A full private STI screen in London, by a consultant sexual-health physician.
Indicative pricing
What a full private STI screen costs in London.
Indicative ranges across UK private providers.
In short
£220–£300, results in 24–48 hours.
| Panel | Indicative range | Typical duration | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic 4-panel screen (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia) | £150–£220 | 20 min | Same/next day |
| Standard 7-panel + hepatitis B and hepatitis C | £220–£300 | 25 min | 24–48 hours |
| Comprehensive 10-panel + M. genitalium + oral/rectal swabs | £300–£400 | 30 min | 48–72 hours |
| Rapid HIV point-of-care test | £90–£150 | 15 min | Same visit |
| Syphilis-only PCR / serology | £120–£180 | 15 min | 24–48 hours |
| Consultation only | £150–£300 | 20–30 min | Same visit |
Prices vary by clinic, by consultant, by the size of the panel (basic 4 to comprehensive 10), and by whether pharyngeal or rectal swabs and a rapid HIV test are added.
The problem
The right panel, at the right window, with a real clinician on the other side.
NHS sexual-health clinics are free but often booked out. Home postal kits are cheap but easy to misread. A private consultant screen closes both gaps - the right tests, at the right time, with treatment on the same visit.
-
Cannot get a GUM appointment?
Same-day and next-day slots across central London, evenings and Saturdays included. No two-week wait for a symptomatic screen.
-
Home kit was inconclusive?
A consultant reviews your history, takes the right samples from the right sites, and interprets the numbers alongside your exposures.
-
Worried about privacy?
Nothing is written to your NHS record unless you ask. No letters home. Discreet clinics and confidential partner notification.
When it helps
When a full private STI screen is the right step.
The situations we see most, plus the red flag that means urgent same-day clinical review - not a home postal test.
-
A new partner or a new relationship
A clean bill of health before things get serious - or before you stop using condoms. A standard first ask in London sexual-health clinics.
-
Symptoms - discharge, sores, pain
Urethral or vaginal discharge, dysuria, pelvic pain, ulcers or a rash on the palms and soles - see someone the same week, not in a fortnight.
-
Post-exposure worry
A condom that split, a partner who has told you they tested positive, or a one-off exposure you would like to close off with a proper test.
-
Pre-relationship or pre-condom-off screen
You and your partner both test before ditching barrier contraception. A standard 4- or 7-panel is usually enough for both of you.
-
Planning a pregnancy
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B before conception - a proper pre-pregnancy screen protects the baby, not just you.
-
Chemsex and higher-risk sex
Regular screening every three months for chemsex, group sex or condomless anal sex - with pharyngeal and rectal swabs, not just a urine test.
-
Needle-stick or occupational exposure
HIV, hepatitis B and C baseline and follow-up bloods after a needle-stick, tattoo or shared-equipment worry - timed to the right windows.
-
Red flag: genital ulcer or PID symptoms
A painful ulcer, fever with pelvic pain, testicular swelling or a rash on the palms and soles needs urgent clinical review - not a home test.
Tests included
Not all STI screens are the same test.
What each test actually looks for - and which infections need a swab, not a blood test or a urine sample.
-
4th-generation HIV (Ag/Ab)
Combined antigen and antibody blood test - the UK standard. Reliable from about 45 days after exposure; a rapid point-of-care version reads in 15 minutes.
-
Syphilis serology (TPPA / RPR)
Treponemal and non-treponemal blood tests. Reliable from around 12 weeks post-exposure; PCR can be used on an active ulcer earlier.
-
Chlamydia / gonorrhoea NAAT (urine)
Nucleic acid amplification on a first-catch urine or vulvo-vaginal swab. Reliable from 2 weeks after exposure - the workhorse of any panel.
-
Pharyngeal and rectal swabs
NAAT swabs of the throat and rectum for oral and receptive anal sex. Miss these and you miss most gonorrhoea and chlamydia in men who have sex with men.
-
Hepatitis B surface antigen
HBsAg for active infection, plus core and surface antibody for immunity - important before vaccination, pregnancy or higher-risk exposure.
-
Hepatitis C antibody
Anti-HCV screening, with reflex HCV RNA if positive. Window period up to 12 weeks - repeat testing is planned into the follow-up.
-
HSV serology and swab
Type-specific HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies for asymptomatic screening; direct swab of any lesion for PCR when a sore is present.
-
Mycoplasma genitalium NAAT
A common cause of persistent urethritis and cervicitis, often missed by 4-panel screens. Added to the comprehensive 10-panel with resistance testing when relevant.
Safety and accuracy
What to know before you test - honestly.
