Frequently asked questions

All STI test kits are sent by Royal Mail, either on the day you ordered or on the next working day. Most kits arrive in under 5 days. If your kit has not arrived after 7 working days, get in touch. This allows for any delays with Royal Mail.

If it’s been more than 7 working days since your kit was sent and it has not arrived, we can send you a new kit. Contact our team and include your mobile number, date of birth and full delivery address. This helps us find your order in our system and send you a replacement.

The Freepost packs for sending samples back to the lab usually arrive safely in 3-4 days, but sometimes delays with the post affect this. At the lab, it can take up to 72 hours to do the tests and send your results.

If it has been more than 7 working days since you posted your samples, contact us and our customer care team will be able to help you.

In your message, please include the date you posted your samples and:

• Your name

• Your postcode

• Your phone number

• Your date of birth

This helps us to quickly track your order in our systems.

STIs don't show in a test straight away. There's a period of time between getting the infection and when it will show up in a test.

So you need to wait a few weeks after sexual contact before a test will be accurate. This time is called the window period. And window periods are different for different infections.

These are the window periods for the at-home tests we use. We recommend you wait until the end of the window period before taking your samples and sending them to us.

• Chlamydia: 2 weeks

• Gonorrhoea: 2 weeks

• HIV lab test: 7 weeks

• Insti HIV test: 12 weeks

• OraQuick HIV test: 12 weeks

• Hepatitis B: 12 weeks

• Hepatitis C: 12 weeks

• Syphilis: 12 weeks

Hepatitis C can sometimes take up to 9 months to show in a test, so if you're not sure when you might have been exposed, do a test now, and another test in 9 months.

If you may have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours (3 days), do not wait to test. Get immediate advice to find out if you can take PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) to reduce your risk.

Fettle is powered by SH:24, which means that we share a clinical and administrative team. We develop Fettle using what we've learnt from running SH:24 and what works for the people who use our services.

SH:24 is commissioned by local authorities around the UK to deliver sexual and reproductive health services. As a community interest company, all of SH:24’s profits are reinvested into improving public health services.

SH:24 works in close partnership with NHS Trusts and other healthcare providers across the UK to offer the highest quality sexual health advice, support and treatment. Our in-house clinical support team are all qualified clinicians.

Fettle’s profits are channelled back into developing the SH:24 service.