At home STD test

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), or sexually transmitted infections (STIs), are infections that are passed from one person to another through sexual activity, specifically anal, vaginal and oral sex. But sometimes STDs can spread through other intimate physical contact. This is because some STDs, like herpes and HPV, are spread by skin-to-skin contact.

STDs are infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites that are spread through sexual activity, specifically anal, vaginal, and oral sex. Some STDs, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, are also transmitted through blood-to-blood contact, through sharing syringes or equipment to inject drugs, body piercing equipment or tattooing needles. Pregnant people with STDs may pass their infections to infants during pregnancy, birth, or through breast feeding. Certain STIs — such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV and syphilis — can be passed from mothers to their infants during pregnancy or delivery. STIs in infants can cause serious problems or even death. All pregnant women should be screened for these infections and treated.

There are more than 20 types of STDs, including:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)
• Chancroid
• Chlamydia
• Genital herpes
• Genital warts (human papillomavirus [HPV])
• Gonorrhea
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Lymphogranuloma Venereum (LGV)
• Molluscum Contagiosum Virus (MCV)
• Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU)
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
• Pubic Lice (crabs)
• Retrovirus infections other than HIV (HTLV)
• Scabies (mites)
• Syphilis
• Trichomoniasis

Many STDs cause mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Screening is important to ensure early detection and prompt treatment to prevent the spread of STDs.

At-home STD testing allows users to collect urine, blood, oral fluid, and other samples before mailing them to be analyzed at a laboratory. Samples are checked in a laboratory for evidence of the bacteria, viruses, or parasites that cause STDs. At-home STD testing is a form of screening that requires follow-up testing with a medical professional if test results are positive.

At-home STD tests detect the presence of specific STDs. Each STD requires a different laboratory test, so it’s important for people to make sure that the at-home testing kit they’re using is designed to detect the appropriate STD.

Some STD tests look for the genetic material, or DNA, of the bacteria, virus, or parasite that causes the STD. Other tests detect viral proteins, called antigens, or antibodies that are produced by the body in response to an STD infection.

Many at-home STD kits allow users to choose between different STD panels, each including a different set of tests. For example, a standard panel of STD tests may include testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. A complete panel of STD tests may include a standard panel, plus testing for herpes and three types of bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis (gardnerella, mycoplasma, and ureaplasma).

Before buying a home STD kit, it’s best to talk to a health professional, such as your pharmacist. They can help you decide which kit is best for you and tell you how to use it. Remember, you can also get high-quality tests via your doctor, hospital or sexual health clinic (https://gettested.cdc.gov).

Examples of at-home STD tests, the necessary test samples, and what each test measures are listed in Table 1.

If you test positive for an STD, the next step is to consider further testing and then get treatment as recommended by your doctor. In addition, inform your sex partners. Your partners need to be evaluated and treated, because you can pass some infections back and forth.

Expect to feel many emotions. You may feel ashamed, angry or afraid. It may help to remind yourself that you’ve done the right thing by getting tested so that you can inform your partners and get treated. Talk with your doctor about your concerns.

Table 1. At-Home STD Tests

At-Home STD test pros and cons

At-home STD testing is different from being tested for STDs by a medical professional.

Advantages of at-home testing include:

• Convenient: At-home STD testing allows people to screen themselves for STDs without making a medical appointment or leaving their home.
• User-friendly: Test kits are designed to simplify the testing process, often providing detailed instructions and pre-paid labels to mail samples to a laboratory.
• Upfront pricing: Testing companies often provide clear pricing for at-home STD tests. There are usually no unexpected fees for at-home tests.

Disadvantages of at-home STD testing include:

• Follow-up appointments needed: Although most at-home STD tests are considered accurate, some at-home test results need to be confirmed by a medical professional. Follow-up may involve additional laboratory testing.
• Potential for errors: While kits offer detailed instructions, there may be increased risks of errors and contamination when collecting the sample.
• Results without a doctor: Although some at-home tests can connect you with a medical professional over the phone, with an at-home STD test you won’t have your doctor immediately available to answer questions or begin treatment.
• May not be covered by insurance: You typically have to pay for at-home tests out-of-pocket, although some at-home STD tests may be covered by health insurance.
• Not available in all states: Current regulatory requirements limit the availability of some types of at-home STD tests in certain U.S. states.

At-Home STD test accuracy

At home STD tests done on samples you collect yourself may have a higher rate of false-positive results, meaning that the test indicates you have a STD that you really don’t have. If you test positive from a home STD test, contact your doctor or a public health clinic to confirm the test results. If your home test results are negative, but you’re experiencing symptoms, contact your doctor or a public health clinic to confirm the results.

At-Home Chlamydia test accuracy

Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) is considered by experts to be the “gold standard” for chlamydia testing. Research suggests that self-collected samples generally provide accurate results that are comparable to results from samples collected by medical professionals.

The accuracy of chlamydia testing varies based on the type of sample used and the care taken in collecting the sample. For example, urine samples used to test women and other people with vaginas may miss up to 10% more infections than swab samples taken from the vagina or cervix.

Although not specific to at-home tests, results of chlamydia testing can be affected by:

• Taking certain antibiotics within a few days prior to testing
• Urinating within one hour of collecting a urine sample
• Vaginal douching within 24 hours of sample collection
• Mistakes in sample collection

Doctors are an important resource for patients with questions or concerns about the accuracy of at-home chlamydia testing. Consumers may also find it helpful to contact the companies providing at-home testing to ask if their test kits and laboratory methods have been studied for accuracy. If a sample is required to be sent to a laboratory, check to see if the lab is CLIA-certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) and/or CAP (College of American Pathologists)-accredited, as these measures indicate a laboratory has met standards for quality assurance.

At-Home Herpes test accuracy

Testing is an important step in accurately diagnosing genital and oral herpes, and there are several types of tests that may be used to establish a diagnosis. Although blood antibody testing is appropriate for some patients, it’s not considered the most accurate way of diagnosing a current HSV infection. Experts have several concerns about using blood testing to diagnose genital and oral herpes:

• Accuracy of tests vary: Not all commercially available blood tests that detect antibodies to HSV have the same level of accuracy due to shared characteristics of the different types of herpesviruses. For example, persons who were infected with the chickenpox/shingles virus may have a higher risk of false positive results.
• Not all tests describe the type of HSV: Some blood tests cannot tell the difference between antibodies to HSV-1 and antibodies to HSV-2, so they require additional laboratory testing to determine the kind of antibody detected.
• Can’t tell between genital and oral infections: Unlike tests that require a sample taken during an outbreak, blood antibody tests cannot distinguish between a genital (HSV-2) and oral (HSV-1) infections because either can be found at both sites, so at-home tests alone cannot diagnose genital or oral herpes.

Although there are drawbacks to at-home genital and oral herpes tests, there are situations in which blood antibody testing may be appropriate. Patients interested in at-home genital and oral herpes testing should talk to their doctor about their individual circumstances and the accuracy of test results.

At-Home Syphilis test accuracy

Both nontreponemal and treponemal antibody tests are important methods for detecting syphilis infections and preventing complications of this disease. Inaccurate results can occur, which is why doctors use strategies such as performing multiple tests to confirm positive results and taking a careful medical and sexual history to help interpret test results correctly.

Several conditions can cause a false positive result on a nontreponemal test, which means that the test result is positive despite the patient not having a syphilis infection. These conditions include IV drug use, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, Lyme disease, certain types of pneumonia, malaria, and autoimmune diseases.

False negative nontreponemal test results occur when a person tests negative, but they actually do have a syphilis infection. The most common reason for a false-negative result is that the antibodies detected in this type of syphilis test may not develop until 3 to 6 weeks after infection. Nontreponemal testing is also less accurate in patients in the tertiary stage of syphilis.

False positive test results can also occur in treponemal testing in patients who have been successfully treated for syphilis in the past. False negative test results may occur in treponemal tests during the first several weeks after infection.

At-home syphilis tests cannot diagnose syphilis within the first several weeks after exposure. Although a positive syphilis test indicates that you were infected with syphilis, it does not distinguish between a current infection or a past infection.

For most people, syphilis symptoms appear between 3 weeks and 3 months after the initial exposure to syphilis bacteria. If you believe you may have contracted syphilis, but you do not have symptoms, you should not take an at-home syphilis test. Instead, consult with your doctor for advice specific to your needs. Your doctor can also help you understand the benefits and downsides of at-home syphilis testing.

Research regarding the accuracy of at-home syphilis testing suggests that at-home tests may be about as accurate as lab tests conducted on blood that has been collected by a medical professional.

The accuracy of syphilis testing can be affected by the amount of time between exposure to syphilis and whether the blood sample is collected properly. Treponemal tests may give negative test results for several weeks after an initial infection before the body produces sufficient antibodies or even symptoms.

