Vaccines and STI testing before you travel: what the CDC and NHS say couples should check

Most couples who take part in the lifestyle plan the glamorous bits well in advance: the resort, the flights, the outfits. The health side tends to get one line on the to-do list at best. This guide is a practical checklist built from what the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the UK's NHS publish, read on 7 November 2026. It is general information, not medical advice, and some recommendations are written for specific groups, so the right plan for you comes from a clinician who knows your history. Our broader guide to sexual health in the lifestyle covers day-to-day habits; this one is about timing and vaccines before a trip.

Why plan weeks ahead

Two things make timing matter. Vaccines that need more than one dose take weeks to complete, and some tests can miss a very recent infection. If you leave everything for the week before you fly, you can end up either unprotected or reassured by a test that was done too early.

Testing: what the CDC and NHS say

The CDC's page on getting tested for STIs sets out who should be tested and how often. The headline points:

• Everyone aged 13 to 64 should be tested for HIV at least once.
• Most sexually active adults should be tested for syphilis, with frequency depending on where they live.
• Sexually active women under 25 should be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhoea every year, as should some women 25 and older with new or multiple partners or a partner with an STI.
• Sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men should be tested for syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea at least yearly, and every 3 to 6 months if they have multiple or anonymous partners. HIV testing is at least yearly and possibly every 3 to 6 months.
• Anyone who has had oral or anal sex should ask a provider about throat and rectal testing.

The CDC's screening recommendations add that for hepatitis B, women with more than one partner in the past six months, or a recent STI evaluation, are among those to be screened, and that all men who have sex with men should be tested for hepatitis B markers. Hepatitis C screening is recommended for all adults over 18, except in settings where positivity is below 0.1 per cent. For heterosexual men at low risk, the CDC says the evidence is insufficient to recommend routine chlamydia and gonorrhoea screening.

What this means for couples is that there is no single schedule that fits everybody: the CDC ties frequency to age, sex, partners and sites of exposure. If you have several partners, the intervals the CDC gives for the highest-risk groups (3 to 6 months) are a sensible starting point for a conversation with your clinic, not an instruction.

The NHS's STI guidance adds practical points. Many STIs have no symptoms, so testing is the only way to be sure. For people without symptoms, it says it is best to wait seven weeks after unprotected sex before getting tested, because some infections take that long to show. You usually do not need a GP referral or an appointment for a sexual health clinic, though it is best to call first. You do not have to give your real name or your GP's details, and the clinic does not share information with your GP unless you ask. It also advises avoiding sex, including oral sex, without a condom or dental dam until you have been checked.

Tell the clinician the truth about your partners and practices. The CDC says plainly that an open and honest conversation is the point, even if you use a self-test kit.

Vaccines worth discussing

Hepatitis B. The CDC's hepatitis B vaccination page recommends the vaccine for adults aged 19 to 59, and for adults 60 and over with risk factors. The series is two or three shots depending on the brand; all shots are needed for full protection, and a three-shot series is given over about six months. That timeline is why it needs planning.

Hepatitis A. The CDC's hepatitis A page lists international travellers and men who have sex with men among the higher-risk people who should prioritise vaccination. The single-antigen vaccine is two shots at least six months apart; the combined hepatitis A and B vaccine for adults is three shots over six months. If the first dose was more than six months ago, the second can be given as soon as possible without repeating the first.

HPV. The NHS HPV vaccine page describes the UK programme: routine for children aged 12 to 13, catch-up for those who missed it, and for men who have sex with men aged 45 or under at a sexual health or HIV clinic. Eligibility is specific to the UK programme, so ask locally. The page does not cover hepatitis or mpox.

Mpox. The CDC's clinical considerations for mpox vaccine recommend the JYNNEOS vaccine, for adults 18 and over, for travellers to affected countries with ongoing clade I transmission who plan sex with a new partner, sex at a commercial sex venue, transactional sex or sex at a large public event. It also covers gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and transgender or nonbinary people, with recent risk factors in areas with ongoing transmission. The CDC does not recommend routine vaccination for the general public. The schedule is two doses 28 days apart. The page does not give a pre-travel lead time; on the schedule alone, 28 days for the series plus about two weeks for full effect means planning around six weeks before departure. That last figure is our arithmetic, not a CDC statement. Check the CDC's list of affected countries, which changes, before you travel.

A pre-trip timeline

• 8 to 12 weeks before: book a visit with your GP, practice nurse or sexual health clinic. Ask about hepatitis A and B, HPV and mpox eligibility and start any multi-dose courses.
• 4 to 6 weeks before: complete or schedule the second doses. Do a full STI check, and if either of you has a recent exposure, retest after the waiting period the clinic gives you.
• Final week: pack condoms, dental dams and any prescription medicines in your hand luggage, and save the details of a clinic near your destination.
• After the trip: agree in advance when you will both test again. This is part of the pact, not an accusation.

Sources (consulted 7 November 2026)

• CDC, Getting tested for STIs and STI screening recommendations
• CDC, Hepatitis B vaccination and Hepatitis A vaccination
• CDC, Mpox vaccine clinical considerations
• NHS, Sexually transmitted infections and HPV vaccine

This article is general information and not a substitute for medical advice. Recommendations vary by country and change over time.