How to Get Tested for Chlamydia in Australia: Every Option Explained

Getting tested for chlamydia in Australia is simpler than most people expect. In most cases there’s no examination and no needle: you give a urine sample or a self-collected swab, a laboratory runs the test, and you have a result within a few days.

The harder part is choosing a route: an online doctor, your GP, a public sexual health clinic, a free state-run online program, or a pharmacy self-test. Each has different rules on age, Medicare, samples and turnaround. This guide covers all of them.

Chlamydia is Australia’s most commonly notified STI, with 94,184 diagnoses in 2025 (Kirby Institute), about half in people aged 20 to 29. Most infections cause no symptoms. For symptoms and treatment, see our chlamydia testing and treatment page.

Details checked against official sources in September 2026. Program rules change, so confirm with the service before you go.

The short version

• Wait at least 2 weeks after the sex you’re worried about.
• Men give first-pass urine; women a self-collected vaginal swab. Add a throat or anal swab if you’ve had oral or anal sex.
• Online doctor or GP: bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders; a private fee otherwise.
• Public sexual health clinics are free with no Medicare card needed, but prioritise higher-risk groups.
• Free online tests exist in Queensland (16+) and WA (16–35). The pharmacy rapid self-test was suspended by the TGA in mid-2026, so don’t rely on it.
• If positive: an antibiotic, tell recent partners, no sex for 7 days, retest in 3 months.

Who should test, how often, and when

The Australian STI Management Guidelines recommend a chlamydia test for all sexually active people under 30 and anyone who considers themselves at risk. Healthdirect puts it simply: under 30 and sexually active, get checked once a year. Test sooner if you’ve changed partners, had condomless sex with someone whose status you don’t know, or a partner has been diagnosed. Men who have sex with men and have been sexually active in the past 3 months are advised to test every 3 months, with throat and anal swabs as well as urine.

A chlamydia test may not detect a new infection until about 2 weeks after exposure, so a negative result before then isn’t reliable. Our guide to STI window periods covers every infection.

What the test involves

Chlamydia is detected with a laboratory PCR test on a sample from the site that was exposed. There’s no blood test.

• First-pass urine (men): the first part of your stream, ideally after not passing urine for an hour or two.
• Self-collected vaginal swab (women): the guidelines’ preferred test when no examination is done. You collect it yourself in a private cubicle. Urine works but is less sensitive.
• Throat or anal swab: if you’ve given oral sex or had receptive anal sex. Both can be self-collected.

The same sample is usually tested for gonorrhoea too, so chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing are almost always requested together.

Route 1: Online doctor with a pathology request

The fastest route for most people, and it works anywhere with a pathology collection centre.

1. Book a phone or video consult. With STI Doctor you can usually speak to a doctor the same day, 7 days a week.
2. Say what you’d like tested. A short, non-judgemental chat decides which samples you need and whether to add a full STI screen.
3. Receive an electronic pathology request on your phone. No printing needed.
4. Give your sample at any collection centre, usually the same day.
5. Get your results by text, then a brief follow-up consult. If treatment is needed, an electronic prescription goes to your phone.

Cost: bulk billed consult and Medicare-covered chlamydia test for eligible Medicare card holders. Without Medicare, STI Doctor charges a private consult fee ($55 weekdays, $75 weekends and public holidays) and the laboratory may bill separately. See our fees page. Catch: you still attend a collection centre in person, so check its hours.

Route 2: Your GP

Any GP can test for chlamydia, and the steps are the same: consult, pathology request, sample, then a results call or follow-up. It suits people with a regular doctor who want everything in one place. The trade-offs are appointment waits, a possible gap fee if the practice doesn’t bulk bill, and, for some, raising sexual health with a family doctor. You can ask for a self-collected swab rather than an examination.

Route 3: Public sexual health clinics

Public sexual health clinics are free, usually don’t need a Medicare card, and are staffed by specialists. The catch: they focus on priority groups and work by appointment or triage, so a routine check-up may be redirected to a GP.