People with questions or concerns about the accuracy of at-home syphilis testing should talk to their doctor and the at-home test provider. It may be helpful to ask at-home testing companies if they have any data on the accuracy of their testing method.

At-Home Trichomoniasis test accuracy

Newer laboratory methods, including nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), nucleic acid probes, and rapid antigen tests are very accurate tests that detect trichomoniasis in most patients who have the infection. The accuracy of these tests vary by laboratory method, brand of test conducted, and the type of sample used in testing.

You may need to talk to your doctor about whether or not you should be tested. If you have trichomoniasis, you are more likely to contract HIV if you are exposed—so getting tested and treated is important.

At-Home HPV test accuracy

No test is 100% accurate. Although HPV testing is a routine aspect of cervical cancer screening, both false positive and false negative results can occur. Researchers are still learning about the accuracy of at-home HPV testing, but results of large studies suggest that self-collected samples may be nearly as effective at detecting severely abnormal cervical cell changes as samples collected by a doctor.

Best At-Home STD Test Kit

There are many different types of at-home STD tests available, and it’s important to consider what type of STD testing you’re looking for when selecting an at-home STD test. The following sections provide information about top picks for at-home STD testing:

Best overall at home STD test kit

Everlywell – STD Test (Male) (Female)

• Price: $149
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood, Urine, or Vaginal swab
• Tests for: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis C, HIV, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2
• Results timeline: Within a few days

Everlywell’s STD Test kit checks for 7 different sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Everlywell’s detailed website offers help along the way as you set up an account. Once your request for a test is approved by their board-certified physicians, Everlywell will mail you detailed instructions and all of the materials needed for sample collection. You will also receive a prepaid return label to use to mail your samples to a lab for testing.

Everlywell’s STD Test comes in two versions: male and female. Both test kits come with a lancet to collect a small amount of blood. The male version also contains a cup to collect urine, while the female version includes a swab packet to collect a vaginal sample.

Everlywell’s labs, which are CLIA-certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) and meet federal quality standards, usually complete testing within a few days. Physicians review the test results before they’re made available on Everlywell’s secure web and mobile platforms.

Everlywell’s results are easy to understand and come with useful insights. In the case of abnormal results, a physician in your state will contact you at no additional cost. These physicians can also prescribe medications that can be filled at your local pharmacy.

Best 5 Panel at home STI test kit

LetsGetChecked – Standard 5 STD Test kit

• Price: $149
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood, Urine
• Tests for: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis
• Results timeline: Within 2 to 5 days

The Standard 5 at-home STD test kit from LetsGetChecked is a simple at-home STD test that looks for 5 of the most common sexually transmitted infections. Packaging is discreet, so it’s easy to maintain your privacy while staying up to date on your sexual health.

The at-home STI test kit includes everything you need to collect samples, including easy-to-follow instructions. The LetsGetChecked website also offers video tutorials that walk you through the process of preparing the test kit, collecting samples, and packaging the kit with a prepaid shipping label.

LetsGetChecked offers a turnaround time of 2 to 5 days once samples reach one of their CLIA-certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) laboratories. Your lab report is available in your secure account, which includes a dashboard that offers helpful factsheets on STDs compiled by clinical experts. The purchase price includes one-to-one support with a member of their clinical team if you have any questions.

Should one or more of the STD tests come back with abnormal results, you can consult with a doctor at no extra charge. For patients diagnosed with chlamydia or trichomoniasis, medications may be mailed to your home without any additional fees.

The Standard 5 STD test panel provides affordable testing for five STDs. They also offer 30% savings for users who subscribe to receive a test kit every three months.

Best at home STD test for privacy

myLAB Box – 5 Panel At Home STD Test Pack

• Price: $189
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood, Urine, Vaginal Swab
• Tests for: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV, Trichomoniasis
• Results timeline: Within 2 to 5 days

With its generic packaging, the myLAB Box 5 Panel At Home STD Test Pack is a good fit for those who are particularly concerned about protecting their privacy.

myLAB Box offers a variety of different at-home STD testing kits and provides tips on selecting the right test kit for you. myLab Box also prioritizes LGBT health and provides information and resources that are specific to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender customers.

Collecting your samples takes less than five minutes from start to finish. You can use a quick finger prick to collect blood and an easy-to-use sample cup to collect urine. The kit also includes a vaginal swab to collect a vaginal sample.

Once you have collected the samples and placed them in their discreet, prepaid packaging, they can be mailed to one of myLAB Box’s CLIA-certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) labs for testing. Secure electronic results are available as soon as 2-5 days later.

Best In-Lab STD Test Option

STD Check – 10 Test Panel

• Price: $139
• Type: In-Lab Tests
• Sample: Blood, Urine
• Tests for: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, Syphilis, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2
• Results timeline: Within 1 to 2 business days

The 10 Test Panel from STDCheck.com offers the most comprehensive testing panel of those we reviewed, allowing you to test for ten sexually transmitted infections for one price.

STDCheck.com is the only online testing service that offers HIV RNA testing. For $258, you can add this FDA-approved HIV RNA test to a 10 Test Panel. This test detects HIV only 9-11 days after infection.

STDCheck.com has a network of over 4,500 testing centers nationwide, allowing you to make a quick trip to a local lab, where a professional will collect your samples.

No need for testing center appointments; you can visit the lab at any time during business hours, have your samples collected, and walk out in no more than five minutes.

Results from the 10 Test Panel will be sent to your email within one or two business days. If any of your test results are positive, you can schedule a phone consultation with a doctor, who can explain your test results, answer your questions, and prescribe appropriate treatment.

STDCheck.com also has trained Care Advisors available 24/7 over the phone or online who can address your questions and concerns.

Best at home STD test for insurance

Nurx – Basics Covered Kit

• Price: $150 out-of-pocket or $75 + copay/deductible with insurance
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood, Urine
• Tests for: HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis
• Results timeline: Within 7 business days

Nurx designed their Basics Covered Kit for people who have been tested for STDs within the past year and are looking for a quick and easy check-up. After you share some information about your health history on their website, Nurx will send out a self-collection kit in discreet packaging.

The Basics Covered Kit includes supplies to collect and return two samples for testing: A urine sample, which will be tested for genital chlamydia and gonorrhea infections, and a finger prick blood sample, which will be tested for syphilis and HIV.

After collecting both samples, you will package them in prepaid bags and boxes provided by Nurx and mail them to a laboratory for testing. Within seven business days, the medical team at Nurx will be in touch to give you your results and walk you through any next steps that may be needed.

The Basics Covered Kit is a great choice if you need a quick check-up and want to use your health insurance to cover the cost of testing. Nurx offers a discount of $75 plus the cost of copays and deductibles for those using insurance.

If you have insurance and want a more comprehensive STD test panel, Nurx also offers a Full Control Kit. While most test kits on the market only test for genital chlamydia and gonorrhea infections in a urine sample, the Full Control Kit tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea in the genitals, rectum, and throat. Just like the Basics Covered Kit, the Full Control Kit is available for $75 plus insurance copays and deductibles.

Risk factors for getting STD

Anyone who is sexually active risks some degree of exposure to an STD or STI. Factors that may increase that risk include:

• Having unprotected sex. Vaginal or anal penetration by an infected partner who isn’t wearing a latex condom significantly increases the risk of getting an STI. Improper or inconsistent use of condoms can also increase risk. Oral sex may be less risky, but infections can still be transmitted without a latex condom or a dental dam — a thin, square piece of rubber made with latex or silicone.
• Having sexual contact with multiple partners. The more people you have sexual contact with, the greater your risk.
• Having a history of STIs. Having one STI makes it much easier for another STI to take hold.
• Being forced to engage in sexual activity. Dealing with rape or assault is difficult, but it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible to receive screening, treatment and emotional support.
• Misuse of alcohol or use of recreational drugs. Substance misuse can inhibit your judgment, making you more willing to participate in risky behaviors.
• Injecting drugs. Needle sharing spreads many serious infections, including HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
• Being young. Half the new STDs occur in people between the ages of 15 and 24.

What are the symptoms of STDs?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) don’t always cause symptoms or may only cause mild symptoms. So it is possible to have an STD and not know it. But you can still pass it on to others. Furthermore, it’s possible to contract sexually transmitted infections from people who seem perfectly healthy and may not even know they have an STI. That’s why STDs may go unnoticed until complications occur or a partner is diagnosed.

