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“Full STI check” sounds like one fixed thing. It isn’t. In Australia the tests follow the Australian STI Management Guidelines, and they change with your anatomy, the kind of sex you have, your number of partners, and whether you’re on PrEP or pregnant. Two people can ask for “everything” and correctly leave with different pathology forms.
The most common gap isn’t a missed rare infection. It’s a throat or anal swab that was never collected, or a syphilis blood test left off because nobody asked. Here is what’s in the core panel, what gets added by situation, what is deliberately left out, and how often to test.
Details checked against official sources in September 2026. Guidelines are updated from time to time, so your doctor may tailor this list.
The short version
- The core check is chlamydia and gonorrhoea (urine or a self-collected swab) plus HIV and syphilis blood tests, with hepatitis B checked once. Hepatitis C is added only with a risk factor.
- Men who have sex with men need three-site chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing: urine, throat and anal swabs.
- Herpes, HPV, Mycoplasma genitalium, bacterial vaginosis and trichomonas are not part of a routine check without symptoms.
- How often: at least yearly under 30; every 3 months for sexually active men who have sex with men and anyone on PrEP.
- Almost every sample is self-collected. Only the blood test needs a collector.
The core panel: what almost everyone gets
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea. One sample, tested by NAAT (often called PCR). For men it’s a first-pass urine. For women a self-collected vaginal swab is the specimen of choice because it’s more sensitive than urine. You collect it yourself at the collection centre.
HIV and syphilis. One blood draw covers both, and the guidelines are explicit that every STI check should include them. Syphilis is rising in heterosexual Australians, so leaving it off is no longer a reasonable default. After a specific exposure, timing matters: our post on how long after sex you can test covers window periods, including the repeat HIV test at 6 weeks and syphilis at 12 weeks.
Hepatitis B. A one-off test on the same blood draw shows whether you’re infected, immune or need vaccination. See our hepatitis testing page for hepatitis B and C.
Tests by situation
| Situation | Tests usually included | Sample | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heterosexual man, no symptoms | Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis; hepatitis B status once | First-pass urine; blood | Yearly if under 30; with any new partner |
| Woman, no symptoms | Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis; hepatitis B status once | Self-collected vaginal swab; blood | Yearly if under 30; with any new partner |
| Man who has sex with men | Chlamydia and gonorrhoea at 3 sites, HIV, syphilis; hepatitis A and B immunity; hepatitis C if at risk | First-pass urine, throat swab, anal swab; blood | Every 3 months if sexually active; at least yearly otherwise |
| Anyone on PrEP | HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis; hepatitis C at the start; kidney function at intervals | Urine and swabs matched to the sex you have; blood | Every 3 months |
| Trans and gender diverse people | Same panel, chosen by anatomy and sexual practices, not gender; urine test if you have a neovagina | Urine, throat, anal or front-hole swabs as relevant; blood | Regularly, by risk |
| Pregnancy | HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B at first visit; chlamydia and gonorrhoea if under 30 or in a high-prevalence area; hepatitis C offered | Self-collected vaginal swab or urine; blood | Syphilis repeated at 26 to 28 weeks and 36 weeks or birth |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people under 30 (35 in remote areas) | Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV; trichomonas in remote and some rural areas; hepatitis B status | Urine or self-collected swab; blood | Regularly, e.g. with the annual 715 health check |
| Sex workers | Chlamydia, gonorrhoea (including throat and anal), HIV, syphilis, hepatitis A, B and C | Urine, vaginal, throat and anal swabs; blood | Agreed by risk; state rules vary |
“New partner” testing is about timing: test before you stop using condoms, and again after the window period if there was a specific exposure.
Gay and bi men: why three sites, not one
This is the most common way a “full” check falls short. Gonorrhoea and chlamydia in the throat or rectum usually cause no symptoms, and a urine test does not detect them, so the guidelines list three self-collected specimens at every check: first-pass urine, a throat swab and an anal swab.
The blood panel is wider too: HIV and syphilis every time; hepatitis A and B antibodies once, with vaccination if you’re not immune; and hepatitis C if you’re on PrEP, living with HIV or have another risk factor. Three-monthly testing is recommended for any man who has had any type of sex with a man in the previous three months; at least yearly otherwise. On PrEP, the STI screen sits inside the three-monthly script cycle; our PrEP page explains how that works by telehealth.
