$39SMS referral · walk into any pathology lab Australia-wide
Skip the doctor's waiting room. Choose a time slot, complete a 2-minute digital consult, and we text you a $39 pathology referral for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B testing.
Got STI symptoms? Questions? Speak to a Specialist GP by phone for $59 — this $39 screen is recommended for routine testing only.
$39 SMS STI testing referral
Walk-in to any pathology lab Australia-wide
Most results within 24 hours by SMS
Positive result? Doctor calls you to get you treated — no additional cost
The pathology tests themselves are usually covered by Medicare or most Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) plans — no out-of-pocket cost for the lab work. No Medicare or OSHC? Additional lab fees may apply — check directly with the pathology lab you attend.
What's included in the $39 STI screen
The $39 Clinic365 Online STI Test is an SMS pathology referral that covers the five most common STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B. The screen is designed for people who feel well and want routine testing — no GP consult required.
What gets tested and how:
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea — urine sample
Syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B — blood test (HIV uses the modern fourth-generation method)
A Specialist GP reviews your booking, issues the referral, and sends it to your phone by SMS. Walk into any major Australian pathology collection centre — no appointment needed at most centres for urine and blood samples.
Add optional throat, vaginal or rectal swabs
If you've had oral or anal sex, you can add throat, vaginal or rectal swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhoea to your referral. These catch infections that the urine sample alone can miss — they're particularly recommended for men who have sex with men, anyone with multiple recent partners, or after specific oral or anal exposures.
Tick the optional swab box during the 2-minute questionnaire and the swabs go onto the same referral as the $39 screen. The pathology tests themselves are usually covered by Medicare or most overseas student health cover (OSHC) plans — same as the base screen.
Not sure if you need a swab? Tick the "I have questions" box during ordering and a Specialist GP will call you to discuss.
Add optional tests for other STIs
You can also add tests for other or emerging conditions during the 2-minute questionnaire:
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) — vaginal swab. See BV test for detail.
Thrush / candida — vaginal swab. See thrush test for detail.
Mycoplasma genitalium (Mgen) — urine. See Mgen test for detail.
Trichomonas (Trich) — urine. See trich test for detail.
Herpes swab — only useful if you have an active lesion. See herpes test for detail.
All add-ons go onto the same referral and are usually covered by Medicare or most OSHC plans.
How it works
Fill the 2-minute questionnaire. Tell us your basic details and tick boxes for any optional swabs or other-STI tests. Tick "I have questions" at any point if you want a Specialist GP to call you instead.
Walk into any Australian pathology lab. A Specialist GP reviews your questionnaire and texts your referral within hours. Take the SMS to any major pathology collection centre — most accept walk-ins for urine and blood. See pathology lab locations.
Get results by SMS. Negative results arrive by SMS, most within 24 hours of collection. If anything is positive, a Specialist GP calls you to talk through next steps and arrange treatment — at no additional cost.
When to test after a possible exposure
Each infection has a wait time before testing reliably detects it. Testing too early may return a false negative.
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea: 2 weeks after exposure
HIV (fourth-generation blood test): reliably detects at 4 weeks, conclusively at 6 weeks
Syphilis: 3 to 6 weeks after exposure
Hepatitis B: 6 to 12 weeks after exposure
If you've had a recent high-risk exposure and want to discuss HIV PEP or timing, book a $59 telehealth consult rather than the SMS screen.
Cost — Medicare and OSHC
The $39 Clinic365 fee covers the SMS pathology referral and follow-up support if anything is positive.
The pathology tests themselves are usually covered by Medicare or most overseas student health cover (OSHC) plans — so there is no additional out-of-pocket cost for the lab work. The same applies to optional add-on swabs and other-STI tests.
Without Medicare or OSHC, the pathology lab may charge additional private fees — these vary by provider. Check directly with the lab you plan to attend. See our fees page for current Clinic365 pricing.
If anything is positive
Getting treated should not be a barrier. If anything comes back positive, a Specialist GP calls you to talk through the result and arrange treatment — at no additional cost. The follow-up call is covered by Medicare for most patients, and there's no out-of-pocket cost if you're not Medicare-eligible either. You're not charged again for getting the help you need.
The call covers diagnosis confirmation, the right treatment (most bacterial STIs are treated with a short course of antibiotics), treatment arranged electronically, and partner notification support. Most bacterial STIs are fully treated by phone.
