Reviewed 5 November 2026

STI testing under 30: why once a year is the guide

Chlamydia is most common in people in their 20s, and most people who have it feel fine. That’s why the guidelines recommend STI testing at least once a year for young people who are sexually active. Here’s what the check covers, how private it is, and when to test in between.

Key facts

How often: At least once a year
Also test: After a new partner
Most common STI: Chlamydia – about half of diagnoses are in people aged 20 to 29
The check covers: Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B immunity
Your own Medicare card: From age 15
Prickly: 16 and over, without symptoms

Why under 30

Australia had 94,184 chlamydia diagnoses in 2025, and around half were in people aged 20 to 29. The guidelines estimate that up to 1 in 20 young people tested in general practice have chlamydia, and 85–90% of people with it have no symptoms.

So the Australian STI Management Guidelines (opens in new tab) recommend offering chlamydia and other STI testing to all young people at least once a year, and the RACGP recommends chlamydia testing for everyone sexually active aged 15 to 29. Left untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to ongoing pain and infertility.

What a yearly check covers

The guidelines recommend testing for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis, and checking you’re immune to hepatitis B, with a vaccination if you’re not. People born in Australia from around 1997 were usually vaccinated as babies.

Prickly covers chlamydia and gonorrhoea, with an optional HIV self-test. Syphilis and hepatitis B need a blood test from a vein, so ask a sexual health clinic (opens in new tab) or GP clinic (opens in new tab) to include them. Routine blood tests for herpes or genital warts aren’t recommended.

When to test in between

After a new partner. A change of partner is one of the main reasons the guidelines give for testing.
If a partner tells you they have an STI. See a doctor rather than waiting for your yearly check.
If a condom broke or slipped off. Test once you’re outside the window periods.
If you have symptoms. See someone in person at a sexual health clinic (opens in new tab) or GP clinic (opens in new tab).

Men who have sex with men, people on PrEP and some others are recommended to test every 3 months. See how often to get STI testing.

Keeping it private

From age 15 you can apply for your own Medicare card, so testing billed to Medicare doesn’t have to appear on a parent’s card. If you’re under 18, you can usually agree to testing and treatment yourself, as long as you understand what’s involved. Your results go to you.

How you pay changes what appears on your records. See how much STI testing costs for what is billed where.

A good time to talk about the rest

The guidelines suggest using STI testing as a chance to talk about contraception, and cervical screening is recommended from age 25. A GP clinic (opens in new tab) or sexual health clinic (opens in new tab) can cover both.

How at-home testing works with Prickly

Prickly is an Australian at-home STI testing service for people aged 16 and over without symptoms. You can request testing whenever it’s due, and a doctor confirms it suits you before anything is sent.

Request online. Complete a five-minute online request, or book a short call with a doctor – bulk billed with Medicare. Either way, a doctor confirms that at-home STI testing is suitable for you.
Receive your equipment. Collection equipment tailored to your exposures ships the same or next business day in an unmarked mailer box with Australia Post tracking.
Collect at home. Follow the included STI testing self-collection guide – swabs and urine for the lab, and, if you’ve added HIV testing, a fingerprick HIV self-test you read at home in 15 minutes.
Fingerprick HIV self-test
The Atomo HIV Self Test is a screening test for HIV antibodies. It may not detect HIV acquired in the last 3 months, so consult a medical practitioner if exposure was possible during this time. A positive test result requires confirmatory laboratory testing on the request of a medical practitioner. Always read the label and follow the directions for use (opens in new tab).
Post to the lab. Post your lab samples back the same day using the included prepaid return label – at any Australia Post Office, red street posting box or Parcel Locker.
Get your results. A doctor reviews every lab test result and emails you privately. Telehealth follow-up included – with help accessing treatment and telling partners, if needed.

The same steps are on the home page under How it works, and fees are under Pricing.

When at-home testing isn’t right

See someone in person at a sexual health clinic (opens in new tab), GP clinic (opens in new tab) or urgent care clinic (opens in new tab) instead if you have symptoms or if you’re under 16. And if you may have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, don’t wait for a test – visit www.getpep.info (opens in new tab) or go to a sexual health clinic (opens in new tab) or emergency department (opens in new tab) as soon as you can. If something happened without your consent, 1800RESPECT (opens in new tab) is also available 24/7 for free, confidential support.

Sources

Australian STI Management Guidelines – Young people (opens in new tab), ASHM.
Australian STI Management Guidelines for use in primary care – Standard asymptomatic check-up (opens in new tab), ASHM.
Australian STI Management Guidelines – Chlamydia (opens in new tab), ASHM.
STI rates remain high in Australia’s latest sexual health data (opens in new tab), Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, 15 September 2026.