Hi all - I'm turning 50 in the summer, so menstrual cycle beginning to get more unreliable. Normally, I wait until I'm 2-3 days into a period and then phone the clinic to make an appointment for a screen the following week, so I know I'll be in the clear.

But, my last period was in late November, so I decided to bite the bullet and make an appointment for tomorrow. Of course, that invoked sod's law and it looks like I'm coming on tonight. I just wondered - will it affect the results of the vaginal swab? Google provides mixed answers. I'm assuming it doesn't affect the bacterial culture, just makes thing a bit more messy?

Thanks in advance if anyone has any experiences to share.

According to information I've been told at the GUM, for many years yes they couldn't test during menstruation.

In the last year or two I've been told that has changed, that the tests can now be taken during your period.

Call the clinic and ask for clarification.

Just FYI, I went off to Praed St today. My flow was negligible, but the nurse said vaginal swabs are fine at any point in your cycle - it doesn't affect or interfere with the results.

Something else threw me though! I mentioned there was a possibility that I might be coming down with a cold as I've got a mildly irritable throat (I successfully fought one off about three weeks ago). Apparently this can cause a false positive for gonorrhea/Chlamydia in the throat swab, something to do with the sensitivity of the test. So, might be worth avoiding going for a screen if you have a lurgie.

I had an STI check on my period and the nurse said it wouldn't make any difference.