STI testing is safe, quick and low-risk. The things worth planning are timing (window periods), which sites need swabbing, and what happens if a result comes back positive.
-
Window periods matter
Testing too early misses infection - 45 days for 4th-gen HIV, 2 weeks for chlamydia and gonorrhoea NAAT, 12 weeks for hepatitis C and syphilis. We time the panel to your exposure.
-
False negatives and sensitivity
Modern NAAT and 4th-gen HIV tests are 95–99% sensitive at the right window, but no test is perfect. Persistent symptoms after a negative result deserve a re-test or a swab, not reassurance.
-
Sensitivity, specificity and reflex testing
A reactive syphilis or HCV screen is confirmed with a second, more specific test on the same sample - one positive number is a flag, not a diagnosis.
-
Contact tracing and partner notification
For a positive test we help notify current and recent partners - either by you, by the clinic, or anonymously through provider referral. It is confidential and it is the right thing to do.
-
Treatment failure and re-testing
Test-of-cure at 3–5 weeks for pharyngeal gonorrhoea and M. genitalium, and re-screening at 3 months to catch reinfection - because reinfection is common, not rare.
-
Vaccination catch-up
A screen is also a chance to check HPV and hepatitis B vaccination. HPV is offered up to 45 in some settings; hepatitis B is standard for higher-risk exposures.
-
Reproductive impact
Untreated chlamydia and gonorrhoea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal damage and infertility. A screen every year with a new partner is a fertility investment as well as a sexual-health one.
-
Confidentiality and your NHS record
Private results stay private - nothing is written to your NHS record unless you ask. HIV and hepatitis positives are notifiable to UKHSA in aggregate, without your name.
-
Red flags - do not wait
A painful genital ulcer, fever with pelvic pain, testicular swelling, jaundice or a rash on the palms and soles needs same-day review - head to a GUM clinic or A&E if you cannot be seen quickly.
Reading your results report
Your results report in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whichever panel was run, the report the consultant sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Lab language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the report before your follow-up, just ask.
- 01 Header
Indication and panel tested
Why the screen was done - new partner, symptoms, exposure, routine - and exactly which infections were tested and by which method.
- 02 Technique
Samples taken and window timing
Blood draw, urine, and any pharyngeal, rectal or vaginal swabs. Dates of exposure and whether each test was taken inside its reliable window.
- 03 Findings
Results with reference ranges
Each infection reported clearly - negative, reactive or positive - with reference ranges for HIV Ag/Ab, syphilis serology and hepatitis markers.
- 04 Impression
Plan, treatment and next steps
Read this first: what the results mean in plain English, any treatment prescribed, partner notification advice, and when to be re-tested.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Cover for STI screening is variable - some policies include it for symptoms, most do not for asymptomatic screening.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about a private STI screen.
Quick answers on panels, window periods, timing, confidentiality, examinations and cost versus NHS.
-
What is included in a full private STI screen?
Our basic 4-panel covers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia - the BASHH minimum. The standard 7-panel adds hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The comprehensive 10-panel adds HSV, trichomonas, Mycoplasma genitalium and pharyngeal or rectal swabs where relevant. The consultant matches the panel to your history, not the price list.
-
What are the window periods - how soon after exposure can I test?
4th-generation HIV (antigen and antibody) is reliable from about 45 days after exposure; a rapid point-of-care HIV from around 4 weeks. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea NAAT from 2 weeks. Syphilis serology and hepatitis C from about 12 weeks. If you test earlier you may need to repeat the test at the right window - we plan this in.
-
How soon after an exposure should I actually be tested?
For an urgent worry - condom split with a partner of unknown status, sexual assault, needle-stick - see someone the same day about PEP (which has to start within 72 hours). Otherwise book a baseline screen at 2 weeks for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and a repeat at 45 days for HIV and 12 weeks for syphilis and hepatitis C.
-
Are the results and my visit discreet and confidential?
Yes. Clinics are discreet, appointments are named on your terms, and partner notification, if it becomes relevant, is handled confidentially through provider referral if you prefer.
-
Do I need a physical examination for a private STI screen?
For an asymptomatic screen, usually no - a blood draw, urine sample and self-taken swabs are enough. If you have symptoms - discharge, sores, pelvic or testicular pain, a rash - a focused clinician examination is part of the appointment so the right swabs are taken from the right places.
-
How does private cost compare to the NHS route?
NHS sexual-health (GUM) clinics are free and are the right route if you have symptoms and can be seen quickly. In practice, London waits, limited appointment slots and geographic gaps push many people private. Our indicative ranges are £150–£220 for a basic 4-panel, up to £300–£400 for the comprehensive 10-panel with same-visit consultant review.