis C. Chronic hepatitis C can result in scarring of the liver, liver failure and cancer of the liver. The hepatitis virus is treated with antiviral medication.

Hepatitis B is also transmitted during anal, oral and vaginal sex. It tends to cause symptoms within the first months of infection. In most cases, patients recover from hepatitis B after a period of illness. Like hepatitis C, hepatitis B can become chronic. In most patients, it does not cause liver damage. However, a small number of patients will develop liver cirrhosis over several years after a hepatitis B infection. Acute hepatitis B is treated with painkillers. If the condition becomes chronic, antiviral medications may be given. Patients are usually referred to a specialist, who will carry out regular blood tests to check whether the virus is still present and whether it is causing damage to the liver. If you’ve recently received a hepatitis B vaccination, you should wait 8 weeks before taking this test. You may get a false positive result if you take this test sooner.