STI testing service

A Hivpoint employee takes a swab sample from the throat at Checkpoint service.

Page last reviewed 20.3.2024

Which STIs are tested at Checkpoint? 

At Checkpoint STI testing service, it is possible to get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV. Chlamydia and gonorrhea tests are taken as a urine sample or as rectal or throat swab according to what kind of sex you have had. Syphilis and HIV are tested from the blood, either with a rapid test or as a venous blood sample.

The Checkpoint testing service is primarily intended for asymptomatic people who have been at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection and have a high threshold to get tested at the public health care.

How and when can you get tested for STIs at Checkpoint?

You can get tested for STIs on Tuesdays. The service is free of charge.

The testing service operates by appointment. Appointments are mainly between 2pm and 6pm. The easiest way to book an appointment is to book it from our online booking calendar. When booking an appointment, we ask for your name and email address to which the booking confirmation will be sent.

Book an appointment from online calendar

If no free times are shown in the booking system, we are fully booked. You will receive a confirmation message about the appointment to your email address. If you want to cancel or change the appointment, it is done via the link in the confirmation message sent to your email. Changing the appointment is only possible if system has free appointment times left.

You can also book an appointment via our counselling services. 

On the first Tuesday of every month, we have a walk-in STI testing service which you can enter without an appointment >>

  • April 2nd, at 14-18
  • May 7th, at 14-18
  • June 4th, at 14-18

Where? The testing will be taking place at Hivpoint’s office in Kalasatama. The address is Hermannin rantatie 2 B, more detailed arrival instructions can be found here. 

Remember! Bring your ID card with you, please. Do not urinate for at least 1 hour before the STI samples are taken. When you come for testing for the first time, please read the detailed instructions on testing below this page.

Check the exceptional opening hours of testing services here

How does Checkpoint work and what happens in the testing?

  • Book an appointment for testing from our appointment calendar or by contacting our counselling services. On the first Tuesday of every month, we offer walk-in testing without an appointment. The dates for walk-in testing are mentioned earlier on this page. 
  • Remember not to urinate for 1 hour before the STI testing. 
  • Please bring your ID with you. We need to check your ID for the laboratory system. Your ID does not have to be permitted in Finland. 
  • If you are now taking or have been taking antibiotics within the last week, the STI tests cannot be taken. You can come to our testing a week after finishing the treatment. 
  • Please do not come to the testing service if you’re having flu-like symptoms. You can cancel or (if there are free times available) reschedule your appointment via the link in your verification email. 
  • You’re free to bring a support person with you. The support person can either wait for you at our lobby or when discussed with our employee, be with you through the testing process. 

Arrival

  • Arrive for your appointment at Hivpoint, located at Hermannin rantatie 2 B. Our arrival instructions and accessibility information can be found here. 
  • Our front door is locked after 17:00. If you arrive after five or need assistance with getting in or using the stairlift at any time, please ring the doorbell on the right side of the door. 
  • Our office is located on the first floor at the top of stairs. Ring our doorbell and our employee will let you in. 
  • First you will sign a consent form. On the form, you will fill your personal information and give us a consent to inform your health care provider if you test positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis. All of your personal and health-related data is confidential and protected.

Interview and collecting samples

  • At our testing service you can be tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and if needed, HIV. 
  • First our employee will discuss with you and assess which tests should be taken and in which ways based on how you have had sex. 
  • Our employee will take the tests that are tested from blood. Syphilis is tested with a rapid test from a blood drop from the top of your finger if you haven’t had syphilis before. In case you have had syphilis before, the test is taken from a blood sample from the crook of your arm. If needed and wanted, we can also take a HIV rapid test from a blood drop from the top of your finger. You can get the test results for the rapid tests already at our testing service. 
  • The samples from urine and, if necessary, anus you can take by yourself in the toilet. These are for chlamydia and gonorhhea tests. Our employee will give you the equipment and instructions for collecting the samples. The instructions can also be found on the toilet wall. 
  • If you are also tested from the throat, our employee will collect a sample from your throat for chlamydia and gonorhhea tests.

Lastly

  • Our employee will check your ID and enter your information to the laboratory system. 
  • Before leaving we kindly ask you to fill our digital feedback form on your phone. You can also take free condoms, dental dams, glide and leaflets from our lobby.

Test results

  • It usually takes a few days or a week at most for the results for the tests that are sent to the laboratory (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis) to come back. 
  • If any of these test results come back positive, we will call you in about a week’s time and guide you to treatment. 
  • If your test results come back negative, we will not inform you of your results. 
  • Test results from our testing service do not show up on Omakanta database (kanta.fi).

Guiding to treatment

  • If you test positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis, we will inform your health care provider about your test result to organise your treatment once we have contacted you first. 
  • If you test positive for chlamydia, your primary care provider is your own health station. Our employee will contact your health station about your treatment. 
  • If you test positive for gonorrhea or syphilis, our consulting doctor will refer you to a STI outpatient clinic for further tests and treatment. The doctor will also make a statutory communicable disease notification for the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). 
  • If you get a positive test result for any sexually transmitted infection, it’s important to inform your partners of their potential exposure. This way we can prevent further transmissions and make sure that everyone gets the treatment they need. You can find more information about informing your potentially exposed partners here. 
  • Wonderful! By getting tested for STIs, you have acted responsibly and taken care of your and your partners’ sexual health.

Who is the service intended for? 

The Checkpoint testing service is primarily intended for asymptomatic people who have been at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection and have a high threshold to get tested at the public health care.

Getting tested for STIs might be more difficult due to lack of trust for health services, earlier experiences of discrimination or the expected stigma around STIs, for example.

Who might have challenges in getting tested?

  • People who have multiple sexual partners and need regular STI testing
  • Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men
  • Trans and non-binary people
  • People belonging to sexual and relationship minorities
  • Travellers who have been at risk of sexually transmitted diseases while travelling
  • People who have migrant background
  • People living with HIV

Checkpoint STI testing service is located in Kalasatama

Our office is located in Kalasatama. The address is Hermannin rantatie 2 B. See it on the Google map!

The STI testing service is free for the user, it is made possible by project funding for the years 2024-2026. Read more about financing here.

Do you only want an rapid HIV test?

You can get an HIV rapid test every Thursday without an appointment.

Get tested for HIV now

Note! Opening hours of Thursday’s testing will change from March 1st onwards. You can get tested for HIV on Thursdays between 12pm and 4pm.

Free HIV and other STI tests are available at public health care

Several health centers use the online Omaolo service from where patients with no symptoms can get referrals to laboratory for testing sexually transmitted diseases. Then, you may visit any HUSLAB laboratory for the tests.

If you are expreriencing symptoms of STIs, you can contact Helsinki STI outpatient clinic (HUS).