Free Home Testing for HIV & Syphilis
HIV and syphilis test kits are available to people from certain areas in England. Depending on your eligibility there are 2 options for HIV testing.
A rapid self-test gives you an immediate result. You do the test yourself and then let us know the result.
With the lab test, you take a blood sample yourself and post it to a lab. We’ll text you when your result is ready. If it’s available in your area, we can test the same sample for syphilis.
Click Here to order your test
What is HIV?
HIV stands for ‘human immunodeficiency virus’. It is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. In the UK, it is most commonly transmitted by having anal or vaginal sex without a condom.
‘Immunodeficiency’ refers to the damage caused to your immune system by the virus. Your immune system exists to fight infections and diseases. HIV makes your immune system weaker, so it is less able to protect you from illness and keep you well.
HIV can be treated by taking antiretroviral medication. Though it cannot be completely cured, effective treatment means you can live a long healthy life. If you start treatment early, after a few months you should have the virus under control. This means that you cannot transmit HIV to other people through sexual contact.
National guidelines recommend that people who are at risk of HIV infection should test regularly. A late diagnosis of HIV means the virus has had more time to weaken your immune system. An early diagnosis allows you to start treatment early.
Free HIV testing and treatment is available from the NHS to anyone in the UK.
What is syphilis?
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that can be caught by having sex (vaginal, anal or oral) with someone who has early stage syphilis. The ulcers may be painless and hidden so the person or their partner might not know that the ulcer is present. Syphilis may be passed from mother to child during pregnancy and all pregnant women are routinely tested for syphilis.
Syphilis is effectively treated with antibiotics and transmission from mother to child can be prevented by effective treatment. If left untreated, syphilis can lead to serious and life threatening consequences although these may take many years to develop.
Symptoms of syphilis
There are three stages of syphilis infection and treatment can be started at any stage but the sooner the better.
Early syphilis
The first syphilis symptoms appear between 10 days and 3 months after you come into contact with the infection:
- painless, red sore(s) at the site of the infection (usually on the penis, vagina or vulva, around the anus or in the mouth). These ulcers or sores typically heal about 2 to 8 weeks after they first appear, and may not be noticed if they are not causing any discomfort and are in a difficult place to see
- swollen glands in the neck, armpits or groin.
Untreated primary syphilis may progress to secondary syphilis.
Secondary syphilis
Symptoms of the second stage of syphilis will appear in about 25% of people a few weeks after the symptoms of primary syphilis disappear.
These symptoms are highly variable, they may be mild, go unnoticed and will disappear without treatment:
- blotchy red skin rash, sometimes on the palms of hands or soles of the feet
- white patches in the mouth
- both men and women may get wart-like growths near their anus, women may also find these on their vulva
- patches of hair loss
- symptoms similar to flu; headache, tiredness, achy joints and a temperature.
Latent syphilis
During the latent stage of syphilis most people have no symptoms.
Late syphilis
Untreated syphilis can cause serious health problems in the later stages. The infection can damage the heart, nervous system, brain and bones. People who develop late syphilis may go on to have strokes, meningitis, dementia, loss of coordination, numbness, blindness, heart attacks or heart failure.
You can also give us a call to book your test in clinic by calling 0191 4028168