The Better2Know Blog

Better2Know is the UK’s largest provider of private STI testing services. Our wide range of screens and tests are designed, and regularly reviewed, by a panel of medical specialists to ensure you receive accurate and efficient testing. Many sexually transmitted diseases show little or no symptoms in the early stages of infection, so it is important to be examined regularly. Better2Know’s Platinum and Early Platinum Screens comprise an extensive number of tests to give you a clear picture of your overall sexual health.

There were over 10,000 new cases of STDs diagnosed in Northern Ireland during the year 2016. These figures include cases of HIV, with more than 1,000 people in Northern Ireland currently living with the virus. The BBC recently revealed that ‘as many as one in five people with HIV in Northern Ireland are unaware that they have the infection.’ According to Jacquie Richardson, the chief executive of HIV awareness charity, Positive Life, ‘poor sexual health is a significant burden on the wellbeing of people living in Northern Ireland’.

Better2Know is the UK’s largest provider of private STI testing services. We have sexual health clinics across the country, including Northern Ireland. Better2Know encourages regular testing to detect any infections that if left untreated, can create further health problems. It also reduces the chance of transferring an STI to current or future partners. So, whether you have met someone new or had a one-off encounter, booking your screen or test today is essential to protecting your personal health.

Sexual health services are at breaking point throughout the UK, and no more so than in the city of London. As a result of clinic closures across the capital, the Dean Street Express GUM clinic in Soho is turning away around 1,200 patients every single day. Early detection and intervention are crucial in combatting sexually transmitted infections and at Better2Know, the UK’s largest provider of private STI and HIV testing services, we can get you a confidential appointment in London on the very same day that you make your booking.

In 2016, Public Health England reported almost 700 cases of new STI diagnoses in the town of Ipswich. In addition, Healthy Suffolk recently revealed that Ipswich has the county’s highest rate for sexually transmitted infections, as well as being above the national average. Their report expresses the need for an assessment of Suffolk’s sexual health services, with the county consistently failing to meet their targets for Chlamydia detection.

Better2Know is the UK’s largest provider of private STI testing services, providing a wide range of comprehensive testing options in towns and cities across the country, including Ipswich. Our screens and tests are designed and regularly reviewed by medical specialists, ensuring peace of mind when it comes to your sexual health. Better2Know’s highly trained advisors will assist you in choosing the test or screen that is right for you, and they can arrange same day or next day appointments five days a week in Ipswich.

Mycoplasma is a bacterial infection that can affect both men and women. The Mycoplasma bacterium can be found in healthy genital tracts but can also be transmitted through unprotected sexual contact including vaginal, penile or anal intercourse. Often associated as a common cause of urethritis in men and cervicitis in women, Mycoplasma can also lead to complications like Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), as well as increasing the risk of getting other, more harmful STIs, such as HIV, if left untreated.

Almost 10,000 cases of sexually transmitted infections were diagnosed in Birmingham during the year 2016. In addition, a report by Public Health England showed that the city’s STI rates are worse than the national average, with more than 4,700 cases of Chlamydia alone. These concerning statistics led the Birmingham Mail to label the city as a ‘hotspot’ for sexual infections, highlighting the importance of regular STI testing.

Better2Know provides confidential Gonorrhoea testing at private clinics throughout the UK, including the region of South Wales. We have STI clinics in Cardiff, Carmarthen, Hensol, Newport and Swansea. Our range of comprehensive STI tests and screens are regularly reviewed by a panel of sexual health experts. Patient samples are processed by CPA accredited laboratories ensuring both accuracy and efficiency.

According to data published by Public Health England (PHE), there were 5,920 new Syphilis diagnoses in this country during 2016. Whilst that figure is not quite as prevalent as STIs like Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, positive Syphilis infections have risen by 97% in the last five years.

At Better2Know, we understand that getting tested for a sexually transmitted infection can be a worrisome time. You want discreet and accurate results, fast. That’s why we offer same or next day appointments in selected clinics across the UK.

Our bespoke Instant testing service provides rapid, confidential results for six of the most harmful infections, including HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. With results available in under half an hour, you will receive your test results whilst you wait in the clinic.

