Sexual Health Treatment Online

What is worrying you?

Choose what fits best. Each page explains the likely causes, the tests that help, what a doctor can do online, and the signs that need in-person care.

• Burning or stinging when you peeUTIs and cystitis→
• A high temperature with pain in your back or sideKidney infection→
• Blood in your peeWhat it can mean, and why it always needs checking→
• Discharge that looks or smells differentVaginal discharge→
• Itching with thick white dischargeVaginal thrush→
• A fishy smell, often stronger after sexBacterial vaginosis (BV)→
• A possible STI, or a partner with oneSTIs: symptoms, tests and treatment→
• A possible HIV exposure in the last 72 hoursHIV testing and PEP→
• Painful blisters or sores on the genitalsGenital herpes→
• Small, painless lumps on the genitalsGenital warts→
• Discharge or burning from the penisUrethritis→
• A painful, swollen testicleEpididymitis; sudden, severe pain: call 112→
• Erections that are hard to get or keepErectile dysfunction→
• Coming sooner than you would like during sexPremature ejaculation→
• Painful periods, pelvic pain or painful sexEndometriosis→
• Hot flushes and changing periods from your 40sMenopause and perimenopause→

Periods that have stopped can be amenorrhoea, and irregular periods with acne or extra hair can be PCOS. A lump at the entrance to the vagina is often a Bartholin’s Cyst, and pain during sex has its own guide, painful sex and vaginismus. A sore, red head of the penis is usually balanitis, a foreskin that will not pull back is phimosis, and needing to pee more often, at night or with a weak flow is often an enlarged prostate. Itching in the pubic hair can be pubic lice.

Cystitis that keeps coming back has its own guide, recurrent cystitis, and so do bladder infections in men and older adults. A positive test for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis or Trichomoniasis has its own page, and so does an HPV result from cervical screening.

Common sexual health problems at a glance

The table lists every sexual health condition on Mobi Doctor: what each usually feels like and how much of its care works online. 16 of the 31 are usually treated online and 10 partly. Gonorrhoea, syphilis, kidney infection, epididymitis, and HIV testing and PEP are assessed online, and the treatment they need is given in person.

What each online-care label means is explained under online care for sexual health.

Which sexual health symptoms need urgent care?

Sudden, severe testicle pain, a foreskin stuck behind the head of the penis, being unable to pee, severe pain low in the tummy with a high temperature, and the signs of sepsis are emergencies: call 112. A possible HIV exposure in the last 72 hours needs PEP from a sexual health clinic or an emergency department as soon as possible.

STI symptoms: what to look out for

Many STIs cause no symptoms, so you can have one without knowing and pass it on. When there are symptoms, the most common are unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or anus, pain when peeing, itchy genitals, sores, blisters, lumps or warts around the genitals or anus, a rash, and unusual vaginal bleeding.

None of these symptoms belongs to one infection only. Thrush, bacterial vaginosis and cystitis cause several of them without any STI, and two infections can be present at the same time. That is why the doctor asks about the exact symptoms, when they started and your recent partners, and suggests the right test rather than guessing.

How common are STIs in Europe?

Common, and some are rising. In 2023, countries in the EU and EEA reported nearly 100,000 confirmed cases of gonorrhoea, 31% more than in 2022, more than 41,000 cases of syphilis, 13% more than in 2022, and more than 230,000 cases of chlamydia. Women aged 20 to 24 had the highest rates of both gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Worldwide, more than 1 million curable STIs are caught every day.

HIV is less common but often found late: 24,164 new HIV diagnoses were reported in the EU and EEA in 2024, and 48% were made at a late stage. A test is the only way to know, and treatment started early works very well.

STI testing: when a test is reliable

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea tests are reliable from about 2 weeks after sex. A laboratory HIV blood test is reliable from 45 days, and a finger-prick HIV test from 90 days. Syphilis can take up to 12 weeks to show on a blood test. With no symptoms, NHS advice is to wait about 7 weeks after sex for a check-up; with symptoms, get tested and see a doctor without waiting.

If a partner has a confirmed infection, treatment can sometimes start before your own result, as it often does with chlamydia. If you think you were exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, do not wait for a test: PEP has to start as soon as possible.

What the tests involve

Most tests are simple: a urine sample, a swab you can usually take yourself, or a blood sample. Herpes is tested with a swab from a sore, and syphilis with a blood test and a swab from any sore. Genital warts are usually diagnosed by looking at them, and an examination of your genitals is needed only for some symptoms. Some results are ready quickly; others take a week or 2.

Sexual health clinic, home test kit or online doctor?

A sexual health clinic offers examinations, every STI test, injections, PEP, PrEP, contraception and vaccinations, usually without a referral. A home test kit suits a check-up when you have no symptoms. An online doctor helps you decide which test you need, explains results, treats infections that tablets, creams or gels can treat, and advises you about partners.

A clinic visit starts with questions about your symptoms and your recent sexual history, in a private room. You can ask for a male or female doctor or nurse, and for a chaperone. Besides STI care, clinics offer contraception, pregnancy tests, help after sexual assault, PEP and hepatitis vaccines, and they can contact your partners without naming you.

