We often talk about how important regular testing is to keep on top of your sexual health, but have you ever wondered why is it important to get regular STI tests? And how do you know when you should get an STI test?
Most STIs don’t show up on a test straight away. There’s a time delay between when you come into contact with them and when they will show up on a test result. This means that you often need to wait a little while after having sex before getting tested. The time between having sex and an STI showing up on a test is called a window period.
Window Periods
The length of this window period is different for each test we do, but here’s a quick rundown:
- Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea – 2 weeks
- Syphilis – 12 weeks
- HIV – depends on the test you do. It takes 90 days for our rapid tests to show a result, but only 45 days on a full blood test. But if you think you’ve been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, don’t wait to test – get advice on accessing PEP.
This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to keep getting tested, especially as many people with STIs don’t have any symptoms. Regular testing means we can stay up to date with our sexual health, treating any STIs quickly.
Time to get tested? Book an appointment with us or come along to one of our drop-in sessions across Hull.
