Clinics in Central Coast

HIV and STI testing on the Central Coast

Worrying about having a Sexually Transmitted Infection is stressful and mentally exhausting. If you are on the Central Coast and are concerned about your sexual health, the only thing to do is to get yourself tested. STI’s are best known for not showing any symptoms. That’s one of the main reasons why they spread so easily. If you feel fine and don’t have any symptoms, then you (and lots of other people) are likely to carry on having sex. Unsurprisingly, this approach is what spreads these infections. And the only way to break this cycle is to get tested.

Better2Know is the world’s leading private provider of sexual health testing services. We are experts in this field, so it makes sense for you to trust Better2Know. We can test you for more than a dozen sexually transmitted infections, including:

• HIV 1 and 2 and the p24 antigen

• Chlamydia

• Gonorrhoea

• Syphilis

• Hepatitis B

• Hepatitis C

• Herpes simplex I and II

• Mycoplasma

• Trichomonas

Recent statistics for the Central Coast show rates of Chlamydia infection were around 9% higher than the state average. The Central Coast region is the fifth highest in the whole of New South Wales for positive Chlamydia cases.

What will happen at my Central Coast STI testing appointment?

Once you have booked your STI test or screen with Better2Know at your Central Coast STI testing clinic, we will send you either an email or a text message (your choice) confirming your appointment details and the tests you have ordered. At the time of booking, Better2Know creates for you your own private Patient Area on our secure website, where you can access all your booking details, the exact location of your STI testing clinic and lots of other useful information about STI’s.

Your confirmation email or text will include your PIN (Personal Identification Number) and a unique password giving you access to your Patient Area. This is where we will post your test results once they are ready, and it is also where you will find our Digital Partner Notification tool, which makes telling someone else important to you, that you tested positive for an STI. This Partner Notification tool is only available if you test positive, but through it you can tell as many people as you want, that they should get tested too. You don’t need to reveal your name to them if you don’t want. You can remain anonymous if you prefer; it’s all your choice.

Arriving at your Central Coast STI testing clinic should also be a calm and stress-free experience. We work hard to achieve this for you. You will be greeted by a friendly and professional doctor or nurse and shown through to our clean and modern consulting room. There, your clinician will take the samples your tests require. These are usually just a blood and a urine sample. The blood will be drawn from your arm, and you will be given a small container and shown to a toilet where you can collect your own urine sample. Just make sure that you don’t urinate for a couple of hours before your appointment, so that you can provide the needed urine sample once there.

How long will my test results take?

STI test results on the Central Coast generally take between one and three days to be ready. The exact time will depend on the tests that you have asked for. Speak to one of our expert advisors on the number above if you want more clarification on this or just read through the test or screen details on our website where we indicate the turnaround times clearly. Click "Select" on the Central Coast clinic of choice to see a complete list of all the tests you can book.

When your results are ready at the lab, an STI expert will review them and then post them to your Patient Area. If you are negative, then there is nothing more for you to worry about. If you test positive, then we will contact you and arrange a private consultation with our Doctor to discuss your results and agree on any treatment or appropriate next steps. This consultation wont cost you any more; its all included in our comprehensive service to you.   

Testing with Better2Know gets you all the expert information that you need either published on our website or explained to you by one of our expert advisors who is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We will listen to what happened and to your concerns and worries. We will suggest which tests are appropriate for you, and we will get you a fast appointment at the Central Coast STI testing clinic of your choice. Our medical professionals will collect your samples and send them to our fully accredited Australian laboratory for accurate analysis. Just a few days later, you will have all the test results ready, and any treatment required will be arranged for you. Book your STI test now on the Central Coast for your health and peace of mind.

STI and an STD: What is the difference?

An STI is a Sexually Transmitted Infection, and STD is a Sexually Transmitted Disease. There is no real difference between them. They both include HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Herpes and any of many other infections that can be spread from person to person when they are intimate with each other. Doctors, nurses and other sexual health experts agree that people generally prefer talking about infections rather than diseases, so referring to these infections as STI’s has become the generally accepted language to use.

Technically, an Infection can describe the state of being infected, whilst Disease can refer to a state of displaying the harmful effects of having that infection. Either way, it is always Better2Know's aim to get you tested and diagnosed early, before any infection can do you any harm. So, take care of your health and get tested on the Central Coast now.

Can I still have sex if I have an STI?

Testing positive for any infection is going to cause you some level of stress and anxiety. This is only natural. The good news is, that when testing with Better2Know on the Central Coast you are in safe hands. We have been testing people for STI’s for over 20 years, have seen and heard it all before and will know exactly what to do to help you through this difficult time.

The first thing you need to do is to stop all sexual activity until you have spoken with our doctor and fully understood what the infection we have diagnosed is. If it is something that can be treated with antibiotics, then you should hold off any sexual activity until you have completed your full course of treatment. Infections including Chlamydia (one of the most common infections on the Central Coast) Gonorrhoea and Syphilis are incredibly easy to pass on to your sexual partners. On the plus side, they can all be cured with the right antibiotics but only if you take the medicine as prescribed.

If you test positive for a viral infection, then the advice of our doctor is doubly important. Infections like Herpes Simplex cannot be cured, but can be managed with medicines and by understanding the infection and when you are most likely to pass it on to someone else. Other infections including HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C will require additional testing and longer-term care. In the case of HIV this will mean taking medicine for the rest of your life. Thankfully, by taking the right medicines when indicated will reduce the amount of HIV virus in your blood to a point where you will no longer be able to pass the infection on to others. Undetectable = Untransmittable.  This means that someone diagnosed with HIV, is taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) and maintains an undetectable viral load has zero risk of sexually transmitting the virus to their partners.

Better2Know’s sexual health testing experts on the Central Coast will answer all your questions regarding your positive result, offering 24/7 advice and guidance alongside consultations with your Better2Know doctor. All you need to do is book your appointment at your local Better2Know Central Coast STI clinic now.

How often should I get tested for an STI?

You should get a comprehensive STI test every time you have sex with a new partner. It can be all too easy to assume your new partner is clear and let life on the Central Coast take over. No one wants to think that their new lover has given them an infection but that’s exactly why you need to take responsibility and get tested. Both of you. Make it a part of building your new relationship. If the sex was more of a casual one-off encounter then put your health first and look after yourself. Book a test and make sure you protect your health for your own sake.  

STI Testing on the Central Coast is easy with Better2Know. We have over 80 clinics in the area so will have one near you. We’ve got flexible appointment times, plenty of availability and all the help you need to get the right tests for you. Arm yourself with all the right knowledge, get your appointment booked quickly and receive your test results from a fully accredited Australian lab just a day or two later. Better2Know makes the whole process as smooth and stress free as possible, helping you to move on in better health than now.

What should I do next?

If you are sexually active, are worried about your sexual health and want to know if you are carrying any infections, then book your STI test on the Central Coast with Better2Know now.

Just click on “Select” next to the Central Coast clinic of your choice on the list above or call us on the number at the top of the page and speak to a helpful advisor now. We are ready to take your call 24 hours a day, every day of the week.  

Remember that STI’s don’t usually show any symptoms so the only way to know if you are infected is to get tested.