The Morning After a Risky One Night Stand
Psychedelic lights hit the dance floor and walls all around you. The vodka is hitting hard and you feel your head throb to the beat of Chainsmokers’ new hit. You and your friends are partying it out at Zouk on a crowded Saturday, a monthly ritual to let loose. Today however, is a little different. You locked eyes with someone new on the dance floor. Charming smile, sick moves, shy eye contact – all the boxes checked one by one in your head.
The next thing you knew, the two of you are on an Uber back to your house.
What to Do After a One Night Stand: Unprotected Sex
Let’s face it, this happens. If there wasn’t a condom and you have no idea how many people and who this stranger or friend has had sexual relations with before you, there’s some actions you have to take to protect yourself. The worrywart in you will keep thinking, so you might as well take some tests to make sure you are free of any sexually transmitted diseases.
For the most effective treatments, it’s always best to be diagnosed as soon as possible.
The Concerns and the Window Period to Get a Reliable Test
HIV (After a 30-day window period, as recommended by Action for AIDS Singapore)
STDs (Estimated 2 days to months)
Gonorrhea
Chlamydia
Syphilis
Pregnancy (Missed or late menstrual period)
Measures To Take, for Him and for Her
Where to Go
DSC Clinic (Department of STI Control Singapore)
31 Kelantan Ln, Singapore 200031
Open weekdays 8am-11am, 1pm-4/6pm
Private clinics
Dr Tan and Partners Clinic, Shim Clinic, Tanjong Pagar STD Clinic, etc.
What to Do
Not every STI check is needed. At the clinic, the doctor will ask questions about your sexual history and it is important to be as truthful as possible in order for them to recommend certain STI tests for you. For example, getting tested for genital herpes is not typically offered to everyone. The doctor will typically advise you when to come back for your next check if needed, so don’t fret over it. However, if you would like to know more, below are the more common checks people take:
1) Common Practice: Get checked for HIV and Syphilis
Even though there is still no cure for HIV, early treatment can greatly delay the progression of the infection. The testing of HIV is ideally performed with a combination of antigen or antibody immunisations that requires blood taking.
Syphilis, however, is treatable upon early discovery. It may also be useful for you to know that either nontreponemal or treponemal tests are required to test for Syphilis.
In the rare case that you were not vaccinated for Hepatitis B when you were young, you should also consider getting screened for that. What can be detected is the HBV surface antigen, surface antibody and core antibody. FYI, The Hepatitis B Immunisation Programme was extended to all newborns in Singapore from September 1987.
2) Get a full STI check-up (Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia, Genital Herpes)
Testing for other STIs can be performed on relevant non- blood specimens. For Gonorrhoea and Trachomatis, a urine test or swaps can be done to detect nucleic acid amplification (NAAT). These are similar to tests for Chlamydia Trachomatis and T. Vaginalis are generally cost more since they are DNA/RNA-based.
3) “Morning-after Pill” for Females
If you had unprotected sex, chances are the two of you were using the withdrawal method. Even though pre-ejaculation fluids (pre-cum) does not contain any sperm, however, leftover sperm due to an earlier ejaculation may mix with these fluids to enter your vagina canal.
Emergency contraceptive options work most effectively 24 hours after sex, then 72 hours. The sooner you take it, the more effective. The pill cannot be purchased in pharmacies over the counter in Singapore but can be easily purchased at a Polyclinic or any (general practitioner (GP) after a prescription from a doctor.
The Costs
*Excludes pharmacy charges
Based on DSC’s information, the average STI check bill size is $80 to $120 for males and $100 to $140 for females. Morning-after pills are $40-$80 depending on your clinic.
Fear and stigma unfortunately still surround these checks today. But whether you visit an anonymous clinic or not, it is always best to be safer than sorry.
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Medically fact-checked by:
Dr Rachel Teoh
MBBS (Singapore), Dip Family Medicine (Singapore), Dip Dermatology (UK)
Deputy CEO of MaNaDr and Medical Director in her current private practice with 20 years of clinical experience
