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Sti testing kits
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By *d88Man 38 weeks ago
Salford |
Depends which ones, the free health clinic ones usually only check for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, Syphilis and HIV if you have the blood drop one as well.
Results usually take a week. You can buy better ones that test for everything, I recommend the superdrug one, it’s expensive but results are usually 48 hours from testing. |
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By *oelMan 38 weeks ago
Midlands, London, Brussels |
"SH.UK are super quick. Results are usually texted in a couple of days from when it goes in the post box."
Agree, you need to be strategic with how you answer the questionnaire, and you can't retest straight away you have to wait a bit... Other than that they are great |
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Get the best you can afford and be open with partners what (and how) you tested for. Consider oral, rectal and vaginal swabs alongside blood and urine.
Some of the free kits offer a minimal level of testing. |
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By *lick9Man 38 weeks ago
Stockport |
"Get the best you can afford and be open with partners what (and how) you tested for. Consider oral, rectal and vaginal swabs alongside blood and urine.
Some of the free kits offer a minimal level of testing."
I have just used SH24 recently for the first time and they check everything if you ask them to send it in the packs . I was impressed with everything and also the speed of the test kit arriving and also the speed of the results . Also you log onto their site and you get a full breakdown of your results which you can show people should you wish to |
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By (user no longer on site) 38 weeks ago
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Sh24 results are great if you can draw enough blood using the prick test, or if it doesnt clot in transit.
Local test centre results take longer, but are done by trained nurses so less likely to recieve inconclusive results |
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I did one Wednesday lunchtime. Posted in the afternoon.
Got the negative results Friday late afternoon 🙏🏻
Drawing blood is impossible for me though. 3 lancets used to their instructions and wasn't enough blood to test this time around. |
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Couldn't fault the speed of results from the free kits, however I ended up changing to a private GP (well I see the Nurse Practitioner) after a bad experience with local clinic.
Getting help turned out to be much more difficult than it should have been. |
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"So if I order today from SH24 It comes Tuesday/weds? That's what I gathered from thread. & If sent back on weds evening I can have results Friday or Saturday?"
I'm not sure who SH24 are specifically. I just looked up my regular GUM clinic near me that I used to physically go to pre covid (with god awful parking) to book an appointment and it offered me a home test kit free of charge based on postcode catchment.
Mine is done through "CNWL" according to the Negative text I got.
But if these are subcontracted NHS/AQP Government contracts, I think it's safe to assume they're all set the same KPIs and targets to hit re timeframe turn arounds xx |
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SH.UK and SH.24 cover a lot of the U.K. but always check the local NHS website for your area and follow the sexual health / testing links, sometimes home test kits are from other ‘niche’ very local providers (there are 4 different ones in London). Walk-in clinics are an alternative. The independent paid services are no better than NhS providers.
The home test kits cover the usual but not Hepatitis B / C and does not do the HIV PCR test instead using HIV antibodies / antigens testing. Herpes is not tested for - unless you are showing actual skin lesion symptoms when you should go to a walk in GUM clinic get swabbed and treated immediately (and YOU SHOULD NOT be having any sexual contact with anyone!). A home blood test for Herpes is pointless because it’s so inaccurate and even clinics or private providers will not advise it. Any online services for it are a scam. It’s not required by Adult Film Industry for performers certificates.
Anybody who says they are home testing every month are lying / bullshtting you or wasting their money on paid services. Due to exposure / test timeline statistics testing every three months is optimal- SH.UK SH.24 will only provide up to 5 home test kits a year to an individual at around a three month timing for requests. If you try too get kits too frequently you will be refused service. Suffice to say if you have any cause for concern or think you may have been exposed go to your walk-in or GUM clinic. Obviously stop having sex and be a grown up and warn people that you may have had contact with.
For those that struggle with drawing blood the advice to do it after a hot shower is valid. My blood flows so much easier after a hot shower. Still have to ‘milk’ my finger for a while though.. 🥴 |
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"SH.UK and SH.24 cover a lot of the U.K. but always check the local NHS website for your area and follow the sexual health / testing links, sometimes home test kits are from other ‘niche’ very local providers (there are 4 different ones in London). Walk-in clinics are an alternative. The independent paid services are no better than NhS providers.
The home test kits cover the usual but not Hepatitis B / C and does not do the HIV PCR test instead using HIV antibodies / antigens testing. Herpes is not tested for - unless you are showing actual skin lesion symptoms when you should go to a walk in GUM clinic get swabbed and treated immediately (and YOU SHOULD NOT be having any sexual contact with anyone!). A home blood test for Herpes is pointless because it’s so inaccurate and even clinics or private providers will not advise it. Any online services for it are a scam. It’s not required by Adult Film Industry for performers certificates.
