Taking Care of Your Sexual Health

If you are sexually active it is important to regularly visit a health worker for sexual health checks, and to discuss any sexual health questions you may have.

What is a sexual health check?

A sexual health check is a check-up by a health worker for sexual health issues, like sexually transmissible infections (STIs). It also gives you a chance to ask questions about any other sexual health issues you may have, e.g. contraception.

Where to go for a sexual health check

It depends on where you live and what services are close to you. A sexual health check is carried out by a health worker - your local GP, a doctor or nurse at a Sexual Health Centre, a Youth Health Centre, or a Family Planning Clinic. Check out where services are in your area or see the ‘For more information’ section (at the end of this factsheet).

Who needs a sexual health check?

Anyone who is sexually active is advised to talk to a health worker about having a check-up. How often, and when you need to have a check-up, depends on your lifestyle and sexual activity. A sexual health check is advisable if any of the following points apply to you:
•  you think that you might have an STI
•  you have had unsafe sex, including vaginal, oral and/or anal sex
•  you have had a condom break or fall off during sex
•  your partner has another sexual partner
•  you have more than one sexual partner
•  you have shared needles for drugs, tattooing or piercing 
•  you are starting a new sexual relationship

What happens at a sexual health check?

A health worker will usually begin by taking a sexual history. Some of the questions they will ask may seem quite personal, for example:
• How many sexual partners have you had?
• What sexual activities have you engaged in?
• Do you have sex with males, females or both?
• Do you have any symptoms which could suggest an STI?
• Have you injected drugs and/or shared injecting equipment?
• Do you have any tattoos or body piercings?
• Have you been vaccinated, for example, with the Hepatitis B and HPV vaccine?

You might feel uncomfortable when answering these questions, but it is important you give true answers so that you get the best advice and be given the right tests to keep you healthy.

Some STIs can lead to long term health problems if not treated properly. All the information you give the health worker is confidential and kept private. The health worker may mention ‘contact tracing’. ‘Contact tracing’ is the process of identifying how an infection may have spread from person to person. The health worker does this by asking you for the contact details of people you have had sexual contact with. It is important to note that contact tracing only occurs if you test positive for certain types of STIs, such as HIV.

During the check up, and with your consent or agreement, your external genitals may be checked for any signs of STIs. A range of tests may be done including:
• a urine sample and/or blood test
• a swab, e.g. taking a sample of fluid or discharge on a cotton bud for examination on a slide under a microscope. Sometimes it may be necessary to take swabs from the throat, or rectum (inside the anus)
• for females, a vaginal check may also be done, e.g. a Pap test (which takes a sample of cells from the cervix, which is inside the vagina). A Pap test is a common test that all sexually active women are advised to have every two years to help prevent cancer of the cervix

Asking questions

A visit to a sexual health worker is a great opportunity to ask any questions you have about your sexual health or to discuss anything that has been worrying you. A good health worker will encourage you to ask questions. It's important that you feel like you are able to ask any questions you have. It is equally important that the health worker answer your questions and explain everything in a way that you are able to understand.

What other questions could you ask?

Some questions you may wish to ask the health worker before you have a sexual health check include:
• Will this service see young people under the age of 16 without their parent or guardian present? Is there an age limit at which a young person won't be seen without a parent or guardian?
• Does this service bulk bill? Does it reduce fees in any way for young people?
• Will it provide a young person with their Medicare number? Will it assist a young person in finding out their Medicare number?
• Do I need a Hep B vaccination? Does this service provide free or low cost Hep B vaccination? (This is a vaccination that is recommended for some young people).
• Will written information be given regarding the infections being tested for?
• Does this service have emergency appointments that can be used for pregnancy testing or emergency contraception?

Some of the questions you might like to ask during the check-up include:
• What exactly are the tests for? (e.g. HIV, Hep B, Hep C, etc)
• Will the test be a blood test, or urine test? Many people mistakenly think a blood test will cover everything. Testing is recommended when you have had sexual activity without using condoms, when you change sexual partners, or when you engage in high risk behaviour (e.g. injecting drugs, having more than one sexual partner, or working in the sex industry).
• If any of the tests are positive, do I have to tell anyone? Will the health worker tell anyone? What is the treatment?
• If any of the tests are positive, will that affect my future fertility, pregnancy or general health?

Feeling comfortable

Stay in tune with how you are feeling - if you are feeling uncomfortable with the health worker, or you feel that the person you are consulting is uncomfortable, you might like to ask to see someone else or try another service.

Acknowledgements

The information provided here has been adapted from content of the Queensland Government Sexual Health website for young people - www.istaysafe.com.

For more information

Contact the FPNSW Healthline on 1300 658 886
Or email: healthline@fpnsw.org.au
NRS (for deaf) 133 677

The information in this Factsheet has been provided for educational purposes only. FPNSW has taken every care to ensure that the information is accurate and up-to-date at the time of publication. Individuals concerned about any personal reproductive or sexual health issue are encouraged to seek advice and assistance from their health care provider or visit an FPNSW clinic.