• NSW: appointments are free of charge and no Medicare card or GP referral is required. Clinics prioritise people of diverse sexualities and genders, sex workers, people living with HIV and Aboriginal people. The NSW Sexual Health Infolink (1800 451 624, weekdays) can point you to the right service.
• Victoria: Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in Carlton is free for everyone, including international visitors, with or without a Medicare card. It’s appointment-based after phone triage and focuses on complex cases.
• Queensland: Brisbane Sexual Health Service (Metro North) is free, including the appointment, testing and treatment, with no Medicare card needed. Appointments are required and waits can be long.

Without Medicare, a public clinic can be the cheapest route. If you’re low risk and want a quick check, an online doctor or GP is usually faster.

Route 4: Free online programs and the pharmacy self-test

• Queensland: 13 HEALTH Webtest. For Queenslanders aged 16 and over; no Medicare card needed. Order a pathology request form online, give a urine sample at a collection centre, and get results by email, SMS or phone, often within 1 to 2 days in major cities. If positive, the Webtest team calls to help arrange treatment. It’s a genital urine test only, so it won’t detect throat or rectal infection.
• Western Australia: Get the Facts. For people aged 16 to 35. Complete an online quiz, download a PathWest request form, and give urine or a self-collected vaginal swab at any PathWest centre with no Medicare card or appointment. A nurse calls only if you’re positive, 5 to 7 days after the test.
• NSW and other states: we’re not aware of a state-wide free online chlamydia test. NSW’s MyTest program covers HIV self-tests only.
• Pharmacy rapid self-test. The TGA approved Australia’s first chlamydia and gonorrhoea self-test in November 2024 (vaginal swab only, result in about 15 minutes). In mid-2026 the TGA suspended it after independent testing found false negatives; the suspension runs to 17 December 2026 unless lifted earlier, and the TGA says a negative result from the device does not exclude infection. If you’ve used one, get a laboratory test.

For more on kits, read our guide to at-home STI testing in Australia.

Which route is right for you?

What happens if your result is positive

A positive result is common and treatable. The Australian guidelines recommend:

1. Start treatment. Chlamydia is treated with an antibiotic, as a short course or a single dose. STI Doctor can prescribe electronically after a positive result through our online STI treatment service.
2. No sex for 7 days after treatment starts, or until the course is finished and symptoms have settled, whichever is later.
3. Tell your partners. Anyone you’ve had sex with in the past 6 months should be tested. Let Them Know (letthemknow.org.au) sends a free anonymous SMS or email on your behalf.
4. Retest in 3 months. Reinfection is common, usually from an untreated partner.

If you may also have been exposed to HIV, that’s urgent: PEP must be started within 72 hours of the exposure, and the sooner the better.

Frequently asked questions

How soon after sex can I get tested for chlamydia?

Wait about 2 weeks; testing earlier can miss a new infection. If you have symptoms, see a doctor straight away.

Can I get a free chlamydia test in Australia?

Yes. Consults and standard testing are bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders through STI Doctor and many GPs, public sexual health clinics are free without Medicare, and Queensland and WA run free online programs for eligible residents.

Do I need a Medicare card to get tested?

No. Public sexual health clinics and the Queensland and WA programs see people without Medicare. Online doctors and GPs can too, but you’ll pay a private fee and the laboratory may bill you.

Is a urine test enough, or do I need a swab?

For men, first-pass urine is standard. For women, a self-collected vaginal swab is more sensitive. Anyone who has had oral or anal sex should add a throat or anal swab, because urine won’t detect infection there.

Get tested for chlamydia today

The quickest route for most people is a phone or video consult, a pathology request on your phone within minutes, and a sample at any collection centre, bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders, Australia-wide, 7 days a week. Book your online STI test, or find a collection point near you on our locations page.

Sources: Australian STI Management Guidelines – Chlamydia; Australian STI Management Guidelines – Men who have sex with men; healthdirect – Chlamydia; Kirby Institute – Chlamydia data; NSW Health – Sexual health services; Melbourne Sexual Health Centre – Coming to the centre; Metro North Sexual Health Service – About your appointment; Queensland Government – 13 HEALTH Webtest; WA Get the Facts – Online STI testing; newsGP – Australian-first STI self-test receives TGA approval; newsGP – TGA suspends chlamydia and gonorrhoea self-test; UNSW – New at-home test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea; Let Them Know. This article is general information, not personal medical advice.