Anybody who says they are home testing every month are lying / bullshtting you or wasting their money on paid services. Due to exposure / test timeline statistics testing every three months is optimal- SH.UK SH.24 will only provide up to 5 home test kits a year to an individual at around a three month timing for requests. If you try too get kits too frequently you will be refused service. Suffice to say if you have any cause for concern or think you may have been exposed go to your walk-in or GUM clinic. Obviously stop having sex and be a grown up and warn people that you may have had contact with.
For those that struggle with drawing blood the advice to do it after a hot shower is valid. My blood flows so much easier after a hot shower. Still have to ‘milk’ my finger for a while though.. 🥴"
if you have two phone numbers, it is quite possible to get more than 5 tests a year... they also do test for heb b and c...
When I was doing weekly gangbangs, even though I use condoms for sex.. I would still get tested every 4 weeks as recommended by the clinic. Now as we are not so active.. we test 6 weeks apart but every 12 weeks. |
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Alpha Biolabs do a comprehensive 7 point screen (Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Trichomoniasis, Ureaplasma parvum (UTI) and Ureaplasma urealyticum (UTI))
for around £50 which includes the bacterial nwhich when combined with the sexual health clinics with throat swabs for oral chlamydia and gonorrhoea, which also test for syph, hiv, hep etc is the cheapest and most comprehensive way to do it that I have found. |
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Genuine question to the people mentioning paying for tests:
Are there no NHS services in your area that do it for free? In my borough I can order a testing kit online, through the NHS (one in the post to me as we speak), and they don’t charge. Results take about a week to come back.
I use thesexualhealthhub dot co dot uk. If they’re not for your area, I think that they can signpost you to services near you. |
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"Genuine question to the people mentioning paying for tests:
Are there no NHS services in your area that do it for free? In my borough I can order a testing kit online, through the NHS (one in the post to me as we speak), and they don’t charge. Results take about a week to come back.
I use thesexualhealthhub dot co dot uk. If they’re not for your area, I think that they can signpost you to services near you."
They only test for the big three/five. There are a lot more out there beyond this. While some like trichomoniasis is one that needs to be done in person to be very accurate as it’s a manual check under a microscope, this I do once a year. |
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"They only test for the big three/five. There are a lot more out there beyond this. While some like trichomoniasis is one that needs to be done in person to be very accurate as it’s a manual check under a microscope, this I do once a year. "
Yes, they test for the most common ones. But, the free postal tests are only if you are asymptomatic. If you state that you have symptoms, then they ask you to come into the clinic so they can check for everything. In which case you still wouldn’t have to cough up £50.
I guess paying for a test makes things easier insofar as not having to leave the home, and keeping one’s anonymity. That’s personal preference, I suppose. |
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"Genuine question to the people mentioning paying for tests:
Are there no NHS services in your area that do it for free? In my borough I can order a testing kit online, through the NHS (one in the post to me as we speak), and they don’t charge. Results take about a week to come back.
I use thesexualhealthhub dot co dot uk. If they’re not for your area, I think that they can signpost you to services near you."
For us there are a few reasons. The STI’s tested for are limited and in some cases not all methods offered, I.e swabs not offered.
Second reason being this is an associated cost of our hobby. We don’t believe it should be absorbed by the NHS |
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"Second reason being this is an associated cost of our hobby. We don’t believe it should be absorbed by the NHS"
Oh!! I’ve never thought about it like that before. That’s certainly an important point to consider. Thank you. |
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"Second reason being this is an associated cost of our hobby. We don’t believe it should be absorbed by the NHS
Oh!! I’ve never thought about it like that before. That’s certainly an important point to consider. Thank you. "
I completely concur with the poster above re. The NHS bearing the cost.
As I am very active, given the low rates of symptoms of many STIs, there is a risk of spread to others. Given that a lot of the time, particularly at clubs, there is no way to contact those who we have played with. |
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I attend a private GP  to have my comprehensive STI screen done via full blood test & urine, so no swabs.
I went private because of a bad experience after one of my tests was positive.
It was much more difficult accessing treatment than it should have been.
Local clinic is over subscribed and underfunded, wider NHS wouldn't get involved.
So it's not the testing I have an issue with, but the local after care. |
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By (user no longer on site) 37 weeks ago
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"I did one Wednesday lunchtime. Posted in the afternoon.
Got the negative results Friday late afternoon 🙏🏻
Drawing blood is impossible for me though. 3 lancets used to their instructions and wasn't enough blood to test this time around."
The solution I have found that works ever time for me, is choose your second smallest finger then jab the lancet directly into the very tip of the finger.(Not the side as the leaflet says). It may be a sharp sting but it bleeds beautifully and you will fill the bottle in no time |
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I’ve just been informed by a Fab member that SH:UK will send out kits monthly. SH:24 in their FAQs explain the detection window periods the same as SH:UK but go further to explain ‘ideal’ testing periods of 3 months and will not send out kits more frequently than that saying that if you believe you are at a higher risk (like sex work) then you should arrange alternative testing.