Women: what changes with the kind of sex you have
For a woman with no symptoms, the check is a self-collected vaginal swab for chlamydia and gonorrhoea plus HIV and syphilis blood tests. Throat and anal swabs are not routine, but the guidelines add them for women at increased risk, such as sexual contacts of someone with chlamydia or gonorrhoea and sex workers, and your doctor may suggest them if you have oral and anal sex with new or multiple partners. Tell the doctor; they can’t add a swab they don’t know you need.
Women who only have sex with women aren’t exempt: trichomonas can pass between women, and cervical screening from age 25 still applies.
What a routine check deliberately leaves out
- Herpes. The guideline says do not screen asymptomatic people with blood tests for HSV types 1 or 2. Antibody tests give false positives and negatives, and a positive result doesn’t say where the virus is or whether you’ll ever have symptoms. Herpes is diagnosed by swabbing a sore; our genital herpes page explains when that’s worth doing.
- Mycoplasma genitalium. Screening without symptoms is not recommended because its natural history is unclear and antibiotic resistance is high. It’s tested for urethritis, cervicitis, pelvic pain or as the ongoing partner of a confirmed case. See our Mycoplasma genitalium page.
- HPV in men. There is no screening test for HPV in men; most infections clear on their own and warts are diagnosed by examination.
- Bacterial vaginosis, thrush and trichomonas. Tested when there are symptoms; trichomonas is screened only in remote and some rural areas.
- Hepatitis C. Only with a risk factor, such as PrEP, living with HIV, ever injecting drugs, non-professional tattoos or piercings, or time in custody.
Symptoms change the picture
Everything above is for people with no symptoms. If you have discharge, burning when you pass urine, a sore, a rash, pelvic or testicular pain, or bleeding after sex, the doctor stops screening and starts diagnosing: a swab of the sore, a Mycoplasma genitalium or trichomonas test, or treatment on the day. Say what’s happening so the right tests go on the form.
One urgent exception: if you think you’ve been exposed to HIV in the last three days, don’t wait for a test. PEP must be started within 72 hours of a possible exposure, and the sooner the better. Call us or go to an emergency department first.
How to ask for the right tests
Doctors order by risk, and they can only assess the risk you describe. Be ready to say:
- The genders of your partners, roughly how many in the last year, and whether any were new.
- What kind of sex: oral, vaginal, anal (giving, receiving or both). This decides the swabs.
- Whether you’re on PrEP, or want to be.
- Any known exposure, any symptoms, and whether you’re pregnant or do sex work.
Then ask directly: “Does that include throat and anal swabs, and HIV and syphilis blood tests?”
With STI Doctor, the consult is by phone or video and the doctor sends an electronic pathology request to your phone. It can include first-pass urine, self-collected vaginal, throat and anal swabs, and blood tests for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, with hepatitis C when a risk factor applies. Take it to any major collection centre; we text you when results are in. Blood tests for HIV and syphilis can also be requested on their own.
Cost: the consult is bulk billed for eligible Medicare card holders and the standard tests are Medicare-covered, so there’s usually no out-of-pocket cost. Without Medicare, the consult is $55 on weekdays and $75 on weekends and public holidays, and the laboratory may charge separately.
Frequently asked questions
What does a standard STI test check for?
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea (urine or self-collected swab) plus HIV and syphilis blood tests, with hepatitis B checked once. Extra sites and hepatitis A or C are added by risk.
Does a full STI screen include herpes?
No. The guidelines advise against blood tests for herpes in people without symptoms because of false results and limited usefulness. Herpes is tested by swabbing a sore.
Do men need a throat and anal swab?
Men who have sex with men should have all three sites tested at every check, because throat and rectal infections are usually silent. Heterosexual men are usually tested by urine alone.
Is the sample collected by a nurse?
Usually not. Urine, vaginal, throat and anal samples are self-collected in a private bathroom at the collection centre. Only blood is drawn by a collector.
Book the right check, not just a check
Tell us how you have sex and we’ll build the pathology request to match the guidelines. Consults are by phone or video, 7 days, usually the same day. Book your online STI test.
Sources: Australian STI Management Guidelines: Standard asymptomatic check-up; Australian STI Management Guidelines: Men who have sex with men; Australian STI Management Guidelines: Young people; Australian STI Management Guidelines: Pregnant people; Australian STI Management Guidelines: Trans and gender diverse people; Australian STI Management Guidelines: Sex workers; Australian STI Management Guidelines: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; Australian STI Management Guidelines: Women who have sex with women; Australian STI Management Guidelines: Genital herpes; Australian STI Management Guidelines: Mycoplasma genitalium; ASHM National PrEP Guidelines. This article is general information, not personal medical advice.
