I have symptoms & I’m unsure what test to book
Then you must book a sexual health consultation with one of our doctors.
The consultation will last up to 30 minutes. During the consultation the doctor will:
Take a sexual history and carry out an examination if needed.
Advise and perform any STD blood tests or swabs needed.
If you have genital warts these can be treated during our genital warts initial appointment. See prices below.
I JUST WANT a sexual health check FOR PEACE OF MIND
If you know exactly which STD tests you want &
you have NO symptoms of an STD then book an appointment with our Health Care Assistant.
Alternatively you can order a HOME TEST KIT which is a discreet and cost effective alternative.
Sexual health tests are carried out via swab, urine or blood sample.
*In addition to the cost of your consultation or appointment, you will be charged for each individual test. Prices are below. These are also available in home test kits which is more cost effective.
How do I get my STD/STI results?
Whether you come to the clinic for your STI/STD tests or use our home STD test kits, your results will be processed by the doctor and will be shared with you in a secured email.
Some people prefer that their results are shared by phone. One of our staff members can call you and do that if agreed in advance.
If your result is positive, we will be in contact with you to recommend treatment and provide an electronic prescription when necessary.
In some cases you may need referred to a sexual health clinic or infectious diseases clinic. We can assist you with this and provide a referral letter where needed.
We can also telephone you with your results if preferred. Please let us know in advance.
PRICES OF STI/STD TESTS
The COMPLETE SEXUAL HEALTH SCREEN
Chlamydia + gonorrhoea +Mycoplasma genitalium+ Macrolide Resistance Test (M.gen)+ Ureaplasma+ Trichomonas + Gardnerella.
Swab or urine test
HIV + Hepatitis B +Hepatitis C + Syphilis.
Blood test
Perform >28 days after exposure
2 DAY TURN AROUND FROM ARRIVAL IN THE LAB
PRICE £310
TRIPLE sexual health test:
Gonorrhoea + Chlamydia + Trichomonas.
Swab or urine test.
Perform >14 days after exposure
Swabs are taken from the cervix (like a smear test) in women and from the end of the penis in men. Swabs are preferred if you have symptoms like discharge from the penis, redness or stinging on passing urine, and in women who have discharge or bleeding after intercourse.
2-3 DAY TURN AROUND FROM ARRIVAL IN THE LAB
Price £114
DOUBLE SEXUAL HEALTH
GONORRHOEA + CHLAMYDIA
Swab or Urine sample
Perform >14 days after exposure
This is taken as a swab from the cervix, end of penis, mouth or rectum. A urine test can also be performed however results are not as reliable.
2-3 DAY TURN AROUND FROM ARRIVAL IN THE LAB
PRICE £76
Quad Sexual health
HIV + Syphilis + FAST Gonorrhoea + Chlamydia
Blood and urine or swab sample
Perform >28 days after exposure
This is taken as a blood test for the HIV and syphilis, plus a swab or urine test for gonorrhoea and chlamydia.
1-2 DAY TURN AROUND FROM ARRIVAL IN THE LAB
Price £143.50
QUAD BLOOD Sexual health
HIV + Hepatitis B + Hepatitis C + Syphilis
Blood sample
Perform >28 days after exposure
Sometimes it is necessary to repeat the test after three months as the hepatitis viruses and syphilis can take longer to show in the blood test.
Price £120
Swab for sexual health
fungi and bacteria
Swab Sample
Can be taken any time if symptoms present
This is usually taken if a rash in the genital region has not cleared up with usual treatment, or for women with vaginal discharge that may NOT be an STD, it can pick up candida (thrush), bacterial vaginosis and Strep B.
Price £77
SWAB TEST for GENITAL ULCER
SYPHILIS AND HERPES I AND II
This is taken as a single swab from an ulcer or ulcers in the genital or anal region.
Ulcers caused by the herpes virus are often very painful, whereas ulcers caused by syphilis usually cause no pain. Herpes virus from cold sores on the mouth can be spread to the genitals ( penis, vulva and labia).
If Monkey Pox is suspected we recommend referral to a specialist for onward care
PRICE £118
GENITAL WART TREATMENT
You must book your initial Genital Warts consultation (£105). Following that, repeat appointments are discounted to £95.
Cryotherapy is used to treat genital warts by freezing them with liquid nitrogen or Histofreeze. The doctor applies the cold tip to the wart for 40 seconds. First, the tissue is frozen then the tissue is allowed to thaw.
PRICE £105
Frequently asked questions about STD’s/STI’s.
