If you are worried if you have caught an STD or have multiple partners, it is important that you have an STD test. We know it can be daunting for some, but here at Better2Know, we offer private STD and HIV testing clinics all over the UK.

Better2Know have more STD testing clinics in London than any other STD testing provider, with sites at Canary Warf, Oxford Street and Wimbledon to name a few, as well as STD clinics in Liverpool, Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh. Please check the locations page for your local STD clinic.

All STD and HIV tests are 100% anonymous and confidential, no medical records are kept and no information is shared with third parties. You can also give us a false name if you would prefer, as long as your contact details are correct so we can give you your results. Please note that if you get tested through your NHS doctor, the results will go onto your medical record.

Getting your STD results back is also easier with Better2Know; our doctors can provide you with your STD results within 2 days and HIV test results can be done instantly, taking the load of your mind. NHS and local GP results can take up to 2 weeks.

Anyone who has multiple partners is advised to have regular STD tests, and people who have been diagnosed with an STD are advised to get a full STD test as there is a bigger risk of having another STD.

The Human Papilloma Virus, known as HPV, affects the epidermis and certain membranes that line different areas of the body such as the inside layer of the throat or mouth, the cervix, or the anus.

There are over one hundred different strains of the Human Papilloma Virus and it is very common. Statistics show that approximately seventy-five percent of people have had the virus at some point during their lifetime. For the most part HPV does not manifest any symptoms and our immune systems fight off the virus on its own. Also, HPV is seen more in younger people, which is attributed to the fact that our bodies build up immunity to the virus as we age.

There are types of the Human Papilloma Virus that can cause cells in the lining of the mouth, throat, or cervix to change. This strain of the virus is referred to as high risk HPV. You may have heard these changes in cell composition called dysplasia, and when infected with this strain a person is at risk of the cells becoming cancerous.

There are other types of HPV, which are low risk HPVs. They have the tendency to produce warts in the genital and anal areas. However, they can manifest on any part of the body. These strains of the Human Papilloma Virus do not change the composition of cells and do not become cancerous. Both men and women are susceptible to HPV, although we most commonly hear about concerns for women contracting the virus.

In the past few years, the UK has experienced a significant number of reported cases of sexually transmitted infections. For instance, between the years of 1995 and 2005 the number of people who were diagnosed with Chlamydia tripled. Other common STIs are: genital herpes, hepatitis B, non-specific urethritis, trichomoniasis, pubic lice, syphilis, HIV, and gonorrhoea.

If you should have any of the following symptoms you may have a STI:

* Abnormal discharge from the anus, penis, or vagina.
* In women – bleeding between periods or after sex.
* Discomfort during urination.
* Increased frequency in urination.
* Lower abdominal pain or pain in the pelvic region.
* Infection in the throat or rectum.

It is also possible that you have an STI without any noticeable symptoms as some infections can remain dormant for several years. If you feel that you are at risk of having an STI you should take the time to be tested. If STIs are left untreated and allowed to run their course they can cause many unwanted complications later on in life. Female specific complications are pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancies, and infertility. Complications for men may include pain during erections or inflammation of the testicles and prostate gland.

Generally, STIs are brought on by harmful bacteria or viruses that are passed during sexual intercourse or intimate bodily contact. This includes genital contact, sexual intercourse, sharing sex toys, and oral sex. Those that have multiple sexual partners are at greater risk of transmitting a STI.

In a drive to encourage more 16 to 24 year old people to be screened for Chlamydia, NHS Hounslow has turned to the internet and text messages. The London based care trust has set up an online service allowing its residents to request a Chlamydia self-testing kit; the results can then be received by text message, a phone call or by letter.

The NHS Hounslow care trust looks after the health of more than 200,000 residents living is West London and is writing to 19,500 young people to tell them about the new service. A spokesperson for the trust said: “Once you get the postal kit you need to give a urine or swab sample, which is then sent to a laboratory.”

Adding that, “The results are sent back by either text message or call or letter. If the result does come back ‘positive’, it is easily treated with one dose of antibiotics. I also advise that they make sure that their sexual partner also gets tested, as they may also need to be treated.”

Chlamydia is the most common STD in the UK amongst 16 to 24 year olds and the Hounslow trust hopes that its new electronic service will offer a more discreet way for young people to get tested.

Many STD’s are asymptomatic for long periods, which mean that many people don’t even know that they have an infection. Undiagnosed STD’s can cause serious additional medical risks in both males and females and this is why you should have a STD test if you are worried that you have an infection or have multiple partners.

If untreated, Sexually Transmitted Diseases such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can cause infertility in both men and women, and could increase the risk of a miscarriage or premature births during pregnancy.

There is also an increased risk of cancer for both sexes; men who have a history of Gonorrhoea are more likely to develop prostate cancer, whereas women with a history of HPV (genital warts) are more likely to develop cervical cancer.

If you have been diagnosed with an STD, it is important to have a full STD test, as there is an increased risk of having other sexually transmitted infections. There is also a risk of the infection being passed onto a child during labour; this can be a serious problem and can cause adverse health conditions such as severe neurological damage, blindness and even death.

