I am trans, intersex or gender-diverse: can I come to M Clinic for my testing?
M Clinic is funded to provide services to those currently identifying as a man, trans-man, trans-woman or a non-binary person, who have sex with other men, trans-men, trans-women and/or non-binary people.
Our service has evolved to become one that host clients of diverse sexuality and gender, however we will not ask of your sexuality on our intake forms because we understand that sexuality evolves over time and differs for every person. Rather, we will ask about who you have sex with to ascertain your eligibility to access the service. We do, however, ask about assigned gender at birth, current identifying gender, and if you are intersex. We also ask if you’ve had bottom surgery if you are a trans-person. This is because we want to ensure we order the right investigations for your sexual health test.
If you are unsure if you are eligible to attend M Clinic or would like information about sexual health services, please call us on 9227 0734.
I am a (cisgender) man who has sex with (cisgender) women only: can I come to M Clinic for my testing?
I am a (cisgender) women who has sex with (cisgender) men only: can I come to M Clinic for my testing?
We are a specialised service, and so we might not be able to give the appropriate care to you. We only provide STI and blood-borne virus screening at this service and do not have the capacity to provide reproductive health services. For more information on sexual health and reproductive services, please call us on 92270734.
I am leaving Perth/WA within the next week, should I still get a test here?
It takes approximately a week to get results back from the laboratory from any testing we do, and as such if you are not going to be in the Perth/WA region when these results come back, it may be difficult to provide treatment for any positive results. If you are going away interstate or overseas, or work FIFO (Fly in, Fly out), please call us on 9227 0734 to discuss testing options.
How often should I test?
The more sex you have the more you need to test.
In addition, we are seeing a rapid increase in infectious syphilis with men-who-have-sex-with-men, Aboriginal people, homeless people and women of childbearing age in the Perth Metro Area. Infectious syphilis can spread through anal sex (with or without condoms), oral sex and vaginal sex. Having anonymous sex increases your risk of acquiring infectious syphilis.
A good rule of thumb is to test every 3-6 months but this can vary depending on your situation.
1) If you regularly have anal sex or oral sex without condoms it is advised to test every 3 months.
2) If you always use condoms when you have anal sex, then frequency of testing depends on the number of sex partners you have. Here is a general guide:
a. Have a test after you have had sex with 10 different partners
b. Have a test if someone you have had sex with tests positive to an STI
c. Have a test if you notice the following symptoms:
i. Milky or clear discharge from your penis and/or
ii. Pain or discomfort when you urinate
I am trans, intersex or gender-diverse: can I come to M Clinic for my testing?
M Clinic is funded to provide services to those currently identifying as a man, trans-man, trans-woman or a non-binary person, who have sex with other men, trans-men, trans-women and/or non-binary people.
Our service has evolved to become one that host clients of diverse sexuality and gender, however we will not ask of your sexuality on our intake forms because we understand that sexuality evolves over time and differs for every person. Rather, we will ask about who you have sex with to ascertain your eligibility to access the service. We do, however, ask about assigned gender at birth, current identifying gender, and if you are intersex. We also ask if you’ve had bottom surgery if you are a trans-person. This is because we want to ensure we order the right investigations for your sexual health test.
If you are unsure if you are eligible to attend M Clinic or would like information about sexual health services, please call us on 9227 0734.
I am a (cisgender) man who has sex with (cisgender) women only: can I come to M Clinic for my testing?
I am a (cisgender) women who has sex with (cisgender) men only: can I come to M Clinic for my testing?
We are a specialised service, and so we might not be able to give the appropriate care to you. We only provide STI and blood-borne virus screening at this service and do not have the capacity to provide reproductive health services. For more information on sexual health and reproductive services, please call us on 92270734.
I am leaving Perth/WA within the next week, should I still get a test here?
It takes approximately a week to get results back from the laboratory from any testing we do, and as such if you are not going to be in the Perth/WA region when these results come back, it may be difficult to provide treatment for any positive results. If you are going away interstate or overseas, or work FIFO (Fly in, Fly out), please call us on 9227 0734 to discuss testing options.
How often should I test?
The more sex you have the more you need to test.
In addition, we are seeing a rapid increase in infectious syphilis with men-who-have-sex-with-men, Aboriginal people, homeless people and women of childbearing age in the Perth Metro Area. Infectious syphilis can spread through anal sex (with or without condoms), oral sex and vaginal sex. Having anonymous sex increases your risk of acquiring infectious syphilis.
A good rule of thumb is to test every 3-6 months but this can vary depending on your situation.
1) If you regularly have anal sex or oral sex without condoms it is advised to test every 3 months.