Signs and symptoms that might indicate a STD (STI) include:

• Unusual discharge from the penis or vagina
• Sores, bumps or warts on the genital, in the oral or rectal area
• Painful, burning or frequent urination
• Itching and redness in the genital area
• Blisters or sores in or around the mouth
• Abnormal vaginal odor
• Unusual vaginal bleeding
• Anal itching, soreness, or bleeding
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Pain during sex
• Sore, swollen lymph nodes, particularly in the groin but sometimes more widespread
• Rash over the trunk, hands or feet

Signs and symptoms may appear a few days after exposure. However, it may take years before you have any noticeable problems, depending on the organism causing the STD.

STD prevention

There are several ways to avoid or reduce your risk of STDs or STIs.

• Abstain. The most effective way to avoid STIs is to not have (abstain from) sex.
• Stay with one uninfected partner. Another reliable way of avoiding STDs is to stay in a long-term relationship in which both people have sex only with each other and neither partner is infected.
• Wait and test. Avoid vaginal and anal intercourse with new partners until you have both been tested for STIs. Oral sex is less risky, but use a latex condom or dental dam to prevent skin-to-skin contact between the oral and genital mucous membranes.
• Get vaccinated. Getting vaccinated early, before sexual exposure, is also effective in preventing certain types of STDs. Vaccines are available to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the HPV vaccine for girls and boys ages 11 and 12, although it can be given as early as age 9. If not fully vaccinated at ages 11 and 12, the CDC recommends getting the vaccine through age 26.
  • The hepatitis B vaccine is usually given to newborns, and the hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for 1-year-olds. Both vaccines are recommended for people who aren’t already immune to these diseases and for those who are at increased risk of infection, such as men who have sex with men and IV drug users.
• Use condoms and dental dams consistently and correctly. Use a new latex condom or dental dam for each sex act, whether oral, vaginal or anal. Never use an oil-based lubricant, such as petroleum jelly, with a latex condom or dental dam. Condoms made from natural membranes are not recommended because they’re not effective at preventing STDs. Also, keep in mind that while latex condoms reduce your risk of exposure to most STIs, they provide less protection for STIs involving exposed genital sores, such as HPV or herpes. Also, nonbarrier forms of contraception, such as birth control pills or intrauterine devices (IUDs), don’t protect against STDs.
• Don’t drink alcohol excessively or use drugs. If you’re under the influence, you’re more likely to take sexual risks.
• Communicate. Before any serious sexual contact, communicate with your partner about practicing safer sex. Be sure you specifically agree on what activities will and won’t be OK.
• Consider male circumcision. For men, there’s evidence that circumcision can help reduce the risk of acquiring HIV from a woman with HIV by as much as 60%. Male circumcision may also help prevent transmission of genital HPV and genital herpes.
• Consider using preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of two combination drugs to reduce the risk of HIV infection in people who are at very high risk. They’re emtricitabine plus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Truvada) and emtricitabine plus tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (Descovy). Your doctor will prescribe these drugs for HIV prevention only if you don’t already have HIV. You will need an HIV test before you start taking PrEP and then every three months as long as you’re taking it. Your doctor will also test your kidney function before prescribing Truvada and continue to test it every six months. If you have hepatitis B, you should be evaluated by an infectious disease or liver specialist before beginning therapy. These drugs must be taken every day, exactly as prescribed. If you use Truvada daily, you can lower your risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% and from injection drug use by more than 74% percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research suggests that Descovy is similarly effective in reducing the risk of getting HIV from sex. However, Descovy hasn’t been studied in people who have receptive vaginal sex. Using additional prevention, such as condoms, can lower your risk even more and prevent other STIs.

STD treatment

STDs or STIs caused by bacteria are generally easier to treat. Viral infections can be managed but not always cured.

If you are pregnant and have an STI, getting treatment right away can prevent or reduce the risk of your baby becoming infected.

Treatment for STDs usually consists of one of the following, depending on the infection:

• Antibiotics. Antibiotics, often in a single dose, can cure many sexually transmitted bacterial and parasitic infections, including gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia and trichomoniasis. Typically, you’ll be treated for gonorrhea and chlamydia at the same time because the two infections often appear together. Once you start antibiotic treatment, it’s necessary to finish the prescription. If you don’t think you’ll be able to take medication as prescribed, tell your doctor. A shorter, simpler course of treatment may be available. In addition, it’s important to abstain from sex until seven days after you’ve completed antibiotic treatment and any sores have healed. Experts also suggest women be retested in about three months because there’s a high chance of reinfection.
• Antiviral drugs. If you have herpes or HIV, you’ll be prescribed an antiviral drug. You’ll have fewer herpes recurrences if you take daily suppressive therapy with a prescription antiviral drug. However, it’s still possible to give your partner herpes. Antiviral drugs can keep HIV infection in check for many years. But you will still carry the virus and can still transmit it, though the risk is lower. The sooner you start HIV treatment, the more effective it is. If you take your medications exactly as directed, it’s possible to reduce the viral load in the blood so that it can hardly be detected.

If you’ve had an STD, ask your doctor how long after treatment you need to be retested. Getting retested will ensure that the treatment worked and that you haven’t been reinfected.

Retesting 3 months after diagnosis of chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis can detect repeat infection and can be used to enhance population-based prevention ¹. Any person who has a positive test for chlamydia or gonorrhea, along with women who have a positive test for trichomonas, should be rescreened 3 months after treatment ². Any person who receives a syphilis diagnosis should undergo follow-up serologic syphilis testing per current recommendations and follow-up testing for HIV ².

At-Home Chlamydia Test

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia can infect both men and women. You can get chlamydia during oral, vaginal, or anal sex with someone who has the infection. A woman can also pass chlamydia to her baby during childbirth. Women can get chlamydia in the cervix, rectum, or throat. Men can get chlamydia in the urethra (inside the penis), rectum, or throat. If you’ve had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can get re-infected if you have unprotected sex with someone who has it.

Early-stage Chlamydia trachomatis infections doesn’t usually cause any symptoms. Even when signs and symptoms occur, they’re often mild, making them easy to overlook. So you may not realize that you have it. People with chlamydia who have no symptoms can still pass the disease to others. If you do have symptoms, they may not appear until several weeks after you have sex with an infected partner.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection symptoms in women include:

• Abnormal vaginal discharge, which may have a strong smell
• A burning sensation when urinating
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Bleeding between periods and after sex in women

If the infection spreads, you might get lower abdominal pain, pain during sex, nausea, or fever.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection symptoms in men include:

• Discharge from your penis
• A burning sensation when urinating
• Burning or itching around the opening of your penis
• Pain and swelling in one or both testicles (although this is less common)

Chlamydia trachomatis can also infect the rectum (in men or women), either with no signs or symptoms or with rectal pain, discharge and/or bleeding. You also can get chlamydial eye infections (conjunctivitis) through contact with infected body fluids.

At-home chlamydia test looks for evidence of Chlamydia trachomatis bacterial infection in a sample of body fluid you collect yourself. Samples used for chlamydia testing at home depend upon the site of potential infection and can include urine and fluid swabbed from the vagina, throat, or rectum. Using an at-home kit to test for chlamydia does not replace testing provided by a health care professional.

The purpose of taking an at-home chlamydia test is to find evidence of a chlamydia infection. While there are few guidelines regarding the use of at-home chlamydia testing, experts suggest that at-home testing is an important method of increasing the number of people screened for STDs. The frequency of at-home testing, especially among young people, has been shown to be up to three times that of conventional testing. This may be particularly useful when in-person testing is not available or convenient and for those who are uncertain if they have been exposed.

Most at-home chlamydia testing detects evidence of the genetic material, known as DNA or RNA, of the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. These test kits allow individuals to collect their own samples of body fluid and return them to a laboratory for a type of analysis called nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT).

The nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) detects genetic material of the bacteria and can be conducted on a variety of samples, including urine, a throat swab, or a swab of fluid taken from the urethra, vagina, or rectum.

You may consider using an at-home chlamydia test if STD testing conducted by a doctor is unavailable or inconvenient. While testing for chlamydia at home may be appropriate for screening certain people, at-home test kits should not be used if you have active symptoms of chlamydia or if you have a sexual partner that has been diagnosed with this condition.

To diagnose or rule out chlamydia, you should talk to your doctor about the benefits and drawbacks of at-home chlamydia testing.

At-Home Chlamydia Test Advantages and Disadvantages

There are pros and cons of testing for chlamydia at home. Individuals deciding whether or not to use an at-home test to detect this common infection may find it helpful to consider both sides of this approach.

