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How often should gay male sex workers test for HIV and STI

Hi

That is a difficult question to answer because it depends on the ways a person has sex, whether condoms are used and if there have been any problems with condoms breaking or falling off.

If condoms are used, and there have not been any problems with them, we recommend that gay male sex workers get routine testing for STIs and HIV every three months.

Testing should be done sooner if there are any symptoms of STIs such as discharge, burning, pain when you urinate, sores or bumps,

You may also want to get tested sooner if a condom breaks, falls off or is not used.

Each test has a different ‘window’ or time between when a person gets an infection and when it will show up on a test.

Check out our ‘STIs at A Glance’  to determine what the best timing is for different STI tests. 

Please leave a comment to let us know if this answers your question or if you need more information. You can also chat with a nurse when we are online.

Health Nurse

For other readers, please feel free to leave a comment, or let us know if this was helpful.