STI and BBV Testing

It’s much easier than a math test.

Regular STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) and BBV (Blood-Borne Virus) testing is crucial for living a safe and healthy sexual life. However, we get that for some of you it can be intimidating to get tested at first, and confusing about what happens and where to get it done.

There might not be symptoms

The most important thing to know about STIs and BBVs is that they often have no symptoms you can see or feel. You can’t just look at yourself or someone else and know for sure if they have an STI or not. This is why testing is so important – you could have an STI, and be infectious, and not know it! STIs are super common and there’s no shame in it. See it like getting tested and treated for any other virus or infection, going to the doctor or nurse for an STI is just another part of looking after your health.

If you’re scared to get tested…

• Fear not, the process isn’t anywhere near as scary as you may think it is.
• Firstly, you can bring a support person such as a friend.
• It’s actually quite quick and many tests only need a swab (like a cotton bud) that you can do yourself or pee in a cup.
• There is not just one test method for all the STIs, so its important to be honest with your health provider about the kinds of sex you have so they know what method to test you with (what to test you for).
• For example, if you require syphilis or a blood-borne virus test, this is done by taking a blood sample.
• Whilst getting a full test is ideal for your health, we understand you may not want to do certain methods of testing – and you should know you always have the right to say no I don’t want you to do that kind of a test, or ask if there’s a way for you to do it yourself in private.
• If you’ve never done an STI test before all this info can feel overwhelming, but our crew is here to show you what the process is like. Read or watch our many resources below to learn more about STI testing, what it’s like, why it’s important, and where to get tested. Check out our referral resource to see what locations near you offer STI testing!