Benefits of at-home chlamydia testing include:

• Accessibility: Using an at-home test kit to screen for chlamydia is convenient, providing consumers with all of the supplies needed to self-collect samples from home. This approach is especially useful in settings in which physician-ordered STD testing is unavailable.
• Private sample collection: At-home chlamydia tests allow people to collect samples of urine or other body fluids privately and in the comfort of their home. For some, this at-home sample collection may feel less invasive.
• Straightforward pricing: While doctor visits, sample collection fees, and other costs associated with physician-ordered testing can add up quickly, at-home testing offers clear and simple pricing.
• Comprehensive testing options: When purchasing an at-home chlamydia test, consumers are often given the choice of combining chlamydia testing with other STD tests. Testing for other STDs can often be performed on the same sample used for chlamydia testing.

Potential disadvantages of at-home chlamydia testing include:

• Difficulties in sample collection: While collecting samples for at-home chlamydia testing improves privacy, there are potential challenges that may arise while a consumer is obtaining their samples. Each type of test sample that may be used requires carefully following several steps. Failure to properly obtain a sample can increase the likelihood of inaccurate test results.
• Out-of-pocket cost: An individual’s health insurance usually doesn’t cover the costs associated with at-home STD testing. Some people may choose physician-ordered testing if their health plan pays for in-office testing.
• Limited interaction with a doctor: Although some at-home testing companies allow consumers to talk with a doctor if test results are abnormal, these visits may be limited to strictly discussing chlamydia test results and not other sexual health concerns.
• Delayed treatment: For certain individuals with symptoms, doctors may recommend treatment for chlamydia before test results are returned. In these cases, ordering an at-home test kit and waiting for test results may delay treatment.

Interpreting At-Home Chlamydia Test Results

Results of at-home chlamydia testing are given as positive or negative.

• Positive test results mean that the test detected evidence of a chlamydia infection. Positive test results indicate the need for treatment as well as testing and/or treatment of an individual’s sexual partners. People should always contact a health care professional if they receive a positive result on an at-home chlamydia test.
• Negative test results mean that no evidence of an infection with Chlamydia trachomatis was detected in the sample used for testing. Even if an at-home test result is negative, individuals should talk with a doctor if they have symptoms of chlamydia.

Are the At-Home Chlamydia Test results accurate?

Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) is considered by experts to be the “gold standard” for chlamydia testing. Research suggests that self-collected samples generally provide accurate results that are comparable to results from samples collected by medical professionals.

The accuracy of chlamydia testing varies based on the type of sample used and the care taken in collecting the sample. For example, urine samples used to test women and other people with vaginas may miss up to 10% more infections than swab samples taken from the vagina or cervix.

Although not specific to at-home tests, results of chlamydia testing can be affected by:

• Taking certain antibiotics within a few days prior to testing
• Urinating within one hour of collecting a urine sample
• Vaginal douching within 24 hours of sample collection
• Mistakes in sample collection

Doctors are an important resource for patients with questions or concerns about the accuracy of at-home chlamydia testing. Consumers may also find it helpful to contact the companies providing at-home testing to ask if their test kits and laboratory methods have been studied for accuracy. If a sample is required to be sent to a laboratory, check to see if the lab is CLIA-certified and/or CAP (College of American Pathologists)-accredited, as these measures indicate a laboratory has met standards for quality assurance.

At-home chlamydia testing vs. doctor-ordered chlamydia testing

While both at-home and physician-ordered chlamydia tests detect evidence of chlamydia in samples of urine and other body fluids, there are important differences between these testing strategies.

The primary difference between at-home and physician-ordered chlamydia tests is where the test sample is collected. At-home testing allows patients to collect samples from the privacy of their home, while physician-ordered tests require that patients go to a medical facility for sample collection.

Although research suggests that the accuracy of these tests may be similar, there is much less known about the role of at-home chlamydia test kits compared to traditional physician-ordered chlamydia tests.

Another important difference between at-home and physician-ordered tests is the cost of testing and who pays for it. The cost of at-home testing may be more transparent, allowing patients to pay prior to testing, but health insurance companies often require that testing is conducted by a medical professional in order for the cost to be covered. This means that purchasing an at-home chlamydia test is typically paid for out-of-pocket.

Do I need follow-up chlamydia tests?

The need for follow-up testing depends on the chlamydia test results as well as your specific circumstances.

After a negative test result, you often do not need additional follow-up testing. A doctor can assist with creating a schedule for future chlamydia and other STD screening tests. If you are symptomatic and have a negative at-home test result, your doctor may advise repeat chlamydia testing or testing for another STD that might be the cause of symptoms.

People who receive positive test results require follow-up testing for chlamydia. To confirm the results of a positive at-home test, a doctor may recommend repeat testing with a sample collected by a health care professional.

In addition, people who have been diagnosed with chlamydia frequently have physician-ordered testing conducted from a few weeks to a few months after the initial test. This follow-up testing is done to check the effectiveness of treatment and make sure that a they have not been reinfected with chlamydia from an untreated partner during unprotected sex.

In some individuals, including pregnant people and those with persistent symptoms, additional follow-up testing may be recommended after treatment for chlamydia to ensure that treatment was successful in eliminating the bacteria that caused the infection. This type of chlamydia testing should be performed by a doctor who can support the patient in developing a follow-up care plan.

At-Home Chlamydia Test types

At-home chlamydia tests vary based on the cost, the type of sample required, as well as the process in which the sample is collected, handled, and tested. The following sections outline our picks for the best at-home chlamydia tests.

Best overall At-Home Chlamydia Test

myLAB Box – 3-Site Chlamydia and Gonorrhea At Home Kit

• Price: $179
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Oral swab, Anal swab, Urine
• Tests for: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea
• Results timeline: Within 2 to 5 days

The best overall at-home chlamydia test is the 3-Site Chlamydia and Gonorrhea At Home Kit from myLAB Box. This test detects both chlamydia and gonorrhea in three sites: the genitals, the anus, and the throat. Since these infections can be spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex, testing all three sites can help you know the overall status of your sexual health and to receive treatment if needed.

Test kits from myLAB Box use the same high-quality components that laboratories do.

Once your test kit arrives, carefully review instructions for collecting each of the three samples. The collection process should only take a few minutes. Urine samples are used to test for genital chlamydia and gonorrhea infections, while oral and anal swabs detect infections of the throat and anus.

After collecting your samples, use myLAB Box’s prepaid shipping materials to return your sample to their CLIA-certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) laboratory. Lab results are available in 2-5 days.

If you test positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea and want to consult a doctor, you can find resources through myLAB Box on how to schedule a free telemedicine consultation with a doctor in your state. The doctor you work with will be able to prescribe medications that you can pick up at your local pharmacy.

Best At-Home Chlamydia Test membership option

Everlywell – Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Test

• Price: $24.99 ($49 without membership)
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Urine
• Tests for: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea
• Results timeline: Within 5 to 7 business days

If you are sexually active, getting tested regularly for STDs is an important part of protecting your health. Everlywell’s membership program, Control, gives you access to regular, proactive at-home testing for a discounted price.

Among other STD test options, Everlywell offers a kit to test for both chlamydia and gonorrhea using a single urine sample.

Start by creating an account and buying your kit on the Everlywell website. A board-certified physician will then review your order. After your test kit is approved, Everlywell’s fulfillment warehouse will ship it within one business day.

Once your test kit arrives, read the provided instructions to learn how to collect, package, and return your urine sample. Be sure to register your kit online using the unique ID included in the test kit to ensure confidentiality.

After collecting a urine sample, mail it to one of Everlywell’s labs in the prepaid shipping package. All of Everlywell’s labs are CLIA-certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments), meaning they’ve demonstrated their adherence to federal quality standards. Test results are typically available within 5-7 business days after the lab receives your sample.

When your results are available, you’ll be notified via email. Log in to Everlywell’s secure online platform and review your test report, which will show whether or not you have been infected with chlamydia or gonorrhea. If your results are positive for one of these infections, a doctor in your state will reach out to you for free in order to discuss your case and prescribe any necessary treatment.

Best cheap At-Home Chlamydia Test

Health Testing Centers – Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test Kit

• Price: $79
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Urine
• Tests for: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea
• Results timeline: Within 3 to 4 business days

The Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test Kit from Health Testing Centers is our pick for the best at-home chlamydia test for people without insurance. The kit allows you to test for two common sexually transmitted diseases for a flat rate in the privacy of your own home.

Using the Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test Kit, you can collect a urine sample at home and send it to the laboratory, where it will be tested for the bacteria that cause chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Once you place your order on Health Testing Center’s website, the company will mail your test kit directly to your home. The test kit includes a collection cup, pipette, collection tube, and a biohazard bag, all of the supplies needed to obtain a urine specimen that will be mailed to a lab.

It’s best to collect urine first thing in the morning. Simply urinate into the collection cup and use the pipette to transfer urine from the collection cup to the collection tube. Close the collection tube tightly and write your information on the tube according to the package instructions.

