If you are sexually active, it is important to have regular sexual health check-ups. In the UK, it is recommended that men who have sex with men, and who are sexually active, should have a sexual health check-up at least once a year. For men considered to be at high risk of STIs (because they have had sex without a condom with a new partner, or been diagnosed with an STI), the recommendation is to have a check-up every three months.

Many HIV clinics share a building with sexual health clinics, and many HIV clinics now include sexual health screening as part of their routine HIV care. You can choose which sexual health clinic you go to. It does not have to be the one nearest your home or the one linked to your HIV clinic.

Visits to sexual health clinics normally involve seeing a doctor or nurse who will ask you about the kind of sex you are having and whether you have any symptoms of an STI before examining you. It is important to be honest about the types of sex you have had, so you can be given the appropriate tests. Sexual health clinics are very used to seeing all the communities affected by HIV in the UK. Most people are happy with their treatment at sexual health clinics, but if you are not treated in a professional and non-judgemental manner, you have a right to raise this or make a complaint.

Examinations for STIs vary, often depending on any symptoms you may have. Often, samples will be taken from the tip of your penis or from inside your vagina and from the mouth and throat and anus if you have had oral or anal sex. Blood samples are taken and checked for infections. You may also be asked to provide a urine sample. These swabs and samples are then examined under a microscope or sent to a laboratory to look for evidence of infection.

Some results can be given to you at your visit, but it may be necessary to wait for a text message, a telephone call from the clinic, or to come back a week or so later for some other results.

All treatment at NHS sexual health clinics is confidential and free of charge (even if you are not normally entitled to free NHS care). The clinic will need a record of your postcode for administration purposes. Your GP will not be informed without your consent.

If it turns out that you have an STI, you may be offered the opportunity to see a health adviser. Health advisers can give you information about STIs and how to avoid them and can help you contact your sexual partners, if this is possible or practical, so they can also be tested and treated.

In the UK, some GPs or practice nurses offer sexual health screens. The National Chlamydia Screening Programme offers free chlamydia testing and treatment for people aged 16 to 24. Chlamydia home testing kits are available, but it is important to have the results confirmed by a doctor or pharmacist.