Sexual health
STI Testing in the UK: Where to Go and When to Test
Clinics, home kits and timings, explained in plain words.
Go to an NHS sexual health clinic, or order a home kit where your area has one. The NHS says an infection can need up to 7 weeks before a test picks it up, so ask when to test. Think you were exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours? The NHS says PEP is available from clinics and A&E.
Where is your nearest sexual health clinic?
Getting checked is part of doing casual sex properly. General information, not medical advice. Elsewhere? See STI testing in Ireland or STI testing in the USA.
England
The NHS says sexual health clinics are free and open to everyone, and that staff won’t share what you discuss without your permission, your GP included. The exception is a risk of harm to you or someone else, and staff talk to you first. Its Find a sexual health clinic search doesn’t say whether walk-ins are taken, so check the clinic’s own listing.
Scotland
NHS inform says anyone can use a sexual health service, even under 16, and that the services are free of charge. Some run drop-in clinics, so you may not need to book.
Wales
Public Health Wales offers a free home kit for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and another for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C. NHS 111 Wales has a directory of local sexual health services.
Northern Ireland
Sexual Health NI says you need no referral and the consultation, tests and treatment are free. In most cases you will need an appointment.
How soon is too soon to test?
The NHS puts it at up to 7 weeks after unprotected sex for an STI to show on a test, and says that with no symptoms it’s best to wait 7 weeks. It gives no figure for each infection. Brook and a local NHS service do, and they differ.
| Infection | Brook | Hampshire and Isle of Wight |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia and gonorrhoea | 2 weeks | Up to 2 weeks |
| HIV | 6 to 7 weeks | 45 or 90 days, depending on the type of test |
| Syphilis | Not given | 12 weeks |
NHS 111 Wales says an HIV test may need repeating 1 to 3 months after a possible exposure. A clinic will say when to test and when to repeat.
Can you test at home?
Sometimes. Which kit you get depends on where you live and, for some services, your age.
Through the NHS
According to the NHS, you may get a free chlamydia self-test kit from a sexual health clinic or some pharmacies, and under 25s may also get free chlamydia home kits.
Online services
SH:24 calls itself a free online sexual health service delivered with the NHS. Freetesting HIV posts HIV kits at no charge to residents aged 16 or over of councils that fund it (18 or over for the rapid self-test), and some councils add syphilis testing.
Scotland and Wales
NHS inform says free postal kits are rolling out in Scotland, though not every health board has them yet. Public Health Wales says its kit arrives in 3 to 5 working days, with results usually about a week after you post it, or up to 21 days when it is busy.
What can you do after a risk?
PEP has a deadline. NHS advice is to take PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) if you may have been exposed to HIV within the past 72 hours; sexual health clinics and A&E can provide it. NHS 111 Wales also gives 72 hours as the limit for starting it.
- PrEP
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis is medicine that lowers HIV risk for people at higher risk. The NHS says English clinics supply it free, NHS inform says the same of Scottish services, and NHS 111 Wales says any Welsh clinic can. NHS inform adds that it does not protect against other STIs.
- 3-day pill
- Levonorgestrel (Levonelle is one brand) needs taking within 3 days, or 72 hours, of sex, says the NHS.
- 5-day pill
- Ulipristal acetate (ellaOne is one brand) needs taking within 5 days, or 120 hours, of sex, says the NHS.
- Copper coil
- An IUD can be fitted within 5 days of sex, and the NHS calls it the most effective emergency contraception.
According to the NHS, emergency contraception is free from most sexual health clinics and most GP surgeries. It lists pharmacies too, so ask yours whether it is free.
At the clinic
What do you actually say?
Plain words are enough.
Staff won’t tell anyone what you discuss without your permission, the NHS says, and that includes your GP, unless someone is at risk of harm.
‘I had sex without a condom with someone new last weekend. No symptoms. Can I have a full check, and when should I test again?’
Mention any symptoms, and ask about PEP or PrEP if either fits. Before you meet, read meeting for sex safely and consent and casual sex.
What people ask before booking a test
Is an STI test free in the UK?
At sexual health clinics in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, yes: the NHS, NHS inform and Sexual Health NI each say so. Public Health Wales offers free home kits. Check the price before you buy a kit from a private provider.
How soon after unprotected sex can I get tested?
The NHS says an STI can take up to 7 weeks to appear on a test, and suggests waiting that long if you have no symptoms. Brook puts chlamydia and gonorrhoea at about 2 weeks and HIV at 6 to 7 weeks, while a local NHS service gives 45 or 90 days for HIV, depending on the test.
How quickly do I need PEP?
The NHS says PEP is for people who think they were exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, and that sexual health clinics and A&E can give it. NHS 111 Wales gives the same 72-hour limit for starting it.
Sources and dates
- NHS website pages on clinics (2024), STIs (2024), chlamydia (2024), syphilis (2026), HIV (2025) and emergency contraception (2024). NHS inform (2026). NHS 111 Wales (2025).
- Public Health Wales, Sexual Health NI, Brook, SH:24, Freetesting HIV and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare Sexual Health, read 3 November 2026.
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