- Is sex your job? In that case, you can get an STI
- Get yourself tested for STIs twice a year for free
- You can get the test at your doctor’s office. Or for free at the municipal health service (GGD)
- Do you have symptoms or have you had sex without a condom? Then get tested extra
- Do you have an STI? In that case, you will get medicine. You can go back to work after that
When to get tested
Get tested
- If you have symptoms that could indicate an STI. Read about the symptoms of STIs at soaaids.nl
- If you have had sex with someone who has an STI.
It is a good idea to get tested for STIs twice a year, even if you have no symptoms. You can do this for free at the GGD.
You can also go to your GP for an STI test. A visit to your GP is free, but you will have to pay for the tests through your health insurance.
Should you get an STI test?
Do you want to know if you might have an STI? Just answer a few questions. We will send your our recommendations.
Where to get tested
You can get an STI test at these places:
- The outpatient clinic of the municipal health service (GGD). This is free.
- Sometimes, the municipal health service (GGD) comes to where you work.
- Your doctor or GP
You can also self-test for STIs. It’s also called an at-home test.
At the municipal health service (GGD)
You can get tested for HIV and other STIs for free at the outpatient clinic of the municipal health service (GGD). There are special walk-in clinics for sex workers.
Find a sex worker walk-in clinic near you
At your doctor’s office
You can also get an STI test at your doctor’s office. The doctor will keep the results of your STI test, but can’t talk about them to anyone else or share the results with anyone else. The doctor can only do so if you give your permission.
A visit to your doctor’s office is free. But you will have to pay your health insurer for the tests. Sometimes you have to pay in full and sometimes only part of the costs. Have you already used up your health insurance deductible? Then you won’t have to pay for the tests.
At work
Sometimes, the municipal health service (GGD) comes to where you work. For example, clubs or places where workers have a window. You can get a free test straight away. And you don’t have to make an appointment.
Do you want to know if the municipal health service (GGD) comes to where you work? Check with your workplace.
Self-test for STIs
Would you rather not go to the doctor? You can also do a self-test. You can buy a self-test online and test yourself. You also have to pay for it yourself. Then you send the test to the lab. They will check whether you have an STI. You can find the results on the website where you bought the test. Do you have an STI? You can often get medicine through the same website.
Do you have symptoms? Then you shouldn’t do a self-test. Go to your doctor or the municipal health service (GGD).
Not all self-tests are reliable. Read about where you can order a good self-test
Getting an STI test
First, you will have a consultation with your doctor or nurse. They will ask you questions about your symptoms and your sex life. Tell them that sex is your job. And whether anything happened during your work that might have caused you to contract an STI. This will help the doctor determine which tests you need.
Do you have any symptoms? If so, the doctor will also examine your body.
- The doctor will use a cotton swab to take a sample of mucus from your throat. Sometimes you can do this yourself.
- The doctor will prick your arm with a needle and take a blood sample
- You will insert a cotton swab into your anus yourself
- Do you have a vagina? You take some fluid from your vagina using a cotton swab. For some symptoms, the doctor will do this for you.
- Do you have a penis? You give a urine sample
- Are you a trans man or trans woman? Sometimes, getting an STI test is a bit different. Read more about an STI test for transgender people
The lab checks whether you have HIV or a different STI. You usually get the results within one week.
If you have an STI
Does the test show that you have an STI?
- You will receive medication from the doctor. The symptoms will usually disappear quickly. Read more about STIs and the treatment
- Sometimes it is necessary to tell the people you have had sex with that you have an STI. Check whether that is necessary for the STI you have
- This will give your body time to recover. And you can be sure that the STI is gone. How long you should wait depends on the STI. Check this for the STI you have.
Get three free Hepatitis B vaccinations
Hepatitis B is an STI that can make you very ill. Get a free Hepatitis B vaccination at the municipal health service (GGD). Then you can’t get this disease.