Once you place your completed sample in the biohazard bag, it can be repackaged and mailed to one of Health Testing Center’s CLIA-certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) labs. The typical turnaround time for test results is 3-4 days after the sample arrives. You can access your test results through the patient portal on the Health Testing Center website.

Chlamydia treatment

Chlamydia trachomatis is treated with antibiotics. You might receive a one-time dose, or you might need to take the medication daily or multiple times a day for five to 10 days.

Recommended regimens for chlamydial infection among adolescents and adults ³:

• Doxycycline 100 mg orally 2 times/day for 7 days
• OR
• Azithromycin 1 g orally in a single dose
• OR
• Levofloxacin 500 mg orally once daily for 7 days

Recommended regimen for chlamydial infection during pregnancy ³:

• Azithromycin 1 g orally in a single dose
• OR
• Amoxicillin 500 mg orally 3 times/day for 7 days

In most cases, the infection resolves within one to two weeks. During that time, you should abstain from sex. Your sexual partner or partners also need treatment even if they have no signs or symptoms. Otherwise, the infection can be passed back and forth between sexual partners.

Having chlamydia or having been treated for it in the past doesn’t prevent you from getting it again.

Gonorrhea test at home

Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States. Gonorrhea is most common in young adults. The Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria that cause gonorrhea can infect the genital tract, mouth, or anus. In females, gonorrhea can also infect the cervix. You can get gonorrhea during vaginal, oral, or anal sex with an infected partner. A pregnant woman can pass it to her baby during childbirth. In babies, gonorrhea most commonly affects the eyes.

Gonorrhea does not always cause symptoms. In men, gonorrhea can cause pain when urinating and discharge from the penis. If untreated, it can cause problems with the prostate and testicles.

In women, the early symptoms of gonorrhea often are mild. Later, it can cause bleeding between periods, pain when urinating, and increased discharge from the vagina. If untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which causes problems with pregnancy and infertility.

Signs and symptoms of gonorrhea infection in men include:

• Painful urination
• Pus-like discharge from the tip of the penis
• Pain or swelling in one testicle

Signs and symptoms of gonorrhea infection in women include:

• Increased vaginal discharge
• Painful urination
• Vaginal bleeding between periods, such as after vaginal intercourse
• Abdominal or pelvic pain

Gonorrhea can also affect these parts of the body:

• Rectum. Signs and symptoms include anal itching, pus-like discharge from the rectum, spots of bright red blood on toilet tissue and having to strain during bowel movements.
• Eyes. Gonorrhea that affects your eyes can cause eye pain, sensitivity to light, and pus-like discharge from one or both eyes.
• Throat. Signs and symptoms of a throat infection might include a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
• Joints. If one or more joints become infected by bacteria (septic arthritis), the affected joints might be warm, red, swollen and extremely painful, especially during movement.

Gonorrhea testing detects evidence of infection with the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. There are several types of gonorrhea tests:

• Gonorrhea nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) testing: NAAT testing detects the genetic material (DNA) of the gonorrhea bacteria and is considered the optimal test for gonorrhea infection. This type of test can be performed on a urine sample or a swab taken from a site of potential infection.
• Gram stain: Gram stains look for certain types of cells that are characteristic of a gonorrhea infection under a microscope. This test is performed on urethral swabs and is used primarily in men who are experiencing urinary symptoms.
• Gonococcal culture: Gonococcal cultures attempt to grow the gonorrhea bacteria from swabs taken from sites of potential infection. Cultures are the only tests that detect the infection’s susceptibility to antibiotics. Doctors may order a gonococcal culture if they suspect that a patient has an antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhea.
• Rapid gonorrhea tests: While rapid testing for gonorrhea isn’t common, several tests are being developed to allow health care professionals to give same-day gonorrhea testing results.

Samples for gonorrhea nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) testing can be collected at home, while other gonorrhea tests must be performed by a healthcare professional. At-home testing for gonorrhea for both men and women involves collecting a urine sample in a container contained in the testing kit and using a prepaid shipping label to mail it to a certified lab for testing.

Results of the at-home gonorrhea nucleic acid amplification (NAAT) testing often take additional time, as the samples must be sent to a laboratory by mail before testing begins. Once the test is completed, results may be reported by phone or through a smartphone application associated with the company performing the testing.

If an at-home gonorrhea test comes back positive or if you have symptoms of gonorrhea, it’s important to talk with a doctor. Your doctor can help you manage your risk for gonorrhea and other STDs and answer questions about test results.

A negative test result means that there is no evidence of gonorrhea infection at the time of the test. Depending on the type of test, it can take days or weeks for a person infected with gonorrhea to test positive. For this reason, a negative result does not rule out a gonorrhea infection if the test is taken too soon after potential exposure.

Gonorrhea treatment is with antibiotics. Your partner also should go through testing and treatment for gonorrhea, even if he or she has no signs or symptoms. Your partner receives the same treatment you do. Even if you’ve been treated for gonorrhea, a partner who isn’t treated can pass it to you again.

Treating gonorrhea is becoming more difficult because drug-resistant strains are increasing. Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading gonorrhea. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms. The most reliable way to avoid infection is to not have anal, vaginal, or oral sex.

Gonorrhea treatment

Adults with gonorrhea are treated with antibiotics. Due to emerging strains of drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that uncomplicated gonorrhea be treated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone — given as an injection — with oral azithromycin (Zithromax).

If you’re allergic to cephalosporin antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, you might be given oral gemifloxacin (Factive) or injectable gentamicin and oral azithromycin.

Recommended regimen for uncomplicated gonococcal infection of the cervix, urethra, or rectum among adults and adolescents ⁴:

• Ceftriaxone 500 mg*  intramuscular injection (IM) in a single dose for persons weighing <150 kg
  • * For persons weighing ≥150 kg, 1 g ceftriaxone should be administered.
  • If chlamydial infection has not been excluded, treat for chlamydia with doxycycline 100 mg orally 2 times/day for 7 days.

If cephalosporin allergy:

• Gentamicin 240 mg IM in a single dose
• PLUS
• Azithromycin 2 g orally in a single dose

If ceftriaxone administration is not available or not feasible:

• Cefixime 800 mg* orally in a single dose
  • * If chlamydial infection has not been excluded, providers should treat for chlamydia with doxycycline 100 mg orally 2 times/day for 7 days.

A test of cure (i.e., repeat testing after completion of therapy) is unnecessary for persons who receive a diagnosis of uncomplicated urogenital or rectal gonorrhea who are treated with any of the recommended or alternative regimens. Any person with pharyngeal gonorrhea should return 7–14 days after initial treatment for a test of cure by using either culture or nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT); however, testing at 7 days might result in an increased likelihood of false-positive tests. If the NAAT is positive, effort should be made to perform a confirmatory culture before retreatment, especially if a culture was not already collected. All positive cultures for test of cure should undergo antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Symptoms that persist after treatment should be evaluated by culture for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (with or without simultaneous NAAT) and antimicrobial susceptibility. Persistent urethritis, cervicitis, or proctitis also might be caused by other organisms.

A high prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoea infection has been observed among men and women previously treated for gonorrhea ⁵. The majority of these infections result from reinfection caused by failure of sex partners to receive treatment or the initiation of sexual activity with a new infected partner, indicating a need for improved patient education and treatment of sex partners. Men or women who have been treated for gonorrhea should be retested 3 months after treatment regardless of whether they believe their sex partners were treated; scheduling the follow-up visit at the time of treatment is encouraged. If retesting at 3 months is not possible, clinicians should retest whenever persons next seek medical care <12 months after initial treatment.

At-Home Herpes Test

Genital and oral herpes are common viral infections caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). They are two of eight types of herpesviruses.

There are two types of herpes simplex viruses (HSV):

• Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1): HSV-1 often causes cold sores or fever blisters on the lips or around the mouth and are common symptoms of an oral herpes infection. This type of HSV can be seen in children as well as adults.
• Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2): HSV-2 is the usual cause of genital herpes and is classified as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). The CDC has estimated that one of every six people between the ages of 14 to 49 years have genital herpes.

Although HSV-2 is most often associated with genital herpes, both types of HSV can cause an oral or genital infection.

Herpes simplex viruses are transmitted easily through skin-to-skin and sexual contact, as well as saliva. Herpes can not be transmitted from toilet seats, bedding, swimming pools, or common household objects (silverware, towels, etc.) It can spread even when symptoms are not present.

After an initial herpes outbreak, HSV remains in the body and becomes inactive, also called dormant or latent, and does not cause symptoms. If the virus becomes active again, patients experience an outbreak of lesions or sores at the same site as the initial infection.