Online, the doctor starts in the same place: what you have noticed, when, and what you are worried about. If a test is needed, you leave knowing which one, where to have it and when it is reliable; if treatment is right for you, the prescription can be used at a pharmacy near you. See STIs for the full testing and treatment pathway.

Is it an STI? Thrush, BV, cystitis and other look-alikes

Thrush, bacterial vaginosis (BV), cystitis and balanitis are not STIs, although sex can make them more likely. Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, herpes, HPV, HIV and pubic lice are passed on through sex or close genital contact.

Can you get an STI without having sex?

Yes. Herpes and HPV pass through close skin-to-skin genital contact, and pubic lice through close body contact, without penetrative sex. Oral sex can pass on STIs too, including herpes, gonorrhoea and syphilis. Some STIs, including HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis, can pass from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding, and HIV and hepatitis B can pass through blood, such as shared needles.

Is HPV an STI?

Yes. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide, passed on through genital skin contact and sex. It usually causes no symptoms, and the body usually clears it within 2 years. Some types cause genital warts, and high-risk types can cause cell changes that cervical screening finds early. The HPV vaccine protects against the types that cause most cervical cancers. More on HPV and screening results.

Is thrush an STI?

No. Thrush is a yeast infection, and the yeast lives harmlessly in the body most of the time. Sex can bring it on, and so can antibiotics, pregnancy and diabetes, but it is not classed as an STI, and partners do not usually need treatment unless they have symptoms. Discharge that smells fishy is more likely to be BV, and a frothy, yellow-green discharge points to trichomoniasis.

Pain when peeing: cystitis, kidney infection or an STI?

Burning when you pee, needing to go often and pain low in the tummy usually mean cystitis, a bladder infection. A high temperature with pain in your back or side points to a kidney infection, which needs an in-person assessment. Pain when peeing with discharge, or after a new partner, can be an STI such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea or trichomoniasis.

In people over 65, a urine dipstick test is not used to diagnose a bladder infection, because bacteria in the urine without symptoms are common and treating them does not help. New confusion or a fall in an older person with a possible infection needs an in-person check.

Vaginal discharge, itching and soreness

Thick white discharge with itching is usually thrush. Thin, grey-white discharge with a fishy smell is usually bacterial vaginosis (BV). A frothy, yellow-green discharge with soreness can be trichomoniasis, and a change in discharge after a new partner can be chlamydia or gonorrhoea, which often cause no other symptoms.

Some discharge is normal, and it changes through the menstrual cycle. See a doctor if it changes in colour, smell or amount, or comes with itching, pain, bleeding or pain low in the tummy. A first episode, symptoms in pregnancy, or discharge that keeps coming back are reasons for a swab rather than another treatment from a pharmacy. See vaginal discharge for the full guide.

Lumps, pain during sex and dryness

A soft lump on one side of the vaginal opening is usually a Bartholin’s Cyst, which can turn into a painful abscess that may need draining. Pain during sex can come from dryness, an infection, endometriosis or vaginismus, where the muscles around the vagina tighten on their own: see painful sex. Dryness and soreness after the menopause are common and treatable.

Penis, testicles and prostate

Discharge or burning from the penis is usually urethritis, most often from an STI. A sore, red head of the penis is usually balanitis, and a tight foreskin is phimosis. A painful, swollen testicle can be epididymitis, but sudden, severe testicle pain is an emergency. Erection problems, premature ejaculation and needing to pee at night are common and treatable.

Testicle pain needs care in person: pain that came on suddenly, lasts more than an hour or continues when you rest can be a twisted testicle, which needs surgery as soon as possible, so go to an emergency department. Pain and swelling with a high temperature, discharge or pain when peeing are more often epididymitis, but only an examination can tell them apart, and epididymitis is treated with antibiotics after tests. A new lump in a testicle needs checking by a doctor, even if it does not hurt.

Erection problems are common, and there are effective treatments. Before prescribing sildenafil or tadalafil, the doctor checks your heart health and your medicines, because nitrates and some heart conditions rule these tablets out. Coming too soon is common too: techniques such as stop-start, numbing sprays and tablets taken before sex help many men. A sore, red head of the penis is usually balanitis, from thrush or irritation, and a foreskin that will not pull back is phimosis, which often improves with a steroid cream.

Needing to pee more often, especially at night, a weak flow or trouble starting are common in older men and usually come from an enlarged prostate. Blood in your pee, pain, or being unable to pee needs a doctor promptly.

Periods, hormones and pelvic pain

Periods that stop are most often due to pregnancy, stress, weight change or hormones, so a pregnancy test comes first. Irregular periods with acne or extra hair can be PCOS, now also called PMOS. Painful periods that stop you doing normal things, pelvic pain and pain during sex can be endometriosis. Hot flushes, poor sleep and changing periods from the mid-40s are usually the perimenopause.

