STI Test Cairns: results in 24 hours, no appointment
$39no additional costs for the tests themselves with Medicare or OSHC
$39 SMS pathology referral for an STI screen (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis) in Cairns. Walk into any pathology lab in Cairns. Most results within 24 hours.
If anything comes back positive, your follow-up telehealth consult with a Specialist GP is included at no additional cost.
You will receive a pathology referral by SMS. Take it to any pathology clinic across Cairns.
Pathology across Cairns
Walk into any pathology clinic across Cairns with your Clinic365 referral. No appointment needed.
STI testing in Cairns
If you’ve searched STI test Cairns because you want a check without seeing a doctor in person, this page is for you. Clinic365 lets you order a full STI screen online from anywhere in Cairns, walk into any pathology clinic across the metro area or regional Qld, and get most results within 24 hours by SMS. No appointment, no waiting room.
If you’d prefer to talk to a doctor first — about symptoms, contraception, women’s or men’s health, or anything beyond a routine screen — see our online sexual health clinic for a same-day phone consult.
What an STI test in Cairns covers
The standard 5-infection screen tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B from a single blood test and urine sample. These are the 5 infections recommended for routine screening under current Australian STI testing guidelines (Australian sexual health testing guidelines).
Add-on testing
You can add testing for herpes, mycoplasma genitalium, trichomonas, BV, thrush, or UTI through the questionnaire. Self-collected throat and anal swabs can also be added if you’ve had oral or anal sex (urine alone misses throat and rectal infections).
For any symptoms — discharge, sores, pain, unusual bleeding, rashes — we recommend booking a telehealth sexual health consult instead. A Specialist GP can take a proper history, work out which tests fit your situation, and prescribe treatment if needed. Self-directed testing suits routine screening with no symptoms.
Want a doctor to call as well?
Every online STI test has the option for a Specialist GP to call you — tick the box during the questionnaire, or change your mind later and request a call. Useful if you want to discuss anything before testing, talk through results, or get advice on partner notification.
Cairns and far north Queensland sexual health context
Cairns is the major regional centre for far north Queensland, serving Cairns, the Atherton Tablelands, Cassowary Coast, and connecting to remote communities across Cape York and the Torres Strait. Queensland recorded over 18,000 chlamydia and 7,000+ gonorrhoea notifications in 2023 (NNDSS), with rates significantly elevated in remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Far north Queensland has been a focus of the Multijurisdictional Syphilis Outbreak Working Group response, with ACCHS networks central to the public health response. Cairns is also a national hub for mpox surveillance among MSM and travellers, and an active site for PrEP and DoxyPEP programs.
Geography and access across Cairns and far north Queensland
Cairns itself covers Cairns CBD, Edge Hill, Stratford, Trinity Beach, Smithfield, Edmonton, Gordonvale, and Mount Sheridan. Pathology collection centres are concentrated in the inner suburbs and northern beaches, with extensions through the Atherton Tablelands (Atherton, Mareeba, Kuranda, Yungaburra) and along the Cassowary Coast (Innisfail, Tully, Mission Beach). Coverage extends north to Mossman and Port Douglas. Most metro pathology clinics open Monday to Saturday.
Your Clinic365 referral works across far north Queensland and Cape York — major pathology networks extend through the Atherton Tablelands, Cassowary Coast, Cape York Peninsula, and the Torres Strait. Patients in remote areas can use Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) collection points where available — ACCHS networks are central to Australia’s public health response to syphilis transmission to babies during pregnancy in remote far north Queensland communities. We have dedicated Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Townsville pages.
Who should get an STI test in Cairns
Australian sexual health guidelines recommend a routine screen if:
You’re under 30 and sexually active
You’ve had a new partner or more than one partner in the last year
You haven’t been tested in the last 12 months
A partner has tested positive for an STI
You’re starting or continuing PrEP (3-monthly STI screening is part of the protocol)
You’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy
Annual testing is recommended for anyone aged 15–29 who is sexually active. Men who have sex with men are recommended to test every 3 months, including throat and anal swabs.
When to test after sex
Tests have testing windows — testing too soon can give a false negative because the infection isn’t yet detectable:
Walk into any pathology clinic across Cairns or regional Qld
Most results are returned to you by SMS within 24 hours
What happens if a result is positive
If anything comes back positive, the treatment consult is included — bulk-billed for Medicare card holders, or completely free if you don’t have Medicare. A Specialist GP calls you by telehealth to talk it through, discusses treatment options if treatment is needed, and supports you through partner notification using the Let Them Know SMS tool.
By Australian law (in Queensland, the Public Health Act 2005), chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and HIV are reported anonymously to Queensland Health for surveillance — we handle the notification on your behalf. It doesn’t appear on your records.
If you think you’ve had a possible HIV exposure
HIV post-exposure prevention (PEP) is time-critical — it must start within 72 hours of exposure to be effective. Cairns Hospital emergency department can provide free PEP. Our Emergency PEP service can also arrange a same-day eScript and pathology referral within hours, which is particularly useful for people in remote areas where in-person services may be hours away.
Privacy in Cairns
Results go to your phone only. We don’t notify your regular GP, your family, your employer, or your insurer. The same privacy applies if you’re under 18 (Australian Mature Minor doctrine).
Available across Cairns and Australia, seven days a week. Book on the homepage.
Frequently asked questions
Walk into any pathology clinic across Cairns with your Clinic365 SMS referral — Cairns CBD, Edge Hill, Stratford, Trinity Beach, Smithfield, Edmonton, Gordonvale, and through the Atherton Tablelands and Cassowary Coast. No appointment needed at most locations. Most are open Monday to Saturday.
Yes. The major pathology networks extend through the Atherton Tablelands, Cassowary Coast, Cape York Peninsula, and the Torres Strait. Patients in remote areas can use Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) collection points where available. We also have a dedicated Townsville page.
Yes. Results go directly to you by SMS. We do not notify your regular GP, employer, or insurer. At the pathology clinic, STI tests are processed like any other blood test — staff don’t know which tests are ordered. Notifiable STIs are reported anonymously to Queensland Health under the Public Health Act 2005 — this is anonymous from your perspective and doesn’t appear on your records.
A Specialist GP calls you by telehealth to discuss the result and arrange treatment. The treatment consult is included — bulk-billed for Medicare card holders, or completely free if you don’t have Medicare. Prescriptions are sent to your phone by SMS for any Australian pharmacy. The GP also walks you through partner notification using the Let Them Know SMS tool.
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea: 2 weeks. Syphilis: 6 weeks. HIV: 4–6 weeks. Hepatitis B: 6 weeks to 6 months. Testing too early may give a false negative — your Specialist GP can advise on retesting if needed.
HIV post-exposure prevention (PEP) is time-critical — it must start within 72 hours of exposure. Cairns Hospital emergency department can provide free PEP. Our Emergency PEP service can arrange a same-day eScript and pathology referral within hours, which is particularly useful for people in remote far north Queensland.