Several kinds of tests can be used to detect an HSV infection. At-home herpes test use a blood sample to detect antibodies to the herpes simplex virus (HSV). This can provide information about whether you have ever had an infection with the two main types of HSV. The purpose of at-home testing for genital and oral herpes is to look for evidence of past exposure to HSV and cannot distinguish between past and present HSV infections.

Antibodies are produced by a person’s immune system to defend the body against a potentially harmful substance, called an antigen.

Antibodies to HSV are only present in patients who have been infected with HSV at some point in their life. At-home genital and oral herpes tests cannot distinguish between a new or recent infection and an infection that occured in the past.

Antibodies to HSV are specific to the type of HSV and develop within a few weeks of being exposed to the virus but may take longer depending on the type of herpes. Antibodies to HSV remain in the body indefinitely. Some at-home kits test for only one type of herpes while others test for both HSV-1 and HSV-2.

After a person’s first outbreak of genital or oral herpes, the virus initially infects a person’s skin cells and eventually moves to their nerve cells. The virus may stay inactive in the nerve cells forever without causing another outbreak, or it may become active again in the future.

While at-home tests are often called herpes tests, it’s important to keep in mind that these tests do not detect all forms of herpesvirus, including shingles, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV). When purchasing an at-home herpes test, it’s important to look carefully at the types of herpesvirus the test is designed to detect.

There are different ways that an at-home blood test for oral and genital herpes may be used:

• Diagnosis: For people with active lesions or sores, direct testing of a sample taken from the lesion is the preferred diagnostic test and must be ordered by a doctor. However, when no active lesion is available to be tested, an at-home blood test can provide information about whether past symptoms could have been caused by HSV. Confirmation of HSV infection performed by a doctor may be required after an at-home test.
• Prevention: An at-home test can help determine if you are a carrier of HSV. If results are negative, an at-home test can help you understand that you may be susceptible to infection. In this way, testing may be used as part of a broader STD screening process.
• Screening: Blood testing may influence prevention or treatment for people who are at a higher risk of developing complications from an HSV infection.

In most cases though, at-home herpes blood testing cannot definitively show whether you have an active HSV infection. Physician-ordered testing is often necessary to confirm a diagnosis of genital or oral herpes.

Advantages and disadvantages of at-home genital and oral herpes testing

To decide if at-home genital and oral herpes testing is right for you, it’s important to remember that this form of testing has both benefits and downsides.

Benefits of at-home genital and oral herpes testing include:

• Transparent pricing: Costs can add up quickly when patients have testing performed in a doctor’s office or other medical facility. At-home testing offers transparent pricing that allows patients to rest assured that they understand the total price of genital and oral herpes testing.
• Privacy: At-home testing is private and convenient. Patients can order an at-home genital and oral herpes test kit when they want without having to make an appointment at a medical office or clinic.
• Easy to use: Testing for antibodies to HSV at home is a straightforward and simple process: order your test kit online, collect a small sample of blood from a simple finger prick using supplies contained in the test kit, and return your sample to the laboratory. Unlike testing performed by a doctor, there’s no waiting room or blood draw from your arm.

The disadvantages of at-home genital and oral herpes testing include:

• Limited test options: At-home genital and oral herpes tests only detect antibodies to HSV. There are several other types of tests for HSV available through a doctor’s office or laboratory. In addition to antibody tests, doctors can order a herpes viral culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, or a Tzanck smear. These tests are more accurate but also take more time to get results and are more expensive to perform.
• Unable to distinguish past and present infection: An at-home test cannot tell you when you were infected with an HSV infection, which limits its role as a diagnostic test for active symptoms. In fact, it can take a week or more for an initial antibody response and eventually reaches a peak in 2-4 weeks. Therefore, an at-home test may come back negative if you have recently contracted oral or genital herpes.
• Not recommended by experts: According to the CDC, there is no evidence that screening people without symptoms of HSV is beneficial. Testing does not appear to change sexual behavior or reduce the spread of this virus. Experts warn that the emotional harm and stigma associated with having genital or oral herpes outweighs the potential benefits of screening.
• Risks of false-positive results: False-positive test results occur when a test incorrectly gives a positive result despite the patient not having the condition. While false positive results are possible in many STD tests, inaccurate results can carry more risks in conditions like herpes that are incurable, life-long, and may carry stigma.

As you consider the benefits and disadvantages of at-home genital and oral herpes testing, it may be helpful to talk with a doctor or other health professional about testing for HSV in your specific case. It is especially important to talk with a doctor if you have active symptoms of a herpes infection.

Laboratory vs At-Home Herpes testing

There are significant differences between genital and oral herpes tests conducted at-home and those ordered by a doctor.

Several important tests used to diagnose genital and oral herpes are not available as at-home tests. Herpes viral cultures and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, both of which are only conducted in-lab, are the preferred tests for patients during a genital or oral herpes outbreak.

Although in-lab testing is more appropriate for most patients, it can be inconvenient and may cost more than at-home testing.

When should I get a genital and oral herpes test?

In general, genital and oral herpes testing is only recommended for patients that show symptoms of an HSV infection, patients who are at an increased risk of contracting the virus (i.e., immunocompromised people), and patients who may develop severe complications from an infection.

There are no expert guidelines for when to use an at-home genital and oral herpes test. Lab-based testing overseen by a doctor is typically recommended for patients experiencing active symptoms that could be caused by an HSV infection. Symptoms of HSV infection may be mild or severe, including:

• Itching, burning, or tingling near the site of infection
• Blisters or rashes
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Pain when swallowing
• Muscle aches
• Decreased appetite
• Pain during urination
• Vaginal discharge

Genital and oral herpes testing may also be recommended for certain groups of people, including:

• Sexual partners of people diagnosed with genital herpes
• People looking for a comprehensive STD test panel, particularly those with multiple sexual partners
• Infants born to a parent with an HSV infection, as herpes can spread to the baby during pregnancy.

Outside of these groups of people, screening for herpes in patients without symptoms or the above factors is not recommended by expert groups.

If a patient is concerned about having genital or oral herpes, it’s important to talk to a doctor. A doctor can assess the patient’s risk for HSV, discuss testing strategies, and evaluate whether at-home testing is appropriate.

Interpreting At-Home Herpes Test results

The results of at-home genital and oral herpes testing detail whether antibodies to HSV were detected in the blood sample used for testing. A patient’s test report may describe results as negative, positive, or inconclusive.

A positive test result means that antibodies to HSV were found in the sample. This result means that a patient was infected with HSV at some point. A test for HSV antibodies cannot tell if they are having a current outbreak or if the virus is dormant. Blood antibody testing also cannot determine if an infection is oral or genital.

A negative result means that antibodies to HSV were not found in the test sample. There are several potential causes of a negative test result:

• The patient has never been infected with HSV-1 or HSV-2
• A patient’s HSV infection is too recent. If infection occurred before the body was able to produce sufficient antibodies for a positive test result, typically within a couple of weeks to three months, the test may return a false negative result.

An inconclusive result may occur if the finger isn’t sufficiently disinfected or if an inadequate amount of blood sample is collected.

An at-home genital and oral herpes test report may also include information about the type of antibodies detected in the blood sample. Determining whether a patient’s infection was caused by HSV-1 or HSV-2 can help guide a patient’s medical care.

Are At-Home Herpes Test results accurate?

Testing is an important step in accurately diagnosing genital and oral herpes, and there are several types of tests that may be used to establish a diagnosis. Although blood antibody testing is appropriate for some patients, it’s not considered the most accurate way of diagnosing a current HSV infection. Experts have several concerns about using blood testing to diagnose genital and oral herpes:

• Accuracy of tests vary: Not all commercially available blood tests that detect antibodies to HSV have the same level of accuracy due to shared characteristics of the different types of herpesviruses. For example, persons who were infected with the chickenpox/shingles virus may have a higher risk of false positive results.
• Not all tests describe the type of HSV: Some blood tests cannot tell the difference between antibodies to HSV-1 and antibodies to HSV-2, so they require additional laboratory testing to determine the kind of antibody detected.
• Can’t tell between genital and oral infections: Unlike tests that require a sample taken during an outbreak, blood antibody tests cannot distinguish between a genital (HSV-2) and oral (HSV-1) infections because either can be found at both sites, so at-home tests alone cannot diagnose genital or oral herpes.

Although there are drawbacks to at-home genital and oral herpes tests, there are situations in which blood antibody testing may be appropriate. Patients interested in at-home genital and oral herpes testing should talk to their doctor about their individual circumstances and the accuracy of test results.

Do I need follow-up tests?

Follow-up testing may be necessary to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of genital or oral herpes. In general, confirmation testing using a different laboratory method than the first test is recommended after HSV antibody testing conducted with a blood sample.

