Most common STIs are completely treatable, and many are curable with a short course of antibiotics. A positive result can feel confronting, but it has a clear path forward — and catching an infection early, before it causes complications or gets passed on, is exactly what testing is designed to do. Here’s what to expect, step by step.
Step 1: Your Doctor Will Contact You
A reputable testing service won’t just deliver a positive result and leave you to figure out next steps alone. At TestSmart, every positive result is reviewed by a GP who will contact you directly to explain what your result means, answer your questions, and walk through your options.
This is worth emphasising because it’s one of the key differences between a clinical testing pathway and simply buying a rapid test from a pharmacy. You won’t be reading a result without support.
Step 2: You’ll Be Prescribed Treatment
For the most commonly diagnosed STIs in Australia — chlamydia and gonorrhoea — treatment is a course of antibiotics. Both are bacterial infections that respond well to treatment when caught early.
For chlamydia, the standard treatment is a seven-day course of doxycycline, or a single dose of azithromycin in some situations. For gonorrhoea, treatment is typically a single injection of ceftriaxone, sometimes combined with oral antibiotics.
With TestSmart, where treatment can be prescribed remotely, your medication can be delivered directly to your door via our pharmacy partner — without requiring an in-person visit. For infections that require a clinic visit (such as gonorrhoea treated by injection), your doctor will advise you on the best next step.
Step 3: Avoid Sex Until Treatment Is Complete
You should avoid all sexual contact for seven days after starting treatment, or until your course is completed and any symptoms have resolved — whichever is later. This applies even with a condom, to avoid passing the infection on to a partner or becoming reinfected before treatment has had time to work.
Step 4: Let Your Recent Partners Know
This is the part many people find hardest, but it’s an important part of the process. Anyone you’ve had sexual contact with in the past six months should be notified so they can be tested and treated if needed.
You don’t have to do this alone or in person. Options include:
-
Telling them directly — a conversation, text, or call
-
Anonymous notification via Let Them Know (letthemknow.org.au) — a free Australian service that sends a discreet message on your behalf without revealing your identity
-
Your doctor can assist with partner notification if you’re unsure how to approach it
Partner notification isn’t about blame. It’s about making sure the people you care about can get the same straightforward treatment you’re getting.
Step 5: Follow-Up Testing
Two follow-up tests are recommended after a positive chlamydia result:
-
Test of cure at four weeks — to confirm the infection has cleared. This is done no earlier than four weeks after completing treatment, to avoid a false positive result from residual bacterial DNA.
-
Retest at three months — to check for re-infection, which is common. Re-infection doesn’t mean treatment failed; it means a partner or new contact was carrying the infection.
TestSmart includes both follow-up tests as part of its positive result pathway, so you’re supported through the full process rather than just the initial diagnosis.
How to Look After Yourself in the Meantime
Getting a positive result can bring up a range of emotions — anxiety, embarrassment, or frustration. All of these are normal. A few things worth remembering:
-
Most common STIs are completely curable with a short course of antibiotics. This is not a serious long-term health event for most people.
-
Having an STI doesn’t say anything about you as a person. These are common infections, and the only difference between you and someone who doesn’t know their status is that you tested.
If you’re finding it difficult to process the result or want to talk to someone, a GP or sexual health clinic can provide support beyond the clinical side of things.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to tell my current partner?
Yes — if you’ve had sexual contact with them in the past six months, they need to be notified. Your doctor will discuss this with you and can help if you’re unsure how to approach it.
What if I don’t know how to contact a past partner?
Do what you reasonably can. If you have any means of contacting them — a phone number, social media, mutual contact — it’s worth trying. If you genuinely have no way to reach someone, that’s something to discuss with your doctor.
Will my result be reported anywhere?
In Australia, chlamydia and gonorrhoea are notifiable conditions, which means positive results are reported to the relevant state or territory health authority. This is a routine public health process and is done without identifying information being shared publicly. Your GP manages this as part of the standard clinical process.
Can I get reinfected after treatment?
Yes. Treatment clears your current infection but doesn’t provide immunity. If a partner hasn’t been treated, or if you have a new exposure, you can be reinfected. This is why the three-month retest is recommended even after a confirmed clear result.
Does a positive result mean my partner cheated?
Not necessarily. Some STIs can remain undetected for months or years without symptoms, which means it’s often impossible to know when or from whom an infection was acquired. A positive result is a medical fact, not a statement about anyone’s behaviour.
The Bottom Line
A positive STI result is manageable. Most common infections are curable, treatment is simple, and the care pathway — from result to prescription to follow-up — is straightforward when you have the right support in place.
TestSmart is designed so that a positive result isn’t the end of the process — it’s the beginning of a clear, supported path to treatment. If you haven’t tested recently, you can order a kit at testsmart.com.au and know your status from home.