It’s important to know when the right time to have a sexual health test is. If you’re sexually active, we recommend a routine test every 6 months for HIV and other STIs — or every 3 months if you have multiple partners.
Our tests are highly accurate, but results need a 4-week window period after any risk to be reliable. If you’d like to test sooner, chlamydia and gonorrhoea can be accurately tested after just 2 weeks.
When do I know if I need a sexual health test?
Any of the following would be considered a risk:
Anal sex (giving or receiving) without a condom.
Oral sex (giving or receiving) without a condom.
Sex with multiple partners, with or without a condom.
Giving or receiving rimming.
A condom breaking during anal or oral sex.
Using condoms only some of the time, rather than consistently.
2: When do I not need a sexual health test?
You wouldn’t usually need a test if:
You’ve only masturbated yourself or a partner.
You’ve only kissed.
You haven’t had any oral, anal, or rimming contact with another person.
What are the benefits of testing at Splash?
Peace of mind about your sexual health.
Access to some treatment on-site, if needed.
Full confidentiality — we’ll only contact you if necessary, and won’t say where we’re calling from. Your sexual health records aren’t accessible to other medical professionals outside the service.
Protecting yourself and your current or future partners.
One consistent point of contact, rather than several different professionals.
How will I get my results?
If all your results are negative, the nurse won’t contact you.
The nurse will only get in touch if you have a positive result and need treatment. They won’t say where they’re calling from, and will only leave a voicemail if you’ve asked them to.
If you haven’t heard anything after 2 weeks, you can get your results directly by:
Calling Splash during clinic hours (Tuesday, 2pm–5pm).
Visiting the nurse during the Splash clinic.
Calling Trade Sexual Health on 0116 254 1747, Fridays 1:30pm–3:30pm.
What can protect me from HIV and STIs?
Condoms are highly effective when used correctly, and come in different sizes for a better fit — flavoured options are also available for oral sex.
Always use a water-based lubricant with condoms.
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a pill that can prevent HIV. It’s best combined with condoms for full protection against HIV and other STIs.
Treatment as Prevention (TasP): starting HIV treatment early can lead to an undetectable viral load, meaning the virus can no longer be passed on to others.