When to seek help urgently
If you’ve had a recent risk of HIV infection and experience fever, a rash and a sore throat, please phone us for advice on 01273 523 388.
If you have testicular or pelvic pain please call us, go to a walk in appointment or visit an A&E department.
If you think you may have an STI we recommend not having sex until we can do tests to find out.
Getting tested if you have symptoms
We don’t advise using our home testing service if you have symptoms because of the time it takes to send out kits and get samples to the laboratory.
In some cases, we will be able to give a diagnosis and start treatment at your appointment rather than you having to wait for test results to come back.
Book an appointment or attend a walk in appointment
You can either call us on 01273 523 388 to book an appointment at SHAC East, or we can assess your symptoms more quickly if you attend one of our walk in appointments at SHAC Central. These run on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (10.15am to 5pm). Please tell the person who greets you that you have symptoms.
Phone line opening times
Phone lines are closed on Bank Holidays
- Monday:
- 9.15am to 4.30pm
- Tuesday:
- 9.15am to 4.30pm
- Wednesday:
- 12.30pm to 4.30pm
- Thursday:
- 9.15am to 4.30pm
- Friday:
- 9.15am to 4.30pm
Additional testing services
As well as being able to attend all of our general clinics, our specialist clinics offer more ways for specific groups of people to get tested.
Under 25s
If you are under 25, you can also go to our Young Persons Clinic on Wednesday afternoon (1.30pm to 6pm) at SHAC Central.
Clinic M (for men who have sex with men)
We have a limited number of walk in appointments between 5.30pm and 6.30pm on Wednesday evenings at Clinic M. The walk in slots are offered on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
Would I get symptoms if I had HIV?
Some people will experience symptoms shortly after they come into contact with HIV (seroconversion symptoms) and some people won’t, so it’s not a reliable way of knowing if you have HIV or not. The only way to know for sure is to do a HIV test.
How do we diagnose STIs based on symptoms?
A doctor or nurse may be able to give a diagnosis by examining you, and then taking a sample and looking at it under a microscope or sending it off for laboratory testing. This will only be done with your consent, and you can ask for a chaperone to be in the room if you would like one. The tests may involve using a small, thin swab (not an ‘umbrella’ or ‘scraper’!) to take a small amount of discharge from the penis, vagina or anus. It may be uncomfortable for a short while, but it shouldn’t be painful. Taking tests in this way helps us get a more accurate diagnosis.
Which symptoms of STIs should I look out for?
It’s quite possible to have an STI without experiencing any symptoms at all, which is why we recommend regular testing especially in between changes of sexual partner. Some common symptoms people might experience are:
- A new or unusual discharge from the genitals or anus
- Pain when passing urine (peeing)
- Vaginal discharge with lower abdominal pain
- Pain in the testicles
- Warts, blisters, sores or ulcers around the genitals or anus
- Any redness or swelling around the genitals
- A genital or more widespread rash