This Monday marks the start of the 2018 Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. The event runs until Sunday 28^th January and aims to raise awareness surrounding cervical cancer and highlight ways in which this dreadful disease can be prevented. This year’s theme is: Reduce Your Risk, and there are plenty of ways in which you can get involved, including hosting fundraising events, sharing your story through blogging or social media, or by joining the #SmearForSmear campaign alongside Better2Know.

This Sunday marks the 2018 National STI Testing Day, encouraging people around the country to take control of their sexual health by getting tested. The event takes place on the 14^th of January each year, referencing the two-week period of incubation that many STI tests stipulate as a minimum requirement prior to testing.

Happy New Year from all of us at Better2Know. Following the recent festivities and seasonal overindulgence, it is understandable that carefulness may have been overlooked when it comes to sexual encounters. As we embark on another new year, if you are concerned about your sexual health, it is important to remember that you are not alone.

According to the latest Government statistics, just 18 travel-associated cases of Zika have been diagnosed in the UK this year. The report marks an astonishing 93.6% reduction in travel-associated cases compared with 2016. Whilst these figures highlight the huge successes in combatting the Zika virus, there is still work to be done if we are to completely eradicate this harmful infection from our shores.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can lead to serious complications if left untreated. They can occur anywhere in the urinary system, and could prove particularly harmful if one or both kidneys are affected. Better2Know’s Urine for Microscopy and Culture test will identify the presence of yeast or bacteria in the urine, which may be the cause of a UTI. The test is available across the UK, and does not require a minimum period of incubation.

Ureaplasma is a lesser known, but extremely common sexually transmitted infection. One of the smallest free-living organisms, Ureaplasma Urealyticum can be contracted through unprotected penile, vaginal, oral, or anal sexual contact. The bacterium can also be found in regular, healthy genital tracts, so a colony of Ureaplasma can overgrow and cause irritation without the occurrence of any risky or disingenuous behaviour.

Across the UK, Better2Know offers a comprehensive array of STI tests and screens, giving you complete peace of mind regarding a host of harmful infections, including Ureaplasma. Visit our testing pages to find out more.

Today is World AIDS Day, and whilst we should celebrate the enormous strides that have been made in HIV testing and treatment, Dr Michael Brady tells Better2Know that there’s still more to be done.

Dr Brady is a Consultant in Sexual Health and HIV at the King’s College Hospital in London. He is also the Medical Director at the Terrence Higgins Trust.

World AIDS Day is an important time for us to both reflect and celebrate. We remember those we’ve lost to HIV and AIDS, but also mark the incredible successes that have been achieved since the beginning of the epidemic. It’s a time to not only show our support for those living with and affected by HIV, but also to highlight the work that is still to be done.

In 2012, an estimated 2,000 people in Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, were living with HIV. More alarmingly perhaps, approximately 20% of those individuals had undiagnosed conditions, and were therefore far more likely to transmit the virus without knowing it. Just one year later, more than 10% of the 15-24-year-olds that received testing in Swindon were diagnosed with Chlamydia, which remains the city’s most prominent sexually transmitted infection.

This Saturday signals the start of the 2017 National and European HIV Testing Week (HIVTW). The week runs until Friday 24^th November and aims to raise awareness surrounding HIV, and the importance of regular testing.

The event is co-ordinated by HIV Prevention England, with support and participation from public, statutory and private sector bodies. Hundreds of organisations took part in last year’s highly successful HIVTW, promoting HIV related services and highlighting the benefits of regular testing and treatment for both individuals and the wider community.

In 2016, Public Health England revealed that Manchester had the country’s highest prevalence of HIV outside of London and the South East. And it’s not just HIV – in 2014 alone, almost 1.5% of the city’s inhabitants were diagnosed with an STI. As Manchester’s cosmopolitan community continues to increase, so too does the threat of sexually transmitted infections.

