I had a STD test done one week after unprotected sex, it was negative, do I need to follow up with another test?

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I had a STD test done one week after unprotected sex, it was negative, do I need to follow up with another test?

Hi,

Thanks for writing.

We would recommend getting tested again. Most STDs will not show-up after 1 week, and it’s easy to get false negatives if you test too soon after sex.

For example, Chlamydia is the most common STD and it doesn’t show-up until 2-6 weeks after sex. Other STDs, like Syphilis, can take 3 months to show-up.

It would be good to get tested again. We would recommend testing at 2-3 weeks after sex, and 3-months after sex.

Hope this helps!

Please feel free to submit another question as needed.

Health Nurse

This answer was posted on November 14, 2017.

This answer was updated on February 7, 2022.