Testing
STIs never just go away. If you have had unprotected sex and you think you may have got an STI, don’t just ignore it. STIs can have very unpleasant consequences. And if you have an STI, you can infect others. For this reason it is important that you go to the doctor and get yourself tested. Say that you had unprotected sex, then the doctor knows that he or she needs to test you for STIs.
There may be several reasons to do an STI test:
- You may have had unsafe sex, and be afraid that you have contracted some infection;
- Or if the condom split while you were having sex, you may be worried that you got an STI;
- Or perhaps you were told by your current partner or a past partner that he or she has an STI and that it may have been passed on to you;
- Physical complaints after unprotected sex can also be a reason to have an STI test. Possible signs of STIs are: more discharge from vagina or penis or different discharge than usual, blisters, sores or warts on or around the genitals or painful urination;
- You may be in a long-term relationship and want to have sex without using condoms. First you need to determine what risks both of you took in the past. To be certain that you and your partner don’t have an STI, you can both be tested;
- If you are pregnant and you want to avoid the risk of passing on an STI to your child;
- Another important reason to be tested for STIs is to be certain about your own health. Some STIs can be present in a dormant state. If you had a lot of unprotected sex in the past, you can have yourself tested for both STIs and HIV.
When should you be tested for STIs?
If you had unprotected sex or if the condom split, you need to wait at least one week before being tested for STIs. There is no point in being tested until one week later. If you have complaints, go straight to the doctor. There is no point in being tested for HIV until three to six months after you had unsafe sex. It takes three to six months before your blood contains antibodies to HIV and the doctor can determine whether you are seropositive.
Where can you be tested for STIs?
If you want to be tested, you can go to your GP. He or she can also refer you to a dermatologist (specialist in skin and venereal infection) or a gynaecologist (specialist in women’s reproductive system). The health fund pays for this. If you feel funny about going to your GP, you can be tested anonymously at a low-threshold or a no-threshold STI clinic, under the responsibility of a dermatologist. No-threshold means free and anonymous testing for STI and HIV, even if you are not insured. You can go there without a referral. There are no-threshold clinics in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.
Low-threshold means that you need a referral from an STI social nurse at the local health authority (GGD). This test is also free and anonymous. You can find low-threshold STI clinics in Groningen, Leiden, Maastricht and Nijmegen.
Some local health authorities also test you for STIs and offer treatment. Finally, you can go to the Rutgers Stichting for an STI test. But here you have to pay for it. All doctors are obliged to observe patient secrecy. They are not allowed to give any information about you to others.
Addresses of STI clinics
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