How Often Should You Get an STI Test in Australia?

If you’re sexually active in Australia, getting tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is one of the most straightforward things you can do for your health — and your partners’. But how often should you actually get an STI test? The honest answer depends on your situation. Here’s what the evidence says.

The Short Answer

At minimum, once a year if you’re sexually active. Every three to six months if you have multiple partners, change partners frequently, or have sex without condoms. The more partners and the less consistent your condom use, the more frequently you should test.

If you’ve just started seeing someone new, testing before or shortly after is sensible practice — regardless of what else is going on in your sex life.

Why Regular STI Testing Matters in Australia

Australia has seen significant increases in STI diagnoses over the past decade. Chlamydia remains the most commonly diagnosed STI, with over 80,000 notifications each year — and that figure almost certainly undercounts the true number, because most people who have it don’t know.

Gonorrhoea rates have doubled over the past decade, particularly among young people and men who have sex with men.

The most important thing to understand about all of these infections: most have no symptoms. If you’re waiting to feel unwell before testing, you may have been passing an infection on for months without knowing it. Testing is the only reliable way to know your status.

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.

• Everyone having penetrative sex 

• should test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea at a minimum. These are the two most common bacterial STIs in Australia and are both entirely treatable when caught early.

• If you’ve had oral or anal sex, throat and rectal swabs are also relevant — not just genital testing. Gonorrhoea in particular can be present at extragenital sites with no symptoms at all, and won’t show up on a urine test.

• People with a cervix should include HPV cervical screening every five years (if results are normal) as part of their routine.

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

The table above focuses on chlamydia and gonorrhoea — the two most commonly diagnosed STIs in Australia and the most relevant starting point for most people. 

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

This is one of the most commonly asked questions — and it matters. A “window period” is the time between potential exposure and when a test can reliably detect an infection.

For chlamydia and gonorrhoea, the window period is typically one to two weeks. Testing too soon after exposure may return a negative result even if infection is present. As a general rule, waiting at least two weeks after a potential exposure before testing gives the most reliable result.

If you’ve had a recent exposure and you’re concerned, it’s fine to test now and again after the window period if the first result is negative.

What Happens If You Leave It Too Long?

Most STIs are straightforward to treat when caught early. Leave them untreated, and the picture changes.

Untreated chlamydia can spread to the reproductive organs, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in people with a uterus — which can lead to chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. In people with testes, untreated chlamydia can cause epididymo-orchitis and fertility complications.

Untreated gonorrhoea can cause similar complications, and gonorrhoea strains are becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant — another reason early detection matters.

None of this is meant to alarm — it’s meant to reframe what testing actually is. It’s a routine health check, like anything else.

Why People Don’t Test as Often as They Should

The two most common reasons are inconvenience and cost.

Getting a GP appointment, taking time off work, and having a conversation about your sexual history takes effort that feels disproportionate when you feel completely fine. If your GP doesn’t bulk bill, a standard consultation now costs $50 or more before pathology fees — and for people who should be testing every three months, that adds up quickly.

At-home STI testing addresses both of these barriers. You can collect your sample at home, post it to an accredited laboratory, and receive your results online — without a clinic visit, a waiting room, or an uncomfortable conversation.

The Most Important Thing

The best testing schedule is the one you’ll actually follow. Testing at home every three months is far better than testing at a clinic once a year if the clinic trip keeps getting pushed back. Consistency matters more than the method.

If you’re not sure where to start, a chlamydia and gonorrhoea test is the right baseline for most sexually active Australians. You can order a kit at testsmart.com.au, collect at home, and have results back within days.