Most people see a doctor only when something is already wrong. Sexual health doesn’t work that way. The most common sexually transmitted infections, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B, and even HIV, often cause no obvious symptoms in the early stages. By the time symptoms show up, real damage may already be done, to reproductive organs, the liver, or the immune system.

A sexual health checkup is a proactive assessment that catches infections early: before symptoms, before complications, and before you unknowingly pass something to a partner. It isn’t something you do only when something feels wrong. It’s something you do because you’re sexually active and you care about your health.

The tests in a comprehensive sexual health checkup.

A full sexual health screen in Nigeria usually covers the following. Not every test is needed at every visit. A doctor or nurse will tailor the panel to your exposure history, symptoms, and risk profile.

The healthcare professionals involved in sexual health screening.

A sexual health checkup in Nigeria typically involves a combination of the following professionals, depending on your gender, symptoms, and the facility you attend.

• Doctor or general practitioner: Takes your history, orders your test panel, interprets results, prescribes treatment where needed. This is your primary point of contact for a sexual health visit at a hospital or clinic.
• Nurse: Collects samples (blood draws, swabs), administers hepatitis B vaccines, and provides counselling on results. In many Nigerian clinics, nurses manage much of the practical component of sexual health visits.
• Gynaecologist: Required for Pap smear or HPV testing in women, and for evaluation of pelvic inflammatory disease or other gynaecological complications of STIs. Available at hospitals and specialist clinics.
• Medical laboratory scientist: Processes all blood and swab samples. Results turnaround at private labs (Lancet, PathCare, Clina-Lancet) is typically 24 to 72 hours depending on the test. Always confirm which generation of HIV test is being run.
• Pharmacist: Can advise on the right test panel for your situation, recommend a suitable laboratory, review results in context, and manage prescriptions for STI treatment. At Zivoko, our clinical team of pharmacists, nurses, and doctors can guide you through the full sexual health screening process on WhatsApp.

Where to go in Nigeria: Private laboratories like Lancet, PathCare, and Clina-Lancet offer fast, discreet sexual health testing across multiple cities. Government teaching hospitals offer free or subsidised testing but with longer waits and less privacy. Some private hospitals and clinics in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt do combined consultation and testing in one visit. Our team can advise on the most suitable option for your location.

Testing frequency recommendations by risk level.

• Every 3 months: If you are on PrEP (required), if you have multiple sexual partners, or if you regularly have unprotected sex.
• Every 6 months: If you are in a primary relationship but occasionally have other partners, or if you use condoms inconsistently.
• Annually: If you are in a mutually exclusive relationship where both partners have confirmed negative STI status and consistent condom use is in place.
• After any new exposure: New partner, condom failure, or any situation that represents a meaningful STI risk. Testing at 2 to 4 weeks for bacterial STIs; follow HIV window period guidelines for HIV testing.
• At the start of a new relationship: Before stopping condom use with any new partner, both partners should test. This is one of the most protective sexual health decisions a couple can make together.