HealthInfo Aoraki South Canterbury

Sexual Health Clinic

Pokapū Hauora Aitanga

The Sexual Health Clinic is for people needing tests, treatment, and follow-up for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and associated genital or urinary problems. Healthcare at the Sexual Health Clinic is confidential.

All services are free if you're eligible for free or subsidised healthcare in New Zealand.

Even if you aren't eligible, the screening and treatment of most STIs is still free. Ask the Sexual Health Clinic if you'll be charged for treatment.

Making an appointment

You need to make an appointment before going to the clinic.

• To make an appointment, phone (03) 687-2320.
• The clinic is at Timaru Hospital, corner of Queen and High Streets. Go through the main entrance to the hospital then turn right into the Outpatients Department.

To make sure everything goes well at your visit, please:

• phone to let the clinic know if you cannot make it to your appointment
• follow any instructions for taking your treatment
• come to any follow-up appointments
• do not pass urine (wee) for at least two hours before your appointment
• let the clinic know how they should or shouldn't contact you
• ask the doctor or nurse if there is something you want to know
• let the clinic know if there is something about your visit that isn't quite right, so they can look at how to make it better.

Please be on time. If you're late for your appointment, you might have to wait until somebody can see you, or you might have to make another appointment.

When you arrive, the receptionist will assign you a clinic number and record your name and other contact details. They will ask you to take a seat in the waiting area until you can see a doctor or nurse.

You may want your partner or support person to come along with you. Just be aware that you may need to discuss personal information in your consultation with the doctor or nurse.

During your consultation

The doctor or nurse will first ask about what is worrying you. They will also ask some questions to find out what is likely to have caused the thing that is worrying you. These questions can be intimate and about your sex life but aren't meant to embarrass or upset you. You might find some of these questions a bit difficult, but the answers can help the doctor or nurse decide what is the best way to treat your problem. It's your choice how much information you share.

With your consent (meaning you'll be asked if it's OK), the doctor or nurse will examine you and do any tests you need. If required, the clinic can provide another health professional to be with you during the examination. Generally, the clinic tests everyone for gonorrhoea, chlamydia and other bacterial infections, and for syphilis and HIV. HIV and syphilis tests are simple blood tests. Gonorrhoea, chlamydia and other bacterial infection tests are urine (wee), or swabs.

If you want, the clinic can code your test results to make sure no one can see your name on them.

The clinic can do some tests while you wait, others take up to five working days for results. The clinic will try to contact you if a test is positive or needs repeating, so please check your contact details at every visit. If you would rather phone for results, you will need to quote the clinic number you got from the receptionist.

Treatment

You can get condoms for free from the clinic – just ask for them.

You may get pills, cream, or injections to treat your condition. The doctor or nurse will tell you how to take or use any medication and put it in writing. Sometimes they will give you a prescription to take to a chemist. You do not have to pay for treatments that you get while you're at the clinic.

Your recent sexual partners will often need to be contacted and treated at the same time. The clinic can help you with this.

Follow-up

You may need to return for another appointment. This is usually to make sure that the treatment has cured your infection, or for further treatment and advice. If you miss a follow-up appointment, the clinic may phone you.

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers and the Christchurch Hospital Sexual Health Clinic. Last reviewed August 2022.

Page reference: 34909

Review key: HISHC-21685