Testing for STDs at home & self diagnosis

You can absolutely test yourself for an STD at home, but the key here is TEST. You absolutely can not accurately self-diagnose an infection without a medically approved test. Looking for symptoms or Googling the signs is not a conclusive way of detecting infection.

HIV for example manifests with flu-like symptoms, so could be misdiagnosed if you're using Google as your source of discovery. New STDs like Mycoplasma Genetalium can have very subtle symptoms like slight discomfort when you pee and cloudy urine, so again could be misdiagnosed as a UTI or maybe even a food allergy.

There are lots of ways to self-test if you're looking to investigate a possible sexually contracted infection and if you're looking for private and discrete services, the market for self-testing is booking with options.

Buying an at-home std kit is a modern and convenient way of testing for an STD at home. The testing is actually done in a lab, the same way all professional medical tests are performed – like a hospital test or a walk-in center. You're self-sampling (not quite self-testing), which means you procure a sample using the STD test kit and you discreetly mail it to the lab.

Buy An At-Home STD Kit

The following however are credible medically approved at-home STD tests in a range of kits and bundled test panels, whether your needs are for common or serious infections.

Some Sexual Health Tests From LetsGetChecked

Some STD Tests From myLAB Box

How Do Tests Work?

At-home tests use the same accredited labs that you're physician or healthcare provider will use. They're private labs in most cases that offer their services to land based health care companies, physicians and online digital service providers.

You're not at-home testing as such, you're taking a sample at home, sending that discreetly through the mail directly to the lab and the lab shares the results privately with your test provider.

Swab Tests

Swab tests require an organic sample, normally of the affected area to determine whether there is an infection present. A home swab stick looks a lot like an earbud, which you rub around a specified area to collect some fluid in the form of mucus, or discharge caused by infection.

Each test and test provider may have different types of collection methods that don't include swabbing. But it is still regarded as a suitable method for sample collection, so it is a common and less invasive method of sample collection.

Types of STD Swab

• Urethral swab – this is common for testing Males, a swab is inserted into the urethra for sample collection
• Vaginal Swab – inserted into the vagina to gain samples of mucus or vaginal discharge depending on the requirements of the collection kit
• Anal swab – where you swab your anus to collect the mucus that lines the anal passage
• Throat swab – for oral infections that can be screened through the collection of saliva from the mouth and throat
• Lesion swabs – some infections (like herpes and syphilis) have visible symptoms in the form of lesions on the skin. If they are open they excrete a fluid that can be swabbed for screening.

Urine Tests

Your urine can offer clues as to the current state of chemical balance in your system, so it's useful for discovering signs of sexually transmitted infection and is regarded as a non-invasive way of collecting a sample. You'll be given several utensils in the good quality urine collection kit.

Normally a sample collection test tube comes along with other collection tools. For example, a collection cup for you to pee in, followed by a pipette for you to transfer the urine from the collection cup into the test tube – You're not expected to pee right into the tube!

Urine tests are supposed to be performed under normal circumstances, you're not looking to pass the test by offering the cleanest sample you can provide. Things flushing your body by drinking lots of water or thoroughly cleaning yourself or even peeing before you take your sample are not recommended. You're supposed to be uncovering an STD not trying to covertly pass a test.

Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are commonly diagnosed through a urine sample collection test. Your urine might contain the bacteria associated with each infection allowing for a fairly accurate result and diagnosis.

Blood Tests

A blood sample is required for more serious STDs and common sexually transmitted infections. It's more invasive and requires a fare amount of blood in the case of STI. Unlike a diabetes glucose test, which needs a small dab of blood on a testing strip. Most STD kits require a small vial (a tiny test tube) worth of blood.

At-home blood testing kits will come with a small collection vile, which you send off to the lab and a tiny finger pricking device called a lancet. You're not expected to syringe blood like a traditional collection method, the lancet in many tests is a tiny device that springs out a surprise needle to puncture a small hole when you press against the tip of your finger.

Its the surprise element that makes it easier to operate, you push the device against your finger and the spring sends the needle out before you'be given it any notice. If you're relaxed and comfortable, droplets of blood will start to appear on your finger that you then press against the vile for collection.

Naturally, your blood is one of the clearest indicators of your body's health and is used for the majority testing wellness testing processes. It's the most accurate method for uncovering certain illnesses.