If a patient receives a negative test result but has symptoms that are suggestive of genital or oral herpes, doctors may recommend additional testing. This also applies to patients who may have been exposed to HSV within the previous 12 weeks or before sufficient antibodies can develop in the body.

For patients who receive a positive test result, additional testing may be needed if the original blood antibody test didn’t identify the type of HSV causing a patient’s infection.

If a patient is confirmed to have genital or oral herpes, their doctor may recommend treatment. While there is no cure for an HSV infection, treatment for herpes can reduce outbreaks and decrease the likelihood of spreading HSV to sexual partners. For most, HSV infections may result in only minor health problems, but for some, significant complications may occur.

At-Home genital and oral herpes test types

There are several options for at-home herpes tests. The following sections describe some of our picks for the best at-home genital and oral herpes tests.

Best overall At-Home Herpes Test

LetsGetChecked – Herpes Test

• Price: $119
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood
• Tests for: HSV-1, HSV-2
• Results timeline: 2 to 5 days after sample is received

LetsGetChecked offers one of the few at-home options to test for two herpes simplex viruses: HSV-1, most often associated with oral herpes, and HSV-2, generally associated with genital herpes. This comprehensive approach, combined with their quick results, makes the Herpes Test from LetsGetChecked our pick for the best overall at-home herpes test.

The test kit provides everything you need to collect a small sample of blood at home and send it to a lab to be analyzed.

To collect your sample you will use a medical device called a lancet. The tiny needle in the lancet pricks the skin just enough to draw a few drops of blood from a fingertip. You can then place the blood in the provided collection tube. After sealing the tube, put it in the provided bag, place the bag in the prepaid shipping package, and mail it to the CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments)-approved lab.

Once your sample arrives at one of LetsGetChecked’s partner labs, it’s tested for both HSV-1 and HSV-2. You can view your results in your secure online account within 2-5 days. If your test results are positive for HSV-1 or HSV-2, you can speak with the medical support team at LetsGetChecked, which is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide treatment information.

Because antibodies to HSV-1 and HSV-2 do not appear in the body for at least a few weeks after exposure, testing too soon can produce a negative result in someone who is, in fact, infected with herpes. If you’re interested in regular screening tests for herpes or other sexually transmitted infections, LetsGetChecked offers a subscription program with several options for testing frequency.

Best At-Home Herpes Test for discreet shipping

myLAB Box – At-Home Herpes Test

• Price: $79
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample:Blood
• Tests for: HSV-2
• Results timeline: 2 to 5 days after sample is received

The At-Home Herpes Test from myLAB Box is our top pick for discreet shipping. Test kits are shipped in inconspicuous packaging and include a low-profile return envelope. Shipping is also fast and free in both directions.

Testing for HSV-2 is simple with myLAB Box. Order your test kit online, collect a blood sample at home, and return your sample to the lab. Lab-certified results are available within 2-5 days. If you test positive, myLAB Box will provide a free phone consultation with a physician to discuss your results.

The At-Home Herpes Test kit includes all of the supplies you need to collect a sample in five minutes. Instructions will walk you through using a lancet, collecting your sample, and packaging it for return shipping.

Testing at myLAB Box is conducted at CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments)-certified laboratories that are qualified to perform high-complexity clinical testing. In 2-5 days, you will receive an email with a link to where you can access your results on myLAB Box’s secure online portal.

At-Home Herpes Test with the clearest instructions

Health Testing Centers Herpes Type 2 Test Kit

• Price: $89
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood
• Tests for: HSV-2
• Results timeline: 3 to 4 business days after sample is received

While many at-home testing companies don’t offer written instructions before your test kit arrives, Health Testing Centers provides clear, detailed test instructions on their user-friendly website. The instructions also include helpful tips for successful sample collection, making the Herpes Type 2 Test Kit from Health Testing Centers our selection for clearest instructions.

After placing an order online, your test kit is sent out. It will arrive with all of the supplies needed to collect a blood sample. Start by filling out your personal information on the test kit and reading the provided instructions. Then wash your hands and clean your fingertip using an alcohol pad.

The test kit includes a lancet, which is used to draw blood by puncturing the skin on a non-dominant finger. As drops of blood form, carefully touch them to the circles on the blood from the test kit. Be sure to get enough blood to fill each of the circles completely.

After collecting your sample, allow the blood card to dry on a flat surface for 15 minutes. Then close the blood card and place it in the biohazard bag. Your sample is now ready to return to the laboratory for testing. The lab will make your results available 3-4 days after they receive the sample.

Remember that testing too soon after exposure to herpes can lead to a negative result even if you are infected. It takes several weeks for antibodies to build up in the body.

Most customizable At-Home Herpes Test

iDNA Herpes 2 Test

• Price: $78
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood
• Tests for: HSV-2
• Results timeline: 2 to 7 days after sample is received

iDNA® (I Do Need Answers®) is a sexual wellness service that enables you to choose the STD testing strategy that works best for you. They offer individual STD tests and several pre-designed test kits. You also have the option to customize a kit with any of their individual STD tests.

The iDNA Herpes 2 Test detects HSV-2 without having to make a doctor’s appointment or lab visit. After filling out your information online, your iDNA test kit will arrive in 3-5 business days, although there are several options for faster shipping.

When your test kit arrives, it will include a QR code you can use to create your online account, register your kit, and access detailed instructions on how to collect your samples. Use the enclosed blood collection kit to collect your sample, then place it in the provided biohazard bag and slip it into the prepaid return shipping box.

Once your sample arrives at the lab, it is analyzed using an antibody test to detect the presence of IgG antibodies, which are produced by your immune system a few weeks after exposure to HSV-2. Results of your HSV-2 test are usually available in two to seven days on iDNA’s online portal.

iDNA offers free retesting after a positive result. If you’d like to confirm the findings, you can request a free one-time retest of HSV-2 and only pay for shipping and handling.

Genital herpes treatment

There’s no cure for genital herpes. Treatment with prescription antiviral medications may:

• Help sores heal sooner during an initial outbreak
• Lessen the severity and duration of symptoms in recurrent outbreaks
• Reduce the frequency of recurrence
• Minimize the chance of transmitting the herpes virus to another

Antiviral medications used for first clinical episode of genital herpes include ⁶:

• Acyclovir (Zovirax) 400 mg orally 3 times/day for 7–10 days
  • Acyclovir 200 mg orally five times/day is also effective but is not recommended because of the frequency of dosing.
• Valacyclovir (Valtrex) 1 gm orally 2 times/day for 7–10 days
• Famciclovir 250 mg orally 3 times/day for 7–10 days

Treatment can be extended if healing is incomplete after 10 days of therapy.

Suppressive therapy for recurrent HSV-2 genital herpes ⁶:

• Acyclovir 400 mg orally 2 times/day
• Valacyclovir 500 mg orally once a day*
  • * Valacyclovir 500 mg once a day might be less effective than other valacyclovir or acyclovir dosing regimens for persons who have frequent recurrences (i.e., ≥10 episodes/year).
• Valacyclovir 1 gm orally once a day
• Famciclovir 250 mg orally 2 times/day

Your doctor may recommend that you take the medicine only when you have symptoms of an outbreak or that you take a certain medication daily, even when you have no signs of an outbreak. These medications are usually well-tolerated, with few side effects.

Episodic therapy for recurrent HSV-2 genital herpes

Episodic treatment of recurrent herpes is most effective if therapy is initiated within 1 day of lesion onset or during the prodrome that precedes some outbreaks. The patient should be provided with a supply of drug or a prescription for the medication with instructions to initiate treatment immediately when symptoms begin. Acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir appear equally effective for episodic treatment of genital herpes (466–470).

Recommended regimens for episodic therapy for recurrent HSV-2 genital herpes ⁶:

• Acyclovir 800 mg orally 2 times/day for 5 days
• Acyclovir 800 mg orally 3 times/day for 2 days
  • *Acyclovir 400 mg orally 3 times/day is also effective, but are not recommended because of frequency of dosing.
• Famciclovir 1 gm orally 2 times/day for 1 day
• Famciclovir 500 mg once, followed by 250 mg 2 times/day for 2 days
• Famciclovir 125 mg 2 times/day for 5 days
• Valacyclovir 500 mg orally 2 times/day for 3 days
• Valacyclovir 1 gm orally once daily for 5 days

At Home Syphilis Test

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It infects the genital area, lips, mouth, or anus of both men and women. Syphilis starts as a painless sore known as a chancre — typically on the genitals, in the vagina, around the anus or in the rectum or in or around the mouth. Syphilis spreads from person to person via skin or mucous membrane contact with these sores (chancres). You usually get syphilis during vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has it. Correct usage of latex condoms greatly reduces, but does not completely eliminate, the risk of catching or spreading syphilis. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms. The most reliable way to avoid infection is to not have anal, vaginal, or oral sex. In addition, pregnant women with syphilis can transmit the infection to their unborn child.