According to the latest Government figures, an estimated 60,000 people in London have been infected with Hepatitis C. To put that into context, that’s roughly the same amount that flood into the Emirates Stadium every Saturday afternoon. The report, published last month, sited the city’s ‘high rate’ of confirmed diagnoses when compared with other areas in the UK. The statistics for Hepatitis B showed no improvement either, with an incidence rate twice that of the national average. Though perhaps most alarmingly of all, the statistics showed that, globally, fewer than 1% of people with chronic Hepatitis infections are actually receiving treatment.

In 2015 there were more than 5,000 STIs diagnosed in Liverpool – that’s over 1% of the city’s population – with Chlamydia diagnoses accounting for around half of those infections. The report, published by the Liverpool Echo in July of last year, also warned that the city was particularly susceptible to an outbreak of ‘Super Gonorrhoea‘, due to elevated levels of antibiotic prescriptions. In short, Liverpool’s STI infection rate is amongst the highest in the country, thus increasing the importance of regular testing.

In 2014, Health Protection Scotland revealed that the number of males diagnosed with Gonorrhoea in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde region was twice that of the national average. The figures for STIs like Genital Herpes weren’t much better either. Meanwhile, according to HIV Scotland’s regional statistics, over 1600 people in the same area are currently living with HIV, and 16.5% of those infected are not receiving specialist treatment. Whilst this data makes for concerning reading, an STI test with Better2Know would alleviate any doubts you may have regarding the status of your sexual health. What’s more, we can get you an appointment in Glasgow on the very same day that you book your test with us.

At Better2Know, we understand that getting a sexual health test can be a worrisome time. You want discreet and efficient results, fast – that’s why we offer same or next day results for a comprehensive array of STI tests and screens.

Over 100,000 people in the UK are currently living with HIV. And despite nationwide access to HIV testing and treatment, around 13% of those people are unaware of their positive HIV status. Public Health England, meanwhile, estimates that approximately 160,000 people are living with Hepatitis C in England alone, and in 2015, the World Health Organization revealed that, globally, around 650,000 people die as a result of Chronic Hepatitis B every single year.

At Better2Know, we believe in the normalisation of HIV, Hepatitis and STI testing. Our aim is to remove any associated stigmas and improve the health of our patients in the UK & around the world. The sooner a Hepatitis or HIV infection is successfully diagnosed and treated, the less chance there is of that individual transmitting their infection to someone else – hence the importance of regular testing and early intervention.

Despite the nationwide accessibility of HIV testing and treatment, it is estimated that 13,500 people in the UK remain unaware that they are HIV positive. Better2Know has several testing options for HIV, depending on both your personal preference and how long ago you may have been exposed to the infection. Please see below for a description of the different types of HIV test we offer.

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea has been named as one of London’s poorest performing areas for sexual health. According to Public Health England (PHE), the borough – alongside the larger districts of Lambeth and Southwark – experienced the greatest prevalence of new STIs in 2016.

Chlamydia is England’s most common bacterial STI, accounting for almost half of all STIs diagnosed in 2015. Though Chlamydia is a national issue, there is a significant geographical variation in its distribution, and its prevalence in the North West of England is something of a concern.

Better2Know is the largest provider of private sexual health testing services in the UK. As well as testing for a host of STIs, including HIV, we provide HIV certificates to those who require them for reasons such as travel or industry. Our comprehensive HIV tests and screens are available nationwide. To receive a certificate following your Better2Know test, simply notify our friendly Patient Services team upon booking your appointment.

Concerned about your sexual health? Worried that you may have a sexually transmitted infection or disease? You need answers, fast.

With Better2Know, you can access an appointment at a private clinic in London on the very same day that you book an appointment. With hundreds of clinics in the UK and around the world, Better2Know is a global provider of private STI testing services. All our CE marked tests and screens are regularly reviewed by a panel of specialists, and have been designed to meet your specific requirements.

Here at Better2Know, we understand that getting tested for a sexually transmitted infection can be a somewhat disconcerting experience. That’s why we strive to make your journey with us as simple and stress-free as possible. Each one of our anonymous STI tests can be carried out individually, or as part of a combination of tests, known as a screen. All of our tests and screens have been meticulously put together by a panel of medical specialists, and are designed to meet your personal requirements.