STI Test Sydney: 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 Sydney. Walk into any pathology lab in Sydney. 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 Sydney.
Pathology across Sydney
Walk into any pathology clinic across Sydney with your Clinic365 referral. No appointment needed.
STI testing in Sydney
If you’ve searched STI test Sydney 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 Sydney, walk into any pathology clinic across the metro area or regional NSW, 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 Sydney 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.
Sydney’s sexual health context
NSW has Australia’s largest population and significant cohorts in priority groups. The Kirby Institute’s annual surveillance reports describe NSW as having the largest MSM cohort affected by HIV in Australia, alongside an active PrEP rollout and well-established sexual health infrastructure. DoxyPEP is increasingly part of the conversation for MSM and other higher-risk groups, with current Australian guidance supporting its use. NSW also recorded over 26,000 chlamydia notifications and 8,000+ gonorrhoea notifications in 2023 (NNDSS) — making routine testing for sexually active Sydneysiders genuinely worthwhile.
Geography and access across Sydney
Sydney spans roughly 50 kilometres from Bondi to Penrith. Pathology collection centres are dense across the Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, North Shore, and CBD, with adequate coverage in Western Sydney, Sutherland Shire, and the Northern Beaches. Most metro suburbs have at least one collection centre within a 10-minute drive, often open Monday to Saturday with shorter hours on weekends.
Your Clinic365 referral also works across regional NSW — the major pathology networks extend to Newcastle, Wollongong, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Illawarra, and Northern Rivers. Specific pages exist for STI testing in Newcastle and STI testing in Wollongong.
Who should get an STI test in Sydney
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 Sydney or regional NSW
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.
NSW developed the Let Them Know SMS-based partner notification tool, which is now used by sexual health services nationally. It allows you to send an anonymous SMS to partners suggesting they get tested. Your Specialist GP walks you through this option during the treatment consult.
By Australian law (in NSW, the Public Health Act 2010), chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and HIV are reported anonymously to NSW 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. Our Emergency PEP service can arrange a same-day eScript and pathology referral within hours. If you cannot wait for an appointment, your nearest hospital Emergency Department.
Privacy in Sydney
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 Sydney and Australia, seven days a week. Book on the homepage.
Frequently asked questions
Walk into any pathology clinic across Sydney with your Clinic365 SMS referral — CBD, Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, North Shore, Northern Beaches, Sutherland Shire, and Western Sydney including Parramatta, Liverpool, and Penrith. No appointment needed at most locations. Most are open Monday to Saturday in metro areas.
Yes. The major pathology networks extend across regional NSW — your referral works in Newcastle, Wollongong, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Illawarra, Northern Rivers, and rural NSW. We have dedicated Newcastle and Wollongong pages too.
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 (chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV) are reported anonymously to NSW Health under the Public Health Act 2010 for surveillance and contact tracing — 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, which was developed in NSW and is now used by sexual health services nationally.
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. Our Emergency PEP service can arrange a same-day eScript and pathology referral within hours. If you cannot wait for an appointment, your nearest hospital Emergency Department.