2) If you always use condoms when you have anal sex, then frequency of testing depends on the number of sex partners you have. Here is a general guide:
a. Have a test after you have had sex with 10 different partners
b. Have a test if someone you have had sex with tests positive to an STI
c. Have a test if you notice the following symptoms:
i. Milky or clear discharge from your penis and/or
ii. Pain or discomfort when you urinate
I am a (cisgender) women who has sex with (cisgender) men only: can I come to M Clinic for my testing?
We are a specialised service, and so we might not be able to give the appropriate care to you. We only provide STI and blood-borne virus screening at this service and do not have the capacity to provide reproductive health services. For more information on sexual health and reproductive services, please call us on 92270734.
I am leaving Perth/WA within the next week, should I still get a test here?
It takes approximately a week to get results back from the laboratory from any testing we do, and as such if you are not going to be in the Perth/WA region when these results come back, it may be difficult to provide treatment for any positive results. If you are going away interstate or overseas, or work FIFO (Fly in, Fly out), please call us on 9227 0734 to discuss testing options.
How often should I test?
The more sex you have the more you need to test.
In addition, we are seeing a rapid increase in infectious syphilis with men-who-have-sex-with-men, Aboriginal people, homeless people and women of childbearing age in the Perth Metro Area. Infectious syphilis can spread through anal sex (with or without condoms), oral sex and vaginal sex. Having anonymous sex increases your risk of acquiring infectious syphilis.
A good rule of thumb is to test every 3-6 months but this can vary depending on your situation.
1) If you regularly have anal sex or oral sex without condoms it is advised to test every 3 months.
2) If you always use condoms when you have anal sex, then frequency of testing depends on the number of sex partners you have. Here is a general guide:
a. Have a test after you have had sex with 10 different partners
b. Have a test if someone you have had sex with tests positive to an STI
c. Have a test if you notice the following symptoms:
i. Milky or clear discharge from your penis and/or
ii. Pain or discomfort when you urinate
How often should I test?
The more sex you have the more you need to test.
In addition, we are seeing a rapid increase in infectious syphilis with men-who-have-sex-with-men, Aboriginal people, homeless people and women of childbearing age in the Perth Metro Area. Infectious syphilis can spread through anal sex (with or without condoms), oral sex and vaginal sex. Having anonymous sex increases your risk of acquiring infectious syphilis.
A good rule of thumb is to test every 3-6 months but this can vary depending on your situation.
1) If you regularly have anal sex or oral sex without condoms it is advised to test every 3 months.
2) If you always use condoms when you have anal sex, then frequency of testing depends on the number of sex partners you have. Here is a general guide:
a. Have a test after you have had sex with 10 different partners
b. Have a test if someone you have had sex with tests positive to an STI
c. Have a test if you notice the following symptoms:
i. Milky or clear discharge from your penis and/or
ii. Pain or discomfort when you urinate
What is involved in a test?
You will be welcomed at reception, after which you would update any of your contact details and complete a Self-Collected Risk Assessment on one of the iPads supplied to you. Once you’ve completed that, either a nurse or doctor.
The nurse will ask questions on your sexual history including the number of partners you have sex with within a given time frame, the type of sexual activity, use of condoms and other HIV risk mitigation strategies. The nurse will also ask question on your medical history, allergies and any medications that you’re taking (recreational or medicinal). The nurse will ask about STI history elsewhere so it’s handy to have that information on hand prior to attending.
At the M Clinic we ensure that informed consent in gathered before testing you for STIs. This is done through a detailed discussion to ensure that you understand the basics of each STI, including risk mitigation strategies to prevent them. STIs that are tested for at the M Clinic include:
- HIV
- Syphilis
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhoea
- Hepatitis A (immunity)
- Hepatitis B (immunity)
- Hepatitis C
Please note that Herpes is not routinely tested for unless there is symptoms because serological testing isn’t as sensitive as other STI tests.
We collect specimens that also depend on the type of sexual activity that you engage in. Samples that can be collected include
- (Venous) blood
- Urine Sample
- Throat Swab
- Rectal Swab
- Self-Collected Lower Vaginal Swab
- Lesion Swabs
After gaining informed consent and collecting specimens, we inform you of the results procedure. For asymptomatic clients, there is a ‘No News is Good News’ Policy. We also let you know that any positive result must be notified to Communicable Disease Control so they can track STI patterns in the Perth Metro Area. Then you’re on your way!
What Should I Do If I Have Symptoms?
Most Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) can cause symptoms. Sometimes people don’t experience any symptoms when they have an STI, and sometimes symptoms we think are being caused by an STI are in fact not related at all!
Some common symptoms of STIs include:
• Discharge from your penis or rectum or vagina
• Pain when you urinate
• Lumps or sores on or around your penis or rectum or vagina
• Rash on your groin or around your rectum or your vagina
• Rash on your hands, feet or torso
If you have symptoms it is important to seek medical advice.
Who can help me with my symptoms?