If you are worried about STD’s, it is important that you book an STD test with your doctor or local STD Clinic.

In a recent study by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, it states that there has been a surge of Syphilis cases in Japan over the past few years. After the Second World War, the rate of syphilis sufferers was greatly reduced, thanks to advancements in antibiotics, but the rate of syphilis cases has risen by nearly 100 new cases each year since 2003.

The groups with the highest increases of syphilis were males aged between 35 and 39, and females aged between 20 and 24. The increase in the number of women diagnosed with syphilis has tripled since 2003.

Talking about the study, Koji Saida, from a maternity clinic in Osaka said: “The cause is probably the trend for more sexual partners. Sales of condoms are down, and the increase in syphilis infection would seem to correlate with this,”

Syphilis is caused by a bacterial organism called treponema pallidum and is passed on through close contact with an infected area. It is usually passed on through unprotected sex, oral sex or by sharing sex toys, but can also be spread by sharing intravenous needles if you are a drug taker.

The symptoms of gonorrhoea usually appear 1 to 14 days after the infection has been caught, but in many cases symptoms may not appear for a few months or until the infection has been passed to other areas of the body.

Symptoms of gonorrhoea typically include a coloured and often smelly discharge from the penis and vagina, a frequent need to urinate and pain or tenderness in the lower abdomen or genital area.

It is thought that around 50% of women and 10% of men who have been infected with gonorrhoea experience little or no symptoms, meaning that the infection can go untreated for many months.

Testing for gonorrhoea is quite straight forward; the doctor or nurse will use a swab (similar to a cotton bud) and take a sample from the cervix or penis to test for the presence of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, which is the bacterium that causes gonorrhoea. Depending on where you are tested, the results can be given on the same day or up to 2 weeks.

If you are diagnosed with gonorrhoea, it is suggested that you get tested for other STD’s, as nearly 40% of women diagnosed also have the Chlamydia infection. Gonorrhoea is treated using a single dose of antibiotics; this can be in the form or a pill or an injection. Another test should be booked for three days after treatment to ensure that the treatment has been effective.

Due to the rapid increase of STD’s in the UK over the past few years, an increasing number of GP Clinics in London are adopting a new texting system to boost awareness of their sexual health programs. It is hoped that the new texting system will urge patients to go and have screening tests for STD’s such as Chlamydia and Syphilis.

The new texting system called, iPLATO Patient Care Messaging can be integrated with the doctor’s surgery computer, then a specific group of patients is chosen and when compiled, a group text is sent to the patient’s phones. The iPLATO system will be used to urge people to get screened for STD’s or to request a Chlamydia self testing kit if they feel they have been exposed to the infection.

Grace Kamel, Administrator at one of the GP clinics which uses the iPLATO system said: “Getting hold of young adults for sexual health checkups is often difficult to do. The system makes it a lot easier.”

She also added that: “We decided to use texts messaging, because texting is very popular amongst young adults. The use of text messaging in this area is a really innovative idea - it’s immediate, convenient and non-intrusive.”

The iPLATO system is also being used in other parts of the country for Public Health Announcements such as child immunisations, obesity and smoking.

Not the sort of email that you would like to receive, but a website called inspot.org offers people the chance to send their partner an e-card to notify them that they may have an STD. Visitors to the site can select one of six e-cards, urging their partners to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

The site was created in 2004 by the Internet Sexuality Information Services (ISIS), and was in response to the huge rise in Syphilis amongst gay men in California.

Andrew Woodruff, who is the program director for ISIS said: “We wanted to figure out a way for men to tell their partners if they’ve been exposed to an STD. It was initially for gay men, but we had focus groups and decided the service should be available for everybody.”

Mr Woodruff went to say that: “Increasingly, more and more people are using the Internet to find partners and meet people for sex, so it makes sense to use it for sex education,” Woodruff said. “It’s only logical people use it to notify their partners they’ve been exposed to an STD.”

After users choose an e-card, they can write a personal message and must select the appropriate STD from a list. The e-card is then sent anonymously, or the sender can put their details on if they so wish.

The recipient of the e-card will be taken to the inspot.org website, where they can read information about STD’s and helps them find a local testing clinic.

A NHS survey has found that six out of ten people under the age of 25 fears that they have been infected with Chlamydia over the Christmas holidays. The survey, which questioned 509 people aged between 16 and 24, also found that 69% of them had engaged in unprotected sex during the holiday period.

The recent figures have stunned health experts and they urge anyone who thinks that they may have the infection to get tested.

Chris Morgan of the Westside Contraceptive Service said: “Chlamydia is the most prevalent STI in the UK and it also does not have any symptoms”.

In a separate initiative, NHS officials in East Essex have started a new £250,000 project for Chlamydia screening. The trust will be giving away free cinema tickets to anyone aged between 18 and 24, who take a Chlamydia test.

A spokesman for NHS North East Essex said: “There is a national target from the Department of Health which says you need to screen 35 per cent of young people in that age bracket to make an impact.”

And added that, “We’re already working with GPs and pharmacists to get people tested but we are hoping this will provide more of an incentive.”