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"They only test for the big three/five. There are a lot more out there beyond this. While some like trichomoniasis is one that needs to be done in person to be very accurate as it’s a manual check under a microscope, this I do once a year.
Yes, they test for the most common ones. But, the free postal tests are only if you are asymptomatic. If you state that you have symptoms, then they ask you to come into the clinic so they can check for everything. In which case you still wouldn’t have to cough up £50.
I guess paying for a test makes things easier insofar as not having to leave the home, and keeping one’s anonymity. That’s personal preference, I suppose."
NHS tests do not check for the micro organisms and ones without the cell wall as they need DNA testing, rather than stain (Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma parvum (UTI) and Ureaplasma urealyticum (UTI))
Mycoplasma hominis is often mistaken for BV and is currently in research for links with conditions such as pneumonia, preterm birth, losses and is present in many cases of prostate cancer. While correlation does not mean causation, it’s worth testing for the others which can be asymptomatic and easily spread. |
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Home testing kits are fine for your own piece of mind, but not to be trusted 100% as not all are as honest as us here in fab  .
A test from a clinic with your name on it is as good as it gets, ensuring they will or can, test for everything you require. |
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"Genuine question to the people mentioning paying for tests:
Are there no NHS services in your area that do it for free? In my borough I can order a testing kit online, through the NHS (one in the post to me as we speak), and they don’t charge. Results take about a week to come back.
I use thesexualhealthhub dot co dot uk. If they’re not for your area, I think that they can signpost you to services near you.
For us there are a few reasons. The STI’s tested for are limited and in some cases not all methods offered, I.e swabs not offered.
Second reason being this is an associated cost of our hobby. We don’t believe it should be absorbed by the NHS"
It's not a hobby for me. It's one of the ways how I cope with my mental health. Mental health is underfunded in the NHS.
This lifestyle works out cheaper and more flexible than paying a private psychotherapist for me. |
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By *vjaneTV/TS 24 weeks ago
near Bishops Stortford |
I recently used SH:24, the kit arrived by post quickly and the packaging was very discreet, I requested the full set of tests and the kit contained everything needed to do oral and rectal swabs, plus urine and blood collection.
The only thing I had a problem with was collecting the blood, it took me ages and the first time the sample wasn’t good enough for them to test. So they sent another blood sample kit and I had to do it again, luckily it was ok the next time and they were able to do the tests.
Happy to say everything came back negative, which is what I expected, as I always play safe and am careful who I play with. Saying that, I will test regularly when I’ve been playing, it’s so easy to do and free, so why wouldn’t I do the responsible thing. |
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"I’ve used SH:24 before and it was great, but just went back on there to get another one and it says not available in my area so they’ve pulled the funding and gonna have to pay for it myself"
That is so wrong. We live in a country that is willing to pay out £ 15 Billion to support refugees, Pay out billions to fund net zero and child benefit soon to be paid to more than 2 children in a family.
And yet one of a serious threat to our nations health is not to be funded. The sheer arrogance of these people at the top makes my blood boil. |
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By *orny PTMan 24 weeks ago
Peterborough |
"Another vote for SH.UK ..discreet package and all via post - results come through quickly also "
Yes to this.
They do run out very quickly though. Go on oline after midnight to beat the early birds. |
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By (user no longer on site) 22 weeks ago
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"I bought a pack of lancets from Amazon. Always need more than the 3 provided in the home kits. Works a treat, even if I may have bruised fingers, warm bath definitely helps!! "
The way I do it works 100% every time.
Choose your second smallest finger. Prick the lancet directly into the top/tip. It should open the skin immediately and make enormous drops into the filler really easily. It then closes up easily after too.
The leaflet says prick the lancet into the side of the finger but that struggles to produce a good blood flow.
No need to squeeze fingers or drink water or have hot baths |
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The NHS in this area uses sh.uk. The tests arrive in a plain wrapper by post. The test involves taking saliva, blood drop, urine and anal swab. Post it off and results online in a couple of days. And if you need it's easy to speak to a nurse. Very good. |
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We use The test from friskywales which is basically the same as the SH one mentioned above. Delivery of tests are quick and gey some nice freebies too. Results within a week sooner if text. Also go to local GUM clinic at least every 6 months (usually closer to every 3) |
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"Due to having a shit immune system, I am tested for everything under the sun on a regular basis.....99.99% of the time condoms are always used so best to be safe than sorry."
I also have a suppressed immune system and am checked regularly sometimes every month I don’t think I could get any better service than from the NHS. |
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