Here is the uncomfortable truth about sexually transmitted infections: most of them have no symptoms. You can have chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or even HIV for months or years without feeling unwell. The only way to know your status — and protect both yourself and your partners — is to get tested regularly.

And yet, according to the Kirby Institute's 2025 annual surveillance report, only 16% of Australians aged 16 to 49 have ever been tested for STIs. That means 84% of sexually active Australians are going without testing — many of whom may be unknowingly carrying and transmitting infections.

Most STIs show no symptoms

This is the single most important fact about sexual health that is not widely understood. Chlamydia — the most commonly diagnosed STI in Australia with over 100,000 new cases recorded in 2024 — is asymptomatic in the vast majority of cases. Gonorrhoea is similar. HIV can remain undetected for years in some individuals.

The absence of symptoms does not mean the absence of infection. And untreated infections can lead to serious long-term health consequences:

  • Untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women, leading to fertility issues
  • Untreated gonorrhoea can spread to the bloodstream and joints
  • Syphilis, if left untreated, can affect the brain, heart, and other organs
  • Hepatitis B and C can cause chronic liver disease over time

How often should you get tested?

The right testing frequency depends on your circumstances — but here is a general guide:

  • Once a year — for sexually active people with one regular partner and no new exposures
  • Every 3–6 months — for people with multiple partners, or who have had a new partner in the last year
  • Any time — if you have had unprotected sex with a new partner, or if a partner has told you they have tested positive for an STI

There is no such thing as testing "too often". Regular testing is a normal, responsible part of sexual health — not an indicator of risky behaviour.

Testing is not just about you

When you get tested and treated if needed, you also protect your partners. Many people transmit infections without ever knowing they have them. Regular testing breaks that chain — and it is one of the most considerate things you can do for the people you are intimate with.

The stigma problem

Despite how common STIs are, they still carry significant social stigma — and that stigma is one of the biggest barriers to testing. People avoid getting tested because they are embarrassed, because they don't want to have an awkward conversation with their GP, or because they assume testing is only for people who have been "risky".

None of that is true. STIs do not discriminate — they affect people of all ages, genders, orientations, and relationship structures. And getting tested is not a reflection of your values or your behaviour. It is simply good health practice, the same as getting a blood pressure check or a cholesterol test.

Making it easier to test

One of the reasons testing rates remain so low is that the traditional process is genuinely inconvenient. Booking a GP appointment, taking time off work, having an uncomfortable in-person conversation — for many people, that friction is enough to put testing off indefinitely.

Online testing services exist specifically to remove that friction. With STI Clinic Australia, the entire referral process takes five minutes from your phone. Your referral arrives in your inbox, you walk into any pathology lab at your convenience, and results come back by email and SMS within 3–5 days — all without a single awkward conversation.

There is no longer a good reason to put it off.