How Often Should You Get an STI Test in Australia?

This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Clinical guidelines are reviewed and updated over time — always confirm current advice with a qualified health provider. If you're experiencing severe pain, fever, or other urgent symptoms, seek immediate medical attention rather than relying on this article or at-home testing.

If you’re sexually active in Australia, how often should you get an STI test? It depends on your situation. Here’s what Australian health guidelines recommend.

The Short Answer

The Australian Government recommends that anyone who is sexually active has an STI test every 6 to 12 months, and gets tested when they have a new partner. If you have multiple partners or are at higher risk, test every 3 months.

Why Regular STI Testing Matters in Australia

Chlamydia is the most commonly notified STI in Australia, with 94,184 diagnoses in 2025 (Kirby Institute, 2026). According to the Australian STI Management Guidelines, 85–90% of people with chlamydia have no symptoms.

There were 42,393 gonorrhoea diagnoses in 2025, and the gonorrhoea diagnosis rate has risen by more than 50% over the past decade. Around 7 in 10 diagnoses were in men (Kirby Institute, 2026).

Because many STIs have no symptoms, testing is the only way to know whether you have one.

STI Testing Frequency by Situation

The right testing schedule depends on your circumstances. Use the table below as a guide:

What Should You Actually Be Testing For?

This depends on the types of sex you’re having and which body parts are involved.

• Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can be tested with a urine sample. Chlamydia is the most common STI in Australia, and both infections are treatable with antibiotics.

• If you’ve had oral or anal sex, throat and rectal swabs are also relevant — not just genital testing. Throat and anal gonorrhoea infections usually have no symptoms, and won’t show up on a urine test.

• People with a cervix aged 25 to 74 should have a Cervical Screening Test every five years, as recommended by the National Cervical Screening Program.

• Men who have sex with men (MSM) should follow three-monthly testing guidelines and ensure testing covers genital, throat, and rectal sites.

Window Periods: How Long After Sex Should You Wait to Test?

A “window period” is the time between potential exposure and when a test can reliably detect an infection.

For chlamydia and gonorrhoea, wait at least two weeks after a potential exposure before testing. Testing too soon may return a negative result even if infection is present.

If you tested before the two-week mark and got a negative result, retest at two weeks. Read more about how long after sex to get an STI test.

What Happens If You Leave It Too Long?

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are treatable with antibiotics. If left untreated, they can cause complications.

Untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can lead to infertility and ectopic pregnancy. In people with testes, it can cause epididymo-orchitis (inflammation of the testicles).

Untreated gonorrhoea can also cause PID and epididymo-orchitis. Reduced susceptibility to ceftriaxone, the first-line antibiotic for gonorrhoea, is emerging in urban Australia.

Testing at Home with TestSmart

TestSmart’s at-home kits let you collect your sample at home and post it to a NATA-accredited laboratory, with results reviewed by an Australian-registered GP. No clinic visit or collection centre is needed.

You can order an at-home STI test kit, collect your sample at home, and have results back within 3–4 business days of the lab receiving your sample.

TestSmart's testing and treatment pathways are reviewed by Australian-registered GPs and follow current Australian clinical guidelines. This article is general information only and does not replace individual medical advice — your circumstances, symptoms, and test results should always be discussed with your reviewing doctor.