What to look out for

The most common STIs are:

Syphilis

HIV

Gonorrhea

Chlamydia

There are many online resources to shed more light on what the diseases above are and what are the usual symptoms.

Most of the above diseases are asymptomatic though and do not show symptoms. The only way to find out for sure if you have an infection is to get tested. We hope this article will provide more information on where to go for testing and what to expect in general.

Where to go

Social Hygiene Clinics

Social Hygiene Clinics usually offers testing for a range of STIs. This might include blood tests and also Gram Stain tests. There might be a small fee to do the test but it’s usually quite affordable (PhP 50 - PhP 300). Best to check on the details by contacting the Social Hygiene Clinic you plan to go to beforehand.

Love Yourself Clinics

Love Yourself Clinics usually offers blood tests for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis. The tests are done for free. Certain clinics only offer blood test for HIV and Hepatitis B.

The clinics also offer free treatments for HIV.

What to expect

Social Hygiene Clinic:

You'll be led to a counseling / consultation office where you’ll be asked to fill up a form and will be asked why you’re there (are you experiencing any unusual symptoms, did you engage in an intimate act recently, etc.)

The counselor will recommend what tests would need to be done.

You do the test and wait for the results.

After getting the results, you go back to the counselor to discuss it. This is an important step so that your results are read correctly. These clinics also usually offer medicine (most of the time, for free) so this step is crucial to getting you the help you need.

Love Yourself Clinic:

You’ll be given a form to fill up to register and give you an assigned number to identify you. They will not call out your name in public.

You’ll then be asked to go to the waiting room to have your blood taken. Sometimes they conduct a seminar on HIV during this time.

They get your blood and then you wait for the results.

When your results are ready, your assigned number will be called by a counselor. You’ll be led to a private room with the counselor offering some emotional support before giving your results in an envelope. They give you the discretion of looking at your results with the counselor or on your own.