The first time I completed an STI test, I was freshly eighteen and had just started dating my first boyfriend. Halfway through a routine check-up with my family’s GP, she asked if I was sexually active. I responded with a tentative “yes”, unsure of what she was alluding to and why she wanted to know in the first place. “Well,” she responded. “We’ll just do a swab, as a precaution.”
At the time, the decision seemed strange: I had only one sexual partner, we diligently used protection and had discussed our backgrounds extensively. I did not believe I was at risk of contracting or spreading any STIs. So, why should I do a test?
In hindsight, these assumptions were naive — but they permeate the thinking of many young people around Australia. Thankfully, the swab my GP took that day came back clear. Nonetheless, it emphasised prevention and protection against STIs as a central facet of my overall health, rather than something to consider only before or after having sex.
STI testing has never been more important amidst a post-pandemic rise in gonorrhoea and chlamydia infections across the country. Although rates have increased by 45% and 24% respectively, those aged between fifteen and twenty-five remain disproportionately represented in the statistics. While chlamydia is around twice as common in women, gonorrhoea, and syphilis are reported more frequently among men. Other STIs, including Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), genital herpes, hepatitis A/B, and HIV/AIDS, remain circulating in the community at relatively stable rates.
In response to this data, we need a sharp increase in the uptake of STI testing. The incidence of some infections, like HPV, has achieved promising outcomes through prevention tactics; since 2007, the HPV vaccination program has resulted in a 10.4% decline in the proportion of young women diagnosed with genital warts. However, the Kirby Institute has recently discovered that more than 1 in 25 young people had chlamydia during 2021, but less than one-third received a diagnosis. First Nations people, as well as gay and bisexual men, were also vulnerable to undiagnosed cases of syphilis. Coupled with the recent finding that 75% of young Australians have had sex without a condom at least once during the last year, it is no surprise that protection should go hand-in-hand with prevention.
When I spoke to the Acting Medical Director at Family Planning Australia Dr. Evonne Ong, she confirmed the importance of STI testing because “many cases are asymptomatic.” While we may think that all STIs manifest explicitly through itching, irritation, rashes, or discharge in the genital area, the reality is that more than half of all chlamydia cases are latent at the time of diagnosis. As a result, individuals should get tested “once or twice a year, or any time [they encounter] a new sexual partner.”
However, Dr. Ong made it clear that “there should be no fear around STI testing because all STIs are completely manageable.” She pointed out that the majority of STIs can be “completely cured with a course of antibiotics”; other high-profile infections, such as HIV/AIDS, can be treated through antivirals “which can bring the viral load down to effectively zero” and increase life expectancy to over 70.
While routine checks are vital, Dr. Ong still stressed that young people should be particularly vigilant for symptoms and how to manage them. Penile or vaginal discharge, pain while urinating, shallow ulcers, and pimples are the most common warning signs across men and women, with many leading to chronic pain, inflammation, and challenges to fertility. When I asked about how young people could access cheap, safe, and confidential treatment, she noted that Family Planning Australia offers bulk-billed testing services across NSW in Newington, Penrith, Fairfield, Newcastle, and Dubbo for students and those under the age of 18.
These tests take the form of either “self-collect swabs or urine samples” for detecting chlamydia and gonorrhoea, but can also extend to blood tests as standard procedures for checks on blood-borne diseases like hepatitis or syphilis. She also advised me that Telehealth services like MyCheck Telehealth can provide pathology referrals. Generally, STI testing at a Family Planning site, bulk-billing GP, or government-run sexual health clinic is free for those with a Medicare card.
As someone who would not have sought out her first STI test without being prompted, the final question I asked Dr. Ong surrounded what advice she would give to anyone putting off a check out of fear, anxiety, or feelings associated with social stigma. Her response was clear and compassionate: “Find someone you trust.” She went on to observe that oftentimes a “new GP, rather than your family doctor”, can provide sexual healthcare, but that “all GPs are bound professionally to keep the utmost confidentiality.” Dr. Ong also reiterated that because all STIs are manageable, detection and treatment can “help reduce the impact of the STI on your life” — and that there are a variety of ways to confidentially notify your sexual partners, like Let Them Know, to get tested if need be.
Writing this article has reminded me to complete a routine STI test — checks are discrete and it only takes one week to receive results. Rather than putting off this essential aspect of your sexual health, you Should Test Immediately!
This article was researched and published in collaboration with Family Planning Australia for NSW Youth Week between April 11th – April 21st, 2024.