Fears over 'worrying' lack of sexual health test kits amid surge of sexually transmitted infections

Most people in Edinburgh who ordered a test kit online didn’t get one.

Only a tenth of people in Edinburgh who ordered a sexual health test kit received one, with a councillor having warned of a ‘massive public health risk’.

According to ‘worrying’ figures only 11-13 per cent of online requests for sexual health testing kits were met by Lothian Sexual & Reproductive Health Services this year, amid a surge of cases of sexually transmitted infections in Edinburgh and across Scotland. Kits were sent out by post as part of a pilot offering online ordering during the pandemic, while face-to-face appointments were stopped. But the majority of people who requested the test kits didn’t get one prompting concerns over access to diagnosis and treatment.

Councillor Euan Davidson sai d people continue to have problems ordering a kit and said it was a ‘massive’ public health risk. He has called for a review into the service. It comes as Public Health Scotland have reported a rise in cases of STIs in the last year, including chlamydia, the most common STI in Scotland, after a reduction during the pandemic. On the website for the Lothian Sexual and Reproductive Health Service (LSRHS), it warns that STIs are on the rise.

Chalmers Sexual health clinic in Edinburgh

Liberal Democrat councillor Mr Davidson said: “Online ordering for home testing should expand access to sexual health services. The system depends on people being proactive. But the fact that the vast majority who requested test kits online didn’t get them is terrifying. It’s making it harder than it needs to be. It’s really worrying when we consider that STIs like chlamydia are on the rise. But if people are not able to get tested then we don’t know the true scale of the problem. Testing and treatment can stop the infection and reduce the risk of having more serious problems.

"If people don’t have symptoms they are told to order a test kit online. I tried to order one online and I couldn’t get one. You need to log on and request it a 9am or there’s not a hope in hell you can get one. It’s completely unacceptable and a massive public health risk. Access to sexual health testing should be available and accessible to everyone that wants it within a short period of time. That ideally online ordering of tests will continue but this option should only be pursued if it is properly resourced and available.”

Mr Davidson has requested a report within the next three months on the availability of tests and appointments within LSRHS. Fiona Wilson, chief officer of East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, which oversees LSRHS said: “We acknowledge that there can be challenges obtaining a routine postal testing kit for patients who have no STI symptoms, and we apologise to any patients who have been affected.

“LSRHS was the first service in Scotland to pilot the digital pathway to support postal STI testing. The service was initially founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, funded from existing budget, to provide a non-contact means of ongoing testing for people who do not have any symptoms. Since January 2023, the service has provided over 10,000 postal kits, 60 per cent from online ordering. However, due to costs and demands on laboratories, there are limits to the number of kits which can be made available each day for routine asymptomatic testing.

“There are no restrictions on the availability of testing kits for people who either have specific sexual health concerns or ongoing symptoms and these tests can be provided either via the post or in person. We have also re-introduced in-person express testing to support increased access for people who are symptomless. Appointments are available to book via telephone or online. We are also reviewing alternative methods of returning kits to the laboratory with a view to increasing capacity, as well as working with primary care and public health colleagues regarding this.”

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