Treating sexually transmissible infections (STIs)

What questions will they ask you?
When seeing the doctor you will be asked questions about your general and sexual health. After finding out about your past medical history and about any drugs you're on, the doctor will usually ask about your current symptoms (if any), when you last had sex, and how many partners you've had in the last few months.

Women will be asked about their menstrual and pregnancy history, method of contraception used, date of last period, and whether there is any risk of pregnancy (which might affect what treatment you receive).

The doctor may briefly ask about oral or anal sex, and whether your partner(s) is/are male, female or both. Don't be embarrassed by this - the doctor is not trying to judge, but needs to know what conditions you may need to be screened for. In the UK, any necessary treatment is supplied free of charge without needing to pay for a prescription charge.

What test will they carry out?
A number of tests are carried out during a GUM screen. You will need to remove the clothes covering the lower half of your body, although if your skirt or dress is easy to pull up you can do so. Some clinics ask you to lie on a couch with your knees bent up and your feet apart, while others ask you to lie down and rest your knees over special supports, or put your feet in stirrups.

Although inelegant, this is not uncomfortable and you should relax as much as possible. If you prefer to see a doctor of a particular sex, do ask as this is often possible - even if you have to come back to another clinic session.

Firstly, the doctor will carefully examine your external genitals for any obvious signs such as discharge, redness, lumps or ulcers. This will also help to pick up other conditions such as infected hair follicles, pubic lice or even thread worms. Most doctors will also feel at the top of your legs to check for enlargement or tenderness of the lymph nodes in your groin.

Swabs: what happens and what are the doctors looking for?
If painful sores are present on the external genitals, a viral culture may be taken to look for Herpes simplex infection. In women, further tests will usually be postponed until after the sores have healed. This is for two reasons - firstly, inserting a speculum may be very painful, and secondly this may transfer viral infection further up the vagina to the cervix and is best avoided.

If a painless ulcer is present, discharge from the sore will be examined under the microscope to look for the spirochete bacteria (Treponema pallidum) that cause syphilis.