Some infections need in-person review — for example, syphilis often needs an injection. In those cases the GP arranges the right pathway. For full detail on the treatment pathway, see STI treatment online.
When to use telehealth instead
The $39 SMS screen is designed for routine testing — you feel well and just want a check. Book a $59 telehealth consult instead if you have:
Current symptoms (discharge, sores, painful urination, abnormal bleeding, anal pain)
A recent high-risk exposure where you want to discuss HIV PEP at the same time
Uncertainty about what to test for
A complex or recurring presentation
The telehealth consult includes the Specialist GP issuing the right referral as part of the visit.
Confidentiality
Your STI test referral and results are private. Pathology centres do not disclose the reason for attendance. Notifiable infections (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis) are reported anonymously to state Departments of Health for surveillance only — never shared with your regular GP, employer, school, or insurer by default.
Clinic365 uses encrypted SMS and email for delivery. If you'd prefer results not appear on your My Health Record, the Specialist GP can adjust settings.
STI testing in your city
Walk-in STI testing is available at major pathology providers nationwide:
Not sure what you have? Compare symptoms side by side in our STI Comparison Guide — plain English, no jargon.
Not sure when to test? See our When to Get an STI Test guide — how long to wait after exposure, how often to retest, and what to do next.
The standard $39 screen covers five infections: chlamydia (urine), gonorrhoea (urine), syphilis (blood), HIV (modern fourth-generation blood test), and hepatitis B (blood). You can add optional throat, vaginal or rectal swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, plus tests for BV, thrush, Mgen, Trich or herpes — see the sections above. Tick the boxes during the 2-minute questionnaire to include them on the same referral.
Book on the website, complete the short risk-check questionnaire, pay $39. A Specialist GP reviews your information and issues an electronic pathology referral, sent to your phone by SMS within hours. You attend any Australian pathology collection centre — no appointment needed for most centres. Present the referral, give your samples, walk out. Results come back to Clinic365, then to you by email or SMS within 24 hours.
Each infection has a wait time. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea: 2 weeks after exposure. HIV (modern fourth-generation blood test): reliably detects infection at 4 weeks, conclusively at 6 weeks. Syphilis: 3 to 6 weeks. Hepatitis B: 6 to 12 weeks. Testing too early may give a false negative result. For full timing logic including when to repeat a screen, see our when to test after exposure page.
Any major Australian pathology centre accepts the Clinic365 referral. Most pathology centres are open weekdays with limited Saturday hours — check the centre directly for exact times. Walk-in is fine for urine and blood samples. See pathology collection locations for the nearest centre to you. The pathology centre confirms what you need to bring (the referral SMS plus photo ID for blood collection in some states) at attendance.
Pathology labs typically run STI tests within 24 hours of sample collection. Results return to Clinic365 from the lab, a Specialist GP reviews each result, then you receive results by email or SMS — usually within 24 hours of the lab receiving your sample, often the same business day. Some confirmatory steps (some hepatitis follow-up tests, second-line syphilis testing) can take 2 to 4 business days for the full result set.
For Medicare-eligible patients the pathology tests are usually covered by Medicare — no out-of-pocket cost for the lab work. The same applies for most overseas student health cover (OSHC) plans. Without Medicare or OSHC, the pathology lab may charge additional private fees that vary by provider — check directly with the lab you plan to attend. Your $39 Clinic365 fee covers the SMS referral and follow-up support if anything is positive.
If anything comes back positive, a Specialist GP calls you to talk through next steps and arrange treatment — at no additional cost. The follow-up call is covered by Medicare for most patients, or no out-of-pocket cost if you're not Medicare-eligible. Full detail: see STI treatment online.
Yes — your partners can book their own $39 referral on the website, or if a positive result has come back, the Specialist GP can issue partner-notification referrals as part of the STI Treatment consult. The Let Them Know service (Australian-government-supported) allows anonymous SMS or email notification to partners with the relevant test recommendations included, which often increases uptake compared to direct disclosure.
Yes. Pathology centres do not disclose the reason for attendance. Notifiable infections (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis) are reported anonymously to state Departments of Health for surveillance only — never to your regular GP, employer, school, or insurer by default. The Clinic365 system uses encrypted SMS and email. If you would prefer results not appear on your My Health Record, the Specialist GP can adjust settings.
Book the $59 telehealth consult if you have symptoms, a recent high-risk exposure, or you're unsure what to test for. The $39 SMS screen is designed for routine, asymptomatic testing. Full detail: telehealth STI testing.