Could I Have A Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) But Not Have Any Symptoms?
The answer is yes.
How Soon Can I Have The STD Tests After The ‘Exposure’ Or Sexually Activity?
If this is your first possible exposure to a sexually transmitted infection (STI) but you have no symptoms then we would consider which STD’s you are at risk of having; this depends on your sexual practices.
High risk: this may due to sexual activity with a prostitute or men having sex with men where tthtere is a risk of HIV, hepatitis B/C and syphilis.
Working forward from the date of exposure we would do the blood test for HIV, hep B/C, after 28 days, but a swab for Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can be done from 14 days or sooner if you have symptoms such as stinging or pus from teh end of the penis.
Most tests can be done from 28 days onwards. But there is a chance of missing syphilis when tests are performed at day 28 ,as syphilis can take as long as three months to show in the blood. where tthere is any concern we would recommend repeating these blood tests for completeness.
In some cases it can also take longer for hepatitis viruses to ‘show’ in the blood stream so if the risk of exposure to something like hepatitis B or C is high we would repeat this in 1-2 months.
The laboratory can also perform a day 10 RAPID RNA test for HIV this is £170
If you are not concerned about a viral infection risk but think you have chlamydia or gonorrhoea due to symptoms then we would test immediately. The time from exposure to developing symptoms for bacterial infection is variable and can be up to 1-2 months. If you have symptoms such as stinging when passing urine, or discharge from the penis or vaginal canal then there is no reason to wait to take a sample.
Do I Have To Wait For The Results Before Getting Treatment For An STD/STI?
If your symptoms clearly show a certain sexually transmitted infection such as herpes, the doctor will treat you for this after taking a swab.
If it looks like genital warts this can be treated without any tests being made.
Similarly, if your symptoms suggest thrush (candida infection), also a common sexually transmitted infection, the doctor will treat you for this while waiting results of laboratory tests.
In some cases you may need to be referred to a sexual health consultant, this can be done privately or via the NHS to a Genito-urinary -medicine (GUM) clinic.
If you have had more than one known partner then the doctor will advise you to attend the GUM clinic (Genito-urinary medicine) with our medical letter to ensure that any sexual partners are contacted to get tested. This is called contact tracing and and is very important to limit the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
Is This The Same As A GUM (Genito-Urinary Medicine) Clinic?
GUM clinics are usually run by the NHS. There are many GUM clinics throughout Northern Ireland and you can actually ring-up yourself to make an appointment without seeing a doctor in advance.
STD screening tests will be performed as needed. The wait time for a GUM clinic appointment is currently 2-3 weeks. If you are worried about an infection then you can see Dr. Graham sooner- usually the same day or next to at least get an idea what might be going on. You do not have to have the STD blood tests done privately.
If you do decide to have STD tests done privately with Dr. Graham the results will remain confidential unless you wish your NHS GP to be aware of them also. In some cases, it may be vital that you also attend a GUM clinic if for example you have an infection like HIV, Hep B or C.
How are genital warts treated?
Genital warts can be treated at the Vitalis Health clinic in Belfast City Centre. Cryotherapy is used to treat genital warts by freezing them with liquid nitrogen. The doctor applies liquid nitrogen to and around the warts. First, the tissue is frozen then the tissue is allowed to thaw. The success rate for patients receiving treatment for genital warts by Cryotherapy is between 44% and 75%, after 6-10 weeks of treatment. The effectiveness of Cryotherapy depends upon various factors. They may include one or more of the following: The number of warts you have.
Your doctor may use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart. This treatment is called cryotherapy or cryosurgery. This is a two-step process that does not hurt the skin around the wart. Applying liquid nitrogen to the wart causes a little discomfort.
Why Choose Vitalis Health for Private STD tests in Northern Ireland?
All of our STD tests are administered with the utmost confidentiality and discretion. The results are reported and shared by Dr Graham. Your report will give clear instructions on their meaning, what to do next. We even report our bloods on the weekend when there is a abnormal result that requires immediate attention. Our patient reviews show how efficient, attentive, confidential and effective our care is. We are frequented by visitors from all over the world passing through Belfast City and from places all over Northern Ireland such as Lisburn, Antrim, Derry/Londonderry, Strabane, Omagh, Enniskillen, Armagh, Tyrone, Coleraine, Larne, Craigavon. We are an experienced team who want your time at Vitalis Health to feel important, seamless and a great experience.
If we get anything wrong we will aim to learn from this and improve our service further using our robust complaints procedure.