Sexual health
STIs: where to get tested, what to say, how they're treated
Most infections are treatable, and many show no symptoms — you need a test even when nothing is bothering you. Tests and treatment are free for everyone, no referral needed, and immigration status doesn't matter.
This is reference information, not a diagnosis or a prescription. Symptoms of different infections look alike; only a test will show what you actually have.
Step 1. Choose where to get tested
Sexual health clinic
The fastest option (formerly GUM). Find one by postcode: nhs.uk — Find a sexual health clinic. No referral or appointment; they don't ask for a passport or address. Not linked to your GP, university or employer, and passes nothing on to them.
Test by post
London — shl.uk; the rest of England — freetesting.hiv (enter your postcode: it shows whether your council funds it). The kit arrives in a plain box with no markings, you do the finger-prick yourself, post it back in the prepaid envelope, and the result comes by text.
At your GP
Slower, and GPs don't deal with PrEP or vaccines — at the clinic they'll discuss those straight away. How to register with a GP: "Already living here".
Step 2. At the clinic — what to say
If you say nothing, they'll do the basic set: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV. The rest exists, but you have to name it out loud.
At reception or with the doctor
“Hello. I’d like a full STI screen, including HIV. I’m a man who has sex with men, so I need throat and rectal swabs too. Please also test me for hepatitis B and C.”
This means: you'd like a full STI screen including HIV; you're a man who has sex with men, so you need throat and rectal swabs too; and you'd like to be tested for hepatitis B and C as well.
Need an interpreter: “I need a Russian interpreter, please.”
What to ask for separately
- Hepatitis B and C — not part of the standard screen.
- Mycoplasma (M. genitalium) — ask for it if you have symptoms.
- Swabs from three sites (throat, genitals, rectum) — for men who have sex with men; urine alone isn't enough.
- PrEP and vaccines (HPV, hepatitis A and B, mpox) — ask at the same visit. In detail: "Vaccines".
Eleven infections: symptoms, test, treatment
You can scroll the table sideways.
| Infection | Symptoms | Test | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia the most common | Often no symptoms at all. If there are any — discharge, burning when you pee, pain in the testicles | Part of the standard test | Antibiotics, one course |
| Gonorrhoea “the clap” | Yellow or green discharge, burning. Often no symptoms — especially in the throat and rectum | Part of the standard test. Men who have sex with men need throat and rectal swabs, not just urine | An injection plus tablets |
| Syphilis rising among MSM | Painless sores, later a rash on the palms and soles. Untreated, it damages the brain and heart | Part of the standard test | Antibiotics |
| HIV | First symptoms look like flu 2–6 weeks after infection, then nothing for years | Part of the standard test | Free for everyone, including people without status. One tablet a day. With an undetectable viral load the virus can't be passed on |
| Hepatitis B there's a vaccine | A liver virus, often with no symptoms. Passed on through sex and blood | Ask for it separately — not part of the standard screen | Chronic hepatitis B can't be fully cured, but it can be controlled. The vaccine is free |
| Hepatitis C curable | Often no symptoms for years. Passed on through blood: needles, razors, sex involving blood | Ask for it separately | Curable: a course of tablets for 8–12 weeks, and the virus is gone |
| HPV there's a vaccine | Genital warts — or nothing at all. Some types cause cancer of the anus, throat or cervix | No separate routine test | The vaccine is free for MSM under 45 — ask at a sexual health clinic |
| Herpes (HSV) | Painful blisters on the genitals or around the mouth. Passed on by skin-to-skin contact; a condom doesn't fully protect you | A swab from the sores during an outbreak | Can't be fully cured, but outbreaks become rarer over time; antivirals help |
| Mpox vaccine is free for MSM | A rash with blisters, fever, muscle aches | Call the clinic first, don't turn up without calling | The vaccine is free for MSM |
| Mycoplasma M. genitalium | Looks like chlamydia: discharge, burning | Not part of the standard test — ask for it separately if you have symptoms | Antibiotics |
| Pubic lice and scabies | Itching is the main symptom | Examination, no test needed | Cream or a special shampoo. Condoms don't protect against them |
The standard test usually covers chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV. Hepatitis B and C and mycoplasma have to be asked for separately — they won't do them on their own.
When to go straight away and when to go on schedule
The questions people ask most often
I'm waiting for my asylum decision or I'm without status. Do I pay for tests and treatment? Will they tell the Home Office?
I'm embarrassed to say I have sex with men. Do I have to?
The test is positive. What now?
Official sources
Find a sexual health clinic
NHS: search by postcode, no referral needed
Open →Test by post — London
Sexual Health London: free home test kit
Open →Test by post — England
Check by postcode whether your council funds it
Open →PrEP and HIV prevention
NHS: how to get it free
Open →Registering with a GP
NHS: no documents and no proof of address
Open →What people with different statuses are entitled to
GOV.UK: migrant health guide
Open →Qadam London
How Qadam London can help
- We'll give you a ready-made phrase for the clinic and explain how to ask for an interpreter if your English isn't there yet.
- We'll suggest which clinic to choose in your city and how they differ.
- We'll remind you about the things they won't ask about themselves: hepatitis, vaccines, PrEP.
Phone numbers
HIV and sexual health
0808 802 1221THT Direct. Testing, treatment, PrEP, rights at work.
Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00
A medical question, not urgent
111NHS 111. They'll tell you where to go.
24 hours
Can't get a doctor
0808 1647 686Doctors of the World. They help migrants register with a GP.
Helpline for migrants
Struggling and no one to talk to
116 123Samaritans. You can call in any state.
24 hours, free
LGBTQ+ support line
0800 0119 100Switchboard. Talk about anything: coming out, loneliness, fear.
Daily 10:00–22:00
Danger right now
999Police, ambulance, fire. If you can't speak, press 55 silently.
24 hours
We don't give immigration advice: only an IAA-registered adviser or an SRA or BSB lawyer can advise on your specific case.
Personal plan · free · 24 hours
Testing and PrEP — exactly where you should go
A clinic nearby or a self-test by post, how to start PrEP, what to say at reception — no questions about status.