A Specialist GP arranges your test over a quick phone call — they review your symptoms and risk, then send your pathology referral by SMS — a full STI screen covering chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B. No Medicare? Prefer no call? Order it online for $39 instead.
Book a bulk-billed phone consult — or order a $39 referral
Get tested at any pathology lab Australia-wide — simply walk in
Results by SMS in 2-3 days — free telehealth if positive
Each infection has a window period before a test can reliably detect it. Testing too soon after a possible exposure can give a false negative. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea: test from 2 weeks. HIV (fourth-generation blood test): reliable at 4 weeks, conclusive at 6. Syphilis and hepatitis B: up to 6 to 12 weeks. If you are testing soon after a risk event, you may need to re-test after the window.
The $39 SMS screen is for routine testing when you feel well, with no symptoms. If you have symptoms, a partner has tested positive, or you have had a known high-risk exposure, the telehealth consult (free with Medicare) is the better choice — a Specialist GP can assess you and get you seen sooner, which matters when something needs attention.
What the $39 Online STI Test covers. An SMS pathology referral for the five most common STIs — chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B — for people who feel well and want routine testing, with no consult required. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea use a urine sample; syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B use a blood test.
How it works. Pick a time, answer a short questionnaire, and a Specialist GP reviews your booking and sends the referral to your phone by SMS.
STI test or STD test? Same testing. “STI” (infection) is the current term used by the WHO and Australian guidelines; “STD” (disease) is the older word. The change reflects that many infections — chlamydia, gonorrhoea, early HIV — can be present without causing any disease or symptoms, which is exactly why routine testing matters even when you feel completely well.
Optional add-ons. The base screen covers genital sites. If you have had oral or anal sex, chlamydia and gonorrhoea can also be present in the throat or rectum and are missed by a urine sample alone — you can add throat or rectal swabs during the questionnaire. Add-on swabs are covered by Medicare and most Private Health Insurers, the same as the base screen. You can also add tests for other conditions such as Mgen, trichomoniasis, BV, or herpes during the same booking.
Cost. The $39 fee covers the SMS pathology referral and follow-up support. Pathology tests are covered by Medicare and most Private Health Insurers. If anything comes back positive, a Specialist GP calls you and the treatment consult is included at no additional cost.
Confidentiality. Your referral and results are private. Pathology labs do not disclose the reason for testing, and results come back to you discreetly. We do not notify your regular GP, employer, school, or insurer by default. If you want a summary letter to your regular GP for continuity, the Specialist GP can arrange that with your explicit consent.
Frequently asked questions
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 lab — no appointment needed for most labs. Present the referral, give your samples, walk out. Results come back to Clinic365, then to you by email or SMS within 2-3 days.
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 lab accepts the Clinic365 referral. Most pathology labs 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 lab to you. The pathology lab confirms what you need to bring at attendance.
Pathology labs typically run STI tests within 2-3 days 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 2-3 days 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 pathology tests are covered by Medicare and most Private Health Insurers. No Medicare or insurance? Additional lab fees may apply — check with the lab you 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. 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 labs do not disclose the reason for attendance. Notifiable infections (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis) are reported anonymously to state Departments of Health for surveillance and contact-tracing purposes only — never to your regular GP, employer, school, or insurer by default. The Clinic365 system uses encrypted SMS and email for all communications. A summary letter to your regular GP can be sent with your explicit consent if you want continuity for general medical care.
Book the telehealth consult (free with Medicare) 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.