Cervical Swab Tests

A cervical swab is very similar to a vaginal swab, but you will be expected to collect your own sample by swabbing the cervix, a little further in than the vagina. This is not a smear sample it is not a pap. You're given a longer than normal swab stick and you'll need to maneuver that internally around your cervix, being sure that you have collected from the right place.

A cervical swab is a collection method looking for evidence of infection, whereas a Pap collection method requires a sample of tissue that is then screened for potentially abnormal and/or cancerous cells. A pap is performed as a medical procedure, by a trained professional and a cervical swab is a simple collection method looking for signs of infection like HPV.

Testing Companies

The following companies are reputable online test providers, offering at STD testing services that you buy online, take your sample at home and mail to the lab. They offer online digital services and your results are stored in your secure patient dashboard along with any medical information you agree to share with the company.

LetsGetChecked provides a range of home health and wellness tests. These include a selection of infection test kits to general bodily function checks. The standard 5 STD test is one of their most popular kits.

myLAB Box sells a range of at-home tests including a wide range of STD screening, female and male health tests and lots of wellness test bundles. They have an extensive selection of different STD test bundles. The Total Box is one of the most comprehensive kits available.

Nurx is a healthcare service provider, offering at-home sexual health tests, online prescription services and a range of wellness products. They have 3 STD tests available with the Basics Covered the most popular as a regular testing option.

Some at-home STD tests are also becoming available in store. We don't have a specific list of retailers that sell these at-home kits, but in most cases they are selling the same brands that you buy online like LetsGetChecked, Everlywell or myLAB Box.What Can You Test For

What Can You Test For

The following are the most common sexually transmitted infections that can be tested for at home.

• Chlamydia is normally tested through urine detection of bacteria. It is one of the most transmissible STIs, with common symptoms of penile or vaginal discharge and a stinging sensation when peeing
• Gonorrhea is another of the more common STDs and can be detected through a urine test. Symptoms include penile or vaginal discharge, abdominal discharge and sore throat
• HIV requires a blood sample as its an immunodeficiency virus affecting your immune system. It can be missed as many cases are either asymptomatic for long periods or showing misleading signs, like flu symptoms. There's no current cure for HIV and if left untreated it can lead to AIDS
• Syphilis is normally detected in your blood, but symptoms can result in lesions in your mouth or around your sex organics, so swabbing affected areas as part of an STD test is another common method of diagnosis specific to this infection
• Trichomoniasis (Trich) is caused by a parasite contracted through the transmission of body fluids during sex, like vaginal fluid, semen, and pre-cum. It can be detected through a urine test or by swab sampling. In most cases, a carrier can be asymptomatic, but it can also present symptoms similar to other STDs, like discharge and discomfort when peeing
• Mycoplasma is a bacteria that can be transferred during sex that can cause symptoms of discomfort like stinging while peeing or discharge. It can however live as an undetected STD in a lot of people who have contracted it. It is normally detected through a sample of urine or a swab test
• Ureaplasma is detected through a urine or swab sample and is a relatively unknown infection. It is not classified as an STD in the same way that other infections are, but the bacteria can be passed on through sexual contact and can cause infection
• HPV screening is commonly regarded as a test for Human Papillomavirus in females only, as male testing is not considered accurate enough to diagnose fully. It is a cervical test (normally a swab) and in the case of at-home tests, you are swabbing for the infection in the cervix through vaginal fluids and not for cells like in a Pap
• Herpes comes in many forms, in the case of STD testing we're looking for Herpes I (HSV-1) oral herpes visible as cold sores, or Herpes II (HSV-2) which is genital herpes and can be visible as a rash on the genitals. Blood tests or direct swabs of the infected area are the most reliable methods of sample collection

The Window Period

The window period is the timeframe between which a sexually active person is exposed to an STD and when a test can accurately detect it. Testing within 24hrs for example might be too soon to tell if you have contracted the STI, so understanding this window period eliminates the possibility of an STD being missed because it has not resulted in a detectable infection yet.

Infection	Window Period
Chlamydia	7 days, or up to 2 weeks
Gonorrhea	7 days, or up to 2 weeks
Trichomoniasis	5 Days, or up to 1 month
Mycoplasma Genitalium	1 week, or up to 1 month
Herpes	1 month, or up to 4 months
HIV	2 – 6 weeks
Hepatitis A	3 – 6 weeks
Hepatitis B	3 – 6 weeks
Hepatitis C	2 months, or up to 6 months
Syphilis	3 weeks, or up to 3 months
HPV	3 weeks, or up to 3 months

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