How long will I test positive for an STI after treatment?

Some people may think once they get treated for an STI, they don’t have to worry anymore.

This isn’t always true.

While most medications to treat STIs are highly effective and safe, they won’t rid you of your infection the moment you swallow a pill or take an injection.

We often hear from patients on our phone lines about concerns surrounding whether they’ll test positive for an infection even after they’ve been treated.

How does this work? Let’s get into it.

Don’t leave your sexual health to chance. Protect yourself and those you care about with a comprehensive sexual health test at a sexual health clinic near you.

What are STIs?

Understanding what STIs are and how they function helps to understand how you may approach post-treatment testing.

STIs are infections that most people get from unprotected sex and other sexual activities. This can include vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, and sharing sex toys.

Unprotected sex increases infection risk, but infections can still occur with condoms or dental dams as they don’t cover all genital areas. (No method of contraception is a 100% guarantee against unwanted pregnancies and STIs.)

Most STIs are symptomless, making them hard to detect. When symptoms do appear, they can be mistaken for less serious conditions and go untreated. Untreated STIs can cause serious health issues like ectopic pregnancies, fertility problems, cancer susceptibility, immunity issues, and damage to major organs.

So, it’s important to treat STIs as soon as you find out you have one. This can be done with a comprehensive STI screen.

How are STIs treated?

Once you know that you have an STI, you can get treated for it.

The treatment you receive will depend on the infection you have. Some STIs can be completely cured. Bacterial infections like Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and Syphilis can be treated and cleared with antibiotics.

Viral infections, like HIV and Hepatitis B, on the other hand, can’t be cured. However, these infections can be managed with the right care and medication.

Can I test positive for an STI even after being treated?

You can indeed test positive for an STI even after you’ve been treated for it.

What testing positive may mean for you will depend on the infection being treated.

For a bacterial infection like Chlamydia, the body needs a certain amount of time once medication is administered to clear the infection. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that most people get retested for infections like Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and Trichomonas three months after treatment to confirm that the infection has been cured.

People with HIV or Hepatitis B often get regular viral load tests to monitor their condition and assess the risk of transmission. These tests are crucial for guiding treatment and understanding the infection’s progression.

How long will it take to test negative after treatment?

If the infection can be cured, retesting should show a negative result several weeks or months after treatment. Your doctor will provide a timeline for retesting.

Retesting is crucial; if you test positive again or have symptoms after treatment, you may need to speak to your doctor about different medications.

How long do I need to wait before I have sex?

Wait for a negative test result before resuming sexual activity. Your Better2Know doctor will advise on the treatment timeline and when you can safely resume.

Final thoughts

Sexual activity carries some risk, so it’s important to protect your sexual health.

If you’re worried about STI exposure or want to protect your sexual health, contact Better2Know. Our Patient Services team can guide you and recommend the right STI screen.

To book an STI test, click the button below to find a nearby clinic.

Your sexual health is important – protect it with a comprehensive sexual health test with Better2Know.