Do they put a giant Q-tip up your dick?

Do they really stick a giant q-tip up your dick to test for STIs?

There’s lots of horror stories out there about STI testing! But most of these are just urban myths. There’s different ways to test for different STIs.  Most often it is just a urine (wee) test, however occasionally they may need to  take a swab from the tip of the penis. To take a swab, the doctor or nurse will either give you a small cotton bud like swab to do it yourself, or gently place the tip of the swab about 3-5mm down the opening of your penis.  Some less common infections such as syphilis, hepatitis or HIV need a blood test.

The doctor or nurse will always treat you with respect and ask you for your permission before they do any tests. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.

These tests get sent away to a lab to check whether or not you have an STI. If you do have an STI, the doctor or nurse will contact you to offer you treatment. Most STIs are easy to cure with antibiotics (pills) or creams.