Community Health urges community to take advantage of free Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) test vending machines

Free sexually transmitted infection (STI) test kit vending machines have been introduced for the first time in regional Victoria, providing accessible and affordable sexual health services to regional Victorian communities.

A vending machine offering free STI test kits has now been installed in the Waves Leisure Centre in a discreet but accessible spot. The vending machine takes less than 90 seconds to use, and people can send off their specimen via post to the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre for testing right away.

The vending machines will be moved across regional Victoria in a unique 12-month trial program initiative led by the University of Melbourne, Department of Rural Health, Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health (CERSH).

It is challenging for individuals living in regional and rural areas to access health care to test for STIs. Innovative solutions like these vending machines will increase access to testing and improve the sexual health of communities.