After a positive STI result, focus on getting care, preventing transmission, and protecting your long‑term health. The exact steps can vary by infection, but the core actions are very similar.
See a clinician quickly
Schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider (clinic, GP, sexual health clinic, or telehealth) to confirm the result if needed and identify exactly which STI you have.
Ask about treatment options, how long you are contagious, and when it is safe to resume sexual activity.
Start and complete treatment
Begin the prescribed treatment as soon as it is offered, even if you feel fine or symptoms are mild, because many STIs cause no symptoms but can still damage your health.
Take all medication exactly as directed and finish the full course to avoid treatment failure or complications.
Pause sex and use protection
Avoid any sexual activity (oral, vaginal, anal) until your clinician says it is safe—often after completing treatment and, for some infections, after follow‑up testing.
When you do resume sex, use condoms or other barrier methods consistently and correctly to lower the risk of passing or getting STIs in the future.
Inform recent sexual partners
Tell current and recent sexual partners that you tested positive so they can get tested and treated, which helps protect them and prevents you from being reinfected.
If talking directly feels unsafe or difficult, ask the clinic about partner‑notification services or anonymous notification tools that can contact partners for you.
Get retested and plan follow‑up
Follow your provider’s advice about when to come back for retesting; for some infections (like chlamydia and gonorrhea), retesting at about three months is commonly recommended to check for reinfection.
Keep up with regular STI screening in the future, especially if you have new or multiple partners, and ask about vaccines and other prevention options (like HPV or hepatitis vaccines, or HIV PrEP where appropriate).
If you feel very anxious, unsafe with a partner, or if the STI result is linked to coercion or assault, consider reaching out to a trusted clinician, counselor, or a sexual assault support service in your area for additional support.