Leading Sexual Health Telehealth Providers in Australia: A Comprehensive Guide

Telehealth providers are dramatically increasing access to sexual health services in Australia by offering greater confidentiality and convenience. They streamline care and often reduce the stigma associated with in-person clinic visits.

Whether you are looking to get tested for STIs quickly or seek virtual assistance with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), there are plenty of options. These providers go beyond a simple referral; they offer LGBTQ-sensitive care, dedicated follow-ups and sometimes fully bulk-billed solutions. This guide compares leading providers for online STI and PrEP assistance side-by-side to help you find the right telehealth platform at a glance. For more detailed information, refer to MediCompare’s dedicated Sexual Health page. Let’s take a look.

SISTR

This specialised online provider for women offers comprehensive sexual health support. This includes telehealth consultations and follow-ups, full STI panels, including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV, Hep A/B/C. It also helps patients with PrEP initiation and ongoing care.

The process from booking to treatment (and 1-month and 3-month follow-up for PrEP) is straightforward. You can book online, receive referrals and have a SISTR doctor review your results.

A key advantage is the largely free service. Telehealth consults and referrals are provided fully bulk-billed for Medicare cardholders, offering highly affordable access. PrEP medication starts from $2.80 for concession cardholders, and lab test costs depend on the lab. Results tend to take 3 – 5 business days.

Stigma Health

Part of Australia’s largest sexual health network, Stigma specialises exclusively in STI/ STD testing. You can access pathology referrals for common infections without a telehealth consult, reducing the embarrassment of speaking to a doctor at this early stage in the process.

Once you complete an online questionnaire and get your instant referral, you can head to one of 10,000 collection centres nationwide, and often receive your results in the app 2 – 3 days. Confirmatory tests (e.g., syphilis) may take 7 – 10 days.

The service does not offer PrEP but refers patients to sister brand PrEP Health instead.

Bulk billing is available to eligible patients, and tests can be conducted at no cost at bulk-billing labs. Private referrals cost $49.95

Hey Fella

“Your online gay doctor” is a telehealth platform tailored for the LGBTQ+ community. It offers PrEP, STI tests, prescriptions and consultations. Available seven days a week, patients can access referrals for common gay STIs (Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, HIV, Hepatitis B & C) and specialised PrEP consultations, offering PrEP Online, Daily, and On Demand.

The PreP consult costs $45 for Medicare-eligible patients, with bulk billing for pathology testing, and STI testing starts from $39 and is available 24/7.

Turnaround times are 1 – 2 days for private patients and 2 – 5 days for typical bulk-billed lab processing. Once you’ve got your results back, you can have a phone or secure message consult and receive an eScript immediately.

Its specialisation, culturally sensitive care and 24/7 access to instant referrals set this provider apart.

Updoc

This general telehealth provider offers referrals and prescriptions for various conditions, including sexual health issues. Consultations start from $39.95 and are not bulk-billed.

It offers services similar to those of other comprehensive telehealth providers and also uses a subscription model, potentially making regular consultations, referrals, and check-ins highly affordable. While it offers quick service through an online questionnaire and doctor review before instant referrals, it is less specialised and provides no culturally sensitive care for complex sexual health needs.

It does not prescribe PrEP directly, but can refer patients. Lab results typically take 3 – 5 days, as with other providers.

InstantScripts

A comprehensive telehealth provider that’s known for quick repeat prescriptions, InstantScripts offers pathology referrals and consultations for STI treatment. The simple process is perhaps its strongest upside: You can receive a referral or script instantly after a clinician has reviewed your online request. Pathology test results are usually uploaded to the provider’s portal upon receipt, i.e. within five business days in most cases.

While InstantScripts offers no bulk billing, referrals start from $24 for referrals and consultations from $49, making it an affordable option, especially for STD testing.

The platform does not support PrEP initiation.

PrEP Health

Focusing on HIV prevention, the specialised telehealth provider PrEP Health manages assessments, testing, monitoring, and medication access. After completing the online intake, patients receive mandatory HIV, STI and kidney function tests, followed by a doctor’s review, prescription delivery and ongoing quarterly monitoring.

Its services are free for Medicare-eligible patients, including fully bulk-billed pathology. Private patients pay approximately $50 – $80. PrEP medication is PBS-subsidised, meaning standard co-payments and concessions apply.

The turnaround time is fairly standard, with 2 – 5 days for pathology results.

PrEP Health is one of the most comprehensive free PrEP-specialised solutions and part of a large nationwide network of test centres.

Here’s your quick decision guide matching needs to the best-suited platforms. If you are looking for full PrEP initiation and ongoing monitoring, Hey Fella or PrEP Health are your best bet. For bulk-billed STI/STD testing, look to SISTR, Stigma Health, or Hey Fella. For fast repeat prescriptions, InstantScripts is a good option.

If you are looking for a more comprehensive option, a general telehealth provider with a sexual health option, such as Updoc (with its subscription model), is an excellent choice. Finally, the lowest costs for Medicare cardholders can be found at SISTR and PrEP Health.

This article is for informational purposes only and is no substitute for professional medical advice. Please choose your provider with care. Always consult your doctor or a qualified health professional regarding any health-related questions or concerns.