I had sex with someone else. Could I pass on an STI to my partner?

Answer

To protect your partner, avoid having sex with them, or make sure you use condoms until you know whether you have any STIs. 

We’d recommend doing our Standard or Comprehensive STI test kits as soon as possible. Once we’ve received your samples, we usually get your results back within 1-3 days. If you test positive for any STIs you will usually need treatment as soon as possible. 

Bear in mind that when you first have an STI, it may not show up on a test for a few weeks or months. This is known as the “window period”. So, although you may get a negative test result, you can’t be certain that you haven’t got a particular STI until the window period has passed and you’ve had a negative test result. 

In the meantime, if you develop any symptoms, then get checked out at a sexual health clinic as soon as possible.