Private STI/STD SWAB Test in London

While many STIs can now be detected through blood or urine tests, swab tests remain a vital method for diagnosing certain STIs due to their direct sampling from the affected area. 

What does the STI SWAB test include?

The STI SWAB test can diagnose infections such as HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and trichomoniasis. Swabs are taken from the affected area, which can vary depending on the infection and the individual's anatomy.

Procedure

Preparing for test:

No special preparation is required, except for women who should avoid using vaginal creams or douches 24 hours before the test.

During the test:

Swabs are taken from the site of infection. For women, this may be the cervix or vagina, and for men, it can be the urethra or penis. The procedure is typically quick and causes minimal discomfort.

Result

Results are typically available within 2-3 working days. Confidentiality in result delivery is assured, with options for phone, email, or in-person communication.

How Swab Tests are done

Swab tests can be performed by using sterile q-tip sent to the laboratory for testing. The swabs may be taken from your cervix, anus, penis, skin, throat or vagina.

Cervical and Vaginal: In the case of women, a swab will be collected from the cervix or vagina with a sterile q-tip. This test can be done when you have had vaginal sex or notice some changes such as change in fluid from your vagina or increased fluid. A Pap test may be available at the same time.

Urethral (penis): When you have discharge from or burning sensation at the time of peeing, a swab from the penis is usually done. A small and sterile q-tip will be placed at the top of penis. It may be somewhat uncomfortable though it is over quickly. The test is accurate when you have not done urine for 2 hours beforehand.

Anal: By inserting a q-tip into the anus, a swab will be taken from the inside of rectum. This can be done when you have had anal sex or noticed some changes such as bleeding from rectum, pus or pain.

Throat: If you have had sore throat or oral sex, then a throat swab may be taken with a q-tip to swab your throat.

FAQs

How accurate is the swab for STD?

The sensitivity for vaginal swabs had been 94.1 percent for chlamydia, 98.0 percent for trichomoniasis and 96.5 percent for Gonorrhea.

Is it possible for a STD swab test to be wrong?

These tests are generally very accurate, but no test is 100% infallible. False negatives or positives can occur, although they are rare.