• First things first

Every centre is different.  Always ring in advance to check their opening times and to see whether you need an appointment or not.

• How can they help?

Don’t be scared or embarrassed about going to a GUM clinic.  A STI is an illness like any other.  You’re looking after your body by going for a check-up.  When you arrive at reception they’ll ask for your name, date of birth, address and the name of your GP.  You don’t have to give your real name.  Your GP is only contacted with your permission and nothing will be sent to your home unless you give permission.  When you see the doctor, be honest about your sexual history as this will help them treat you - remember they are there to help, not judge.

• What to expect

You can expect to be asked questions about what symptoms you have.  Whether you have had any known STIs before and what treatment you’ve had, and if you are allergic to any medications?  How many sexual partners you’ve had and when you last changed partners?  What kind of sexual contact you’ve had with regard to high risk groups such as prostitutes, intravenous drug users and those from African or other countries?  Whether oral or anal sex was also involved?  You will be asked about your general health, medications, barrier methods of contraception and if you’ve ever used intravenous drugs or had a blood transfusion or travelled in Africa or Asia.  

All these questions are asked so that the doctor will have an idea of how much risk you’ve been exposed to, what infections you are likely to have and where, and what the most effective treatment will be.  Since some tests results take time to come back you may be started on treatment before these results are known.

Boys: 

You will need to let a doctor or nurse examine your penis and genital area.  They may ask you to provide a urine sample, a blood test or take swabs from inside the end of your penis or from skin lesions in your genital area or mouth if necessary, for testing.

Girls:

You will have to have an internal examination.  If it’s a male doctor there will always be a female nurse present.  If you’d rather not have a male doctor you can ask for a female doctor or nurse.  They may ask you to provide a urine sample, a blood test or they may take swabs from inside the vagina or from skin lesions in your genital area or mouth if necessary, for testing.  They might also ask if they could do a smear test if you are due for one or if a previous one has been abnormal.  A smear test is only carried out if you are over twenty years old (procedures with respect to smear testing may vary between the different regions within the UK).

• Did you know?

You can take a friend in with you if you want.  All services are confidential even if you are under 16.

• Follow up

It is important to take any medication as prescribed and if it is causing side effects, it is important to ring the clinic for alternatives.  It is also important to attend for follow up appointments, not only to get results of tests but also to check that the infection has been cleared up.  This is especially important in the case of Chlamydia infection where there may be no symptoms but where infection can cause infertility and future ectopic pregnancy due to tubal damage if not eradicated.

It is also important not to have sex until treatment is finished and until your partner has been treated, otherwise you may become infected again.

This brings us to the important point of tracing sexual partners.  If you are diagnosed with a STI you will be given a slip of paper with a reference code on it.  You should give this to all those whom you have had sexual contact with, usually in the preceding 3 months (your particular clinic will advise), so that they can be screened for infection and treated.  If you do not wish to trace these contacts yourself, the clinic can do this if you give them their details.  The code ensures that those whom the clinic contacts will not know your identity although the clinic will.

• Attending your GP

Don’t be embarrassed about attending your GP about a possible STI.  You will be seen in confidence.  The questions and tests may not be as detailed as at the GUM clinic but will be similar.  Not all GPs are equipped to diagnose and treat STIs especially if you are a male.  They are also unable to trace contacts and so they may have to refer you or your partner to the GUM clinic at your nearest hospital.