Life in Australia Guide

Testing for sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and sexual health advice are available at public sexual health clinics run by state governments. According to official guidance, NSW clinics offer free appointments and do not require a Medicare card or a GP (general practitioner) referral. The Melbourne Sexual Health Centre says it is free, including for overseas visitors, and no health insurance is needed. By contrast, SHINE SA in South Australia says people without a Medicare card pay the full consultation fee. So whether you can use a clinic without Medicare depends on the state and the clinic. This page summarises each organisation's official wording and does not replace medical care.

Every state and territory has public sexual health services, and the conditions below follow their official wording. NSW says its clinics are government-funded specialist services caring for vulnerable populations, with free appointments and no need for a Medicare card or GP referral. In VIC, the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC) says it is free, including for overseas visitors, and no health insurance is needed (phone to register first). In QLD, the Brisbane Sexual Health Service is free (with rare medication-cost exceptions) and needs no Medicare card, but an appointment is required.

Check three things before you go. In particular, confidential means your information is protected, while anonymous means you use the service without giving your name, so the two are different. For example, ASHC says it does not release information without written consent, and NT Clinic 34 says it uses a code instead of your name on results. These statements apply only to that clinic and cannot be assumed for others.

• Cost and Medicare — whether 'no Medicare needed' is the official wording, and whether there are charges for medication, tests or referrals to other providers
• Confidentiality and what is reported — check what may be disclosed in the official wording, and ask the clinic before your appointment what it must report by law
• Booking and registration — phone or online, any limits on who is seen (the clinic may not see everyone), and how to ask for an interpreter

STI testing and sexual health advice are not available from just one place. Choose what suits your situation, but costs differ between options, so check before you book.

Practical tips that first-time visitors often miss. Opening hours and booking methods change often, so always check the official information and phone to confirm.

• Register by phone or online first. Some clinics (for example, MSHC) have done away with walk-ins and start with a nurse phone consultation.
• When you book, ask whether you can attend without Medicare and whether medication or test fees are charged separately. If you see a GP, ask your insurer whether your policy covers part of the cost.
• Ask for an interpreter. ASHC and Brisbane offer telephone interpreting on request, and ACT points to free interpreting through TIS National (131 450).
• Ask how you will get your results. This differs between clinics (text message, online, phone or a return visit). ASHC does not give results by phone, and NSW Health says some results, such as HIV, may have to be given in person.
• If you have a Medicare card, bring it. Some clinics (ACT) advise first-time visitors to arrive earlier than their appointment time to allow for registration and forms.

These misunderstandings often cause people to get the cost wrong or miss checks they need.

• Assuming 'free without Medicare' applies everywhere — MSHC is free including for overseas visitors, but SHINE SA charges the full fee without a card, and Townsville is a Medicare-funded service.
• Thinking 'confidential' and 'anonymous' mean the same thing — confidential means your information is protected. Hiding your name or records applies only where the clinic states it in its official wording.
• Deciding you do not need a test because you have no symptoms — some infections, such as chlamydia, can cause no symptoms. How you register when you have no symptoms differs from clinic to clinic.
• Believing one online or self-test has checked everything — the QLD online test checks only chlamydia and gonorrhoea, not HIV, syphilis and others. Self-tests also do not replace medical care.
• Waiting a few days when something worries you — time matters for HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Contact an emergency department or sexual health clinic as soon as possible (official guidance: within 72 hours).