Endometriosis affects about 10% of women of reproductive age, and PCOS about 10 to 13%, with up to 70% of them undiagnosed. Both are diagnosed from your symptoms, an examination and tests, and for endometriosis, pain relief and hormonal treatment can start before a final diagnosis. See Endometriosis, PCOS (PMOS) and absent periods.

For most women with troublesome menopause symptoms and no specific reason to avoid it, the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks, and there are non-hormonal options too. The doctor talks through your symptoms and your own risks before prescribing anything. See menopause.

How to protect your sexual health

Use condoms for vaginal, anal and oral sex, get tested when you have a new partner or any symptoms, and get vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B. Talking openly with partners, PEP after a possible HIV exposure, and PrEP for people at higher risk of HIV protect you further.

• Condoms: used correctly every time, condoms are one of the most effective protections against STIs. They do not cover all the skin, so herpes, syphilis sores and HPV can still pass on.
• Testing: get tested if you have symptoms, and consider a check-up when you have a new, casual or more than one partner, because many infections cause no symptoms.
• Vaccination: safe, highly effective vaccines protect against two STIs, HPV and hepatitis B.
• Talking: talk openly and honestly about sexual health with partners, including when each of you last had a test.
• PEP and PrEP: PEP after a possible HIV exposure has to start within 72 hours, ideally within 24. PrEP is HIV medicine taken before sex by people at higher risk, started at a sexual health clinic.
• After treatment: avoid sex until you and your partners have finished treatment and waited as long as the doctor advises, so the infection does not pass back to you.
• Cystitis after sex: if sex often brings on cystitis, a doctor can plan prevention with you; see recurrent cystitis.

Telling partners after an STI

If a test shows an STI, your current partner and recent partners need to know, so they can get tested and treated and you are not infected again. If you would rather not tell them yourself, a sexual health clinic can usually contact them for you without naming you.

How far back to go depends on the infection and how long you may have had it: for chlamydia, it is usually partners from the past 6 months, and for syphilis it depends on the stage. The doctor helps you work out who to tell and what to say. A short, factual message is enough: that they may have been exposed and should get tested.

An STI says nothing about you as a person. Most are common, many are cured with a short course of treatment, and the ones that cannot be cured, such as herpes and HIV, are well controlled with modern treatment.

When should I see a doctor about a sexual health problem?

Book a consultation if:

• you have burning or stinging when you pee, or cystitis keeps coming back
• your vaginal discharge has changed in colour, smell or amount, or thrush or BV keeps coming back
• you have sores, blisters, lumps or a rash on or around your genitals or anus
• you have discharge or burning from the penis, a sore head of the penis, or a tight foreskin
• you think you may have an STI, a partner has told you they have one, or you want to understand a test result
• you have pain during sex, painful periods, or periods that have stopped or become irregular
• you have erection problems, or you need to pee more often, at night or with a weak flow
• menopause symptoms are affecting your sleep, mood or daily life
• you have seen blood in your pee, even once and even if it stopped

Bleeding after sex, between periods or after the menopause needs an examination in person, and the doctor will tell you where and how soon.

Can an online doctor help with sexual health problems?

What the doctor can do online

The doctor listens, looks at any photos you share and decides with you what helps. If a medicine is the right answer, the doctor prescribes it. If you need an examination, a test or urgent care, the doctor tells you where to go.

• Clinical, private, free of judgement Nothing you describe will surprise the doctor, who asks what is needed to help you and explains why.
• The right test at the right time Which test you need, where to have it, and when the result is reliable.
• Treatment that suits you Before suggesting any medicine, the doctor asks about pregnancy, allergies, your other medicines and conditions.
• Partners and prevention Who to tell and how, when sex is safe again, and how to lower the risk next time.

What still needs in-person care

• an examination, swabs and blood tests, unless you use a home test kit
• injections, such as the antibiotic injection for gonorrhoea and penicillin for syphilis
• PEP after a possible HIV exposure, and starting PrEP
• procedures, such as freezing warts, draining a Bartholin’s abscess or a circumcision
• cervical screening, scans and specialist care, such as for endometriosis or blood in the urine
• emergency care for testicle pain, severe pelvic pain, heavy bleeding or being unable to pee

What the online-care labels mean

Sexual health tools

Free tools on Mobi Doctor:

• Symptom Navigator→Pick a body area, including urinary and genital symptoms, or type a symptom to find the right page
• Medicine Shortage Tracker→Live shortage reports for medicines across Europe, from official registers

All sexual health conditions

Many of these can be assessed and treated online. Each page covers the symptoms, causes, tests and treatment, and the signs that need in-person care.

How Mobi Doctor works

1. Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
2. Speak to a licensed doctor about your symptoms: say what you have noticed and when it started, and mention recent partners, a positive test, pregnancy and any medicines you take. Nothing you say will shock the doctor.
3. Leave with a plan: which test you need and where, what treatment fits, what to tell partners, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.

Frequently asked questions about sexual health

Related conditions

Birth control Cold sores Lichen sclerosus Jock itch Molluscum contagiosum Gynaecological problems in pregnancy All conditions

From the Mobi Doctor blog