Health Guides

STI Test vs STD Test: What's the Difference?
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you've seen both "STI test" and "STD test" used online and wondered whether they're different things, the short answer is no. They refer to the same thing. Why Are There Two Names? STI stands for sexually transmissible (or transmitted) infection. STD stands for sexually transmitted disease. According to NSW Health's Play Safe, the term STD was replaced in Australia with STI, because STIs can have no symptoms and can... Read more...
How Much Does an At-Home STI/STD Test Cost in Australia?
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Here's what at-home STI (STD) testing costs with TestSmart, and how Medicare applies. What At-Home STD Testing Costs with TestSmart TestSmart kits are priced two ways: a Medicare rate for card holders, and a private rate for those without Medicare eligibility. Kit Medicare card holder Private (no Medicare) Covers Standard STI Kit $79 $179 Chlamydia and gonorrhoea (urine sample) Comprehensive STI Kit $99 $199 Chlamydia and gonorrhoea across three sites... Read more...
Is a Pap Smear the Same as a HPV Test? Cervical Screening in Australia Explained
This article is general information only, not medical advice. If you have severe pain, fever, or urgent symptoms, seek medical attention. Still searching for a "Pap smear"? In Australia, the Pap test was replaced by the Cervical Screening Test in 2017. Here's what changed, and how cervical screening works now. What Changed On 1 December 2017, the 2-yearly Pap test was replaced by the 5-yearly Cervical Screening Test. The Pap test checked for changes in the cells of the cervix. The Cervical Screening Test checks for HPV (human papillomavirus), the... Read more...
What's the Difference Between a Rapid Test and a Lab Test?
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've searched for an at-home STI test in Australia, you may have come across two types of test: rapid tests and lab-processed tests. They work differently. Here's what separates... Read more...
Chlamydia & Gonorrhoea Test Kit: What's Included and How It Works
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. Looking for a chlamydia and gonorrhoea test kit you can do from home? Here's exactly what's included, how the process works, and what to expect from order to result. Which... Read more...
What is HPV?
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. HPV (human papillomavirus) is a common virus that spreads through skin-to-skin or sexual contact. There are different types of HPV that can affect different parts of the body, and... Read more...
Can You Get an HIV or Syphilis Test at Home 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. HIV and syphilis aren't included in TestSmart's at-home kits, because they're tested using blood rather than a urine sample or swab. Here's what testing options are available in Australia,... Read more...
Gonorrhoea in Australia: Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment
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. There were 42,393 gonorrhoea diagnoses in Australia in 2025, and the gonorrhoea diagnosis rate has risen by more than 50% over the past decade. Around 7 in 10 diagnoses... Read more...
At-Home STI Testing for Women in Australia: What You Need to Know
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. TestSmart offers at-home STI and HPV testing for women across mainland Australia. You collect your own sample, post it back, and receive GP-reviewed results without visiting a clinic or... Read more...
Men's STI/STD Testing at Home - No Collection Centre Required
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 a man looking for an at-home STI/STD test in Australia, here's what's available, what you can test for and how it works. So can men get an... Read more...
Do I Need to Go to a Collection Centre for 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. Some online STI testing services in Australia issue a referral online but still require you to visit a pathology collection centre to provide your sample. So do you actually... Read more...
HPV Self-Collection Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and What Your Result Means
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. In Australia, you can now do your Cervical Screening Test by collecting your own sample, without a speculum. Here's how HPV self-collection works, how accurate it is, and what... Read more...