• M Clinic
• Your General Practitioner
• Sexual Health Clinics
M Clinic
If you have STI symptoms and would like to come to the M Clinic for a consultation, please call to book an appointment.
GP & Sexual Health Clinics
If you are unable to make an appointment at the M Clinic, it is best to call your General Practitioner or another sexual health clinic.
Other sexual health clinics can be found here.
What is involved in a test?
You will be welcomed at reception, after which you would update any of your contact details and complete a Self-Collected Risk Assessment on one of the iPads supplied to you. Once you’ve completed that, either a nurse or doctor.
The nurse will ask questions on your sexual history including the number of partners you have sex with within a given time frame, the type of sexual activity, use of condoms and other HIV risk mitigation strategies. The nurse will also ask question on your medical history, allergies and any medications that you’re taking (recreational or medicinal). The nurse will ask about STI history elsewhere so it’s handy to have that information on hand prior to attending.
At the M Clinic we ensure that informed consent in gathered before testing you for STIs. This is done through a detailed discussion to ensure that you understand the basics of each STI, including risk mitigation strategies to prevent them. STIs that are tested for at the M Clinic include:
- HIV
- Syphilis
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhoea
- Hepatitis A (immunity)
- Hepatitis B (immunity)
- Hepatitis C
Please note that Herpes is not routinely tested for unless there is symptoms because serological testing isn’t as sensitive as other STI tests.
We collect specimens that also depend on the type of sexual activity that you engage in. Samples that can be collected include
- (Venous) blood
- Urine Sample
- Throat Swab
- Rectal Swab
- Self-Collected Lower Vaginal Swab
- Lesion Swabs
After gaining informed consent and collecting specimens, we inform you of the results procedure. For asymptomatic clients, there is a ‘No News is Good News’ Policy. We also let you know that any positive result must be notified to Communicable Disease Control so they can track STI patterns in the Perth Metro Area. Then you’re on your way!
What Should I Do If I Have Symptoms?
Most Sexually Transmissible Infections (STIs) can cause symptoms. Sometimes people don’t experience any symptoms when they have an STI, and sometimes symptoms we think are being caused by an STI are in fact not related at all!
Some common symptoms of STIs include:
• Discharge from your penis or rectum or vagina
• Pain when you urinate
• Lumps or sores on or around your penis or rectum or vagina
• Rash on your groin or around your rectum or your vagina
• Rash on your hands, feet or torso
If you have symptoms it is important to seek medical advice.
Who can help me with my symptoms?
• M Clinic
• Your General Practitioner
• Sexual Health Clinics
M Clinic
If you have STI symptoms and would like to come to the M Clinic for a consultation, please call to book an appointment.
GP & Sexual Health Clinics
If you are unable to make an appointment at the M Clinic, it is best to call your General Practitioner or another sexual health clinic.
Other sexual health clinics can be found here.
Do you charge fees for your visits?
We charge a $20 administration fee for most appointments with the nurse. If you are low income or can’t afford it we will waive the fee for you. For more information please click here.
If you are seeing the doctor you will be charged a larger fee, of which you get a Medicare rebate and are only $20 out-of-pocket. The doctor will only bulk-bill you at their discretion. For more information on doctor fees please click here.
Is there any free parking around the clinic?
Street parking immediately around the clinic is free only after 6pm for our Wednesday and Thursday evening clinics.
There is free car parking behind City West for 2 hours, which is about a 10 minute walk from the clinic.
Alternatively, you can park elsewhere in the city and catch the free Yellow or Green CAT.
For more information on our new location please click here.
Is there any free parking around the clinic?
Street parking immediately around the clinic is free only after 6pm for our Wednesday and Thursday evening clinics.
There is free car parking behind City West for 2 hours, which is about a 10 minute walk from the clinic.
Alternatively, you can park elsewhere in the city and catch the free Yellow or Green CAT.
For more information on our new location please click here.
I want to have a completely confidential test. How do I do that?
We do not offer completely confidential tests, nor does any health service.
We do need to collect two forms of identification (preferably a mobile number and email address) so that in the case of a positive result or follow-up we will contact you. Failure for us to contact you following a positive result will involve the Communicable Disease Control Directorate attempting to contact you instead.
If you wish to provide a pseudonym you can do so – you just have to remember the pseudonym each time you visit. We also offer testing without Medicare. We accept cash for appointments as well as card.
I want to have a completely confidential test. How do I do that?
We do not offer completely confidential tests, nor does any health service.
We do need to collect two forms of identification (preferably a mobile number and email address) so that in the case of a positive result or follow-up we will contact you. Failure for us to contact you following a positive result will involve the Communicable Disease Control Directorate attempting to contact you instead.
If you wish to provide a pseudonym you can do so – you just have to remember the pseudonym each time you visit. We also offer testing without Medicare. We accept cash for appointments as well as card.