The average time between acquisition of syphilis and the start of the first symptom is 21 days, but can range from 10 to 90 days. Syphilis is easy to cure with antibiotics if you catch it early.

Syphilis is divided into stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). There are different signs and symptoms associated with each stage. Syphilis is contagious during its primary and secondary stages, and sometimes in the early latent period.

1. Primary syphilis: The first sign of syphilis is a small sore, called a chancre. The sore appears at the spot where the bacteria entered your body. While most people infected with syphilis develop only one chancre, some people develop several of them. The chancre usually develops about three weeks after exposure. Many people who have syphilis don’t notice the chancre because it’s usually painless, and it may be hidden within the vagina or rectum. The chancre will heal on its own within three to six weeks.
2. Secondary syphilis: Within a few weeks of the original chancre healing, you may experience a rash that begins on your trunk but eventually covers your entire body — even the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. This rash is usually not itchy and may be accompanied by wartlike sores in your mouth or genital area. Some people also experience hair loss, muscle aches, a fever, a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. These signs and symptoms may disappear within a few weeks or repeatedly come and go for as long as a year.
3. Latent syphilis: If you aren’t treated for syphilis, the disease moves from the secondary stage to the hidden (latent) stage, when you have no symptoms. The latent stage can last for years. Signs and symptoms may never return, or the disease may progress to the third (tertiary) stage.
4. Tertiary syphilis: About 15% to 30% of people infected with syphilis who don’t get treatment will develop complications known as tertiary syphilis. In the late stage, the disease may damage the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones and joints. These problems may occur many years after the original, untreated infection.
5. Neurosyphilis and Ocular Syphilis: At any stage, syphilis can spread and, among other damage, cause damage to the brain and nervous system (neurosyphilis) and the eye (ocular syphilis).
   • Symptoms of neurosyphilis include:
     • severe headache;
     • difficulty coordinating muscle movements;
     • paralysis (not able to move certain parts of your body);
     • numbness; and
     • dementia (mental disorder).
   • Symptoms of ocular syphilis include changes in your vision and even blindness.
6. Congenital syphilis: Babies born to women who have syphilis can become infected through the placenta or during birth. Most newborns with congenital syphilis have no symptoms, although some experience a rash on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. Later signs and symptoms may include deafness, teeth deformities and saddle nose — where the bridge of the nose collapses. However, babies born with syphilis can also be born too early, may die in the womb before birth or can die after birth.

After the initial infection, the syphilis bacteria can remain inactive in the body for decades before becoming active again. Early syphilis can be cured, sometimes with a single shot (injection) of penicillin. Once cured, syphilis doesn’t return on its own. However, you can become reinfected if you have contact with someone’s syphilis sore.

The early stage of syphilis usually causes a single, small, painless sore. Sometimes it causes swelling in nearby lymph nodes. If you do not treat it, syphilis usually causes a non-itchy skin rash, often on your hands and feet. Many people do not notice symptoms for years. Symptoms can go away and come back.

The sores caused by syphilis make it easier to get or give someone HIV during sex. If you are pregnant, syphilis can cause complications, or you could lose your baby. In rare cases, syphilis causes serious health problems and even death.

At-home syphilis testing requires sending a small sample of blood to a laboratory for analysis. At-home syphilis test can provide information about whether you’ve ever been infected with syphilis but cannot distinguish between a current or past syphilis infection. Testing for syphilis using an at-home testing kit should not be considered a substitute for syphilis testing conducted by a doctor.

At-home syphilis tests detect antibodies that are produced by the immune system after exposure to the bacteria that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum. Two types of blood tests are used in diagnosing syphilis: treponemal tests and nontreponemal tests.

1. Treponemal antibody tests detect antibodies that have been generated due to infection from Treponema pallidum. It may take several weeks for these antibodies to develop after an infection. Treponemal antibodies remain in the body indefinitely after a person acquires syphilis. As a result, it is normal to still test positive for treponemal antibodies even after finishing treatment for syphilis. For this reason, treponemal antibody tests cannot distinguish between past and current infections. At-home syphilis tests are treponemal antibody tests.
2. Nontreponemal antibody tests are not available as at-home tests. These physician-ordered tests look for antibodies that are produced after the syphilis infection that are not specific to the presence of Treponema pallidum.

The purpose of at-home syphilis testing is to detect antibodies in the blood that develop only after a person has contracted syphilis. Although there is limited information about the role of at-home syphilis testing, some experts suggest that at-home testing may be a useful method of testing certain populations for this infection.

Advantages and disadvantages of At-Home Syphilis Tests

It is important to consider the possible benefits and drawbacks of at-home syphilis testing to decide if an at-home test is right for you.

Some of the benefits of at-home syphilis testing include:

• Convenience: At-home syphilis testing allows you to take the test in privacy and at a convenient time for you without having to wait for an appointment with your doctor.
• Easy sample collection: At-home syphilis tests offer easy and fast sample collection, taking a blood sample by simply pricking a fingertip with a tiny needle.
• Clear pricing: Testing at home allows you to understand the full cost of the test from start to finish, so you don’t have to worry about unexpected medical bills.
• Combining with other tests: Some at-home kits allow you to test for syphilis at the same time as testing for other STDs, saving you time and money and providing important information about your sexual health.

Some of the potential disadvantages of at-home syphilis testing include:

• NOT diagnostic: Although at-home treponemal antibody testing can detect evidence of exposure to syphilis, these tests cannot diagnose a current infection especially if there are no active symptoms. Abnormal results require additional physician-ordered tests.
• Consumer costs: When ordered by a doctor, syphilis testing may be paid for by a person’s health insurance, but health insurance plans usually don’t cover the cost of at-home testing.
• Limited access to a doctor: For those who have limited access to a physician, at-home testing companies may offer to connect you with a doctor if your test results are abnormal. However, these consultations will be about the current STD and won’t include an in-depth review of your medical history or needs.

Interpreting At-Home Syphilis Test results

The results of an at-home syphilis test may be reported as nonreactive/negative or reactive/positive.

• Nonreactive or negative at-home syphilis test results mean that the test did not find antibodies to the bacteria that causes syphilis. Individuals with nonreactive treponemal test results may not have a syphilis infection unless testing was done too soon after the initial encounter. Patients with symptoms or a known recent exposure should talk with their doctor even if an at-home syphilis test is negative.
• Reactive or positive at-home syphilis test results suggest that a person has been infected with syphilis at some point. This test result does not always mean that a person has an active syphilis infection that requires treatment because people who have been treated for syphilis in the past may still test positive on treponemal tests for the rest of their lives.

Individuals should review all results of at-home syphilis testing with their doctor, regardless of whether results are positive or negative. Confirming a diagnosis or ruling out a syphilis infection almost always requires several different tests in addition to a review of an individual’s health and sexual history.

Laboratory vs. At-Home Syphilis testing

Both at-home and laboratory-based syphilis testing use a sample of blood to look for evidence of a syphilis infection. While at-home testing allows people to collect a blood sample without leaving the house, physician-ordered testing requires one or more trips to the doctor.

A principal difference between these forms of syphilis testing is their ability to definitively diagnose syphilis. At-home testing offers treponemal testing, which can tell people if they’ve been exposed to syphilis in the past but not whether they currently have an infection that requires treatment. Physician-ordered testing allows the doctor to learn about a patient’s health and choose a testing strategy that is most appropriate for the patient’s needs.

Another difference between at-home and laboratory-based tests is who is responsible for the cost of testing. When a syphilis test is ordered by a doctor, much or all of the cost may be covered by a patient’s health insurance. In contrast, most at-home syphilis tests are not covered by insurance and require people to pay out-of-pocket.

Are At-Home Syphilis Tests accurate?

Both nontreponemal and treponemal antibody tests are important methods for detecting syphilis infections and preventing complications of this disease. Inaccurate results can occur, which is why doctors use strategies such as performing multiple tests to confirm positive results and taking a careful medical and sexual history to help interpret test results correctly.

Several conditions can cause a false positive result on a nontreponemal test, which means that the test result is positive despite the patient not having a syphilis infection. These conditions include IV drug use, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, Lyme disease, certain types of pneumonia, malaria, and autoimmune diseases.

False negative nontreponemal test results occur when a person tests negative, but they actually do have a syphilis infection. The most common reason for a false-negative result is that the antibodies detected in this type of syphilis test may not develop until 3 to 6 weeks after infection. Nontreponemal testing is also less accurate in patients in the tertiary stage of syphilis.

False positive test results can also occur in treponemal testing in patients who have been successfully treated for syphilis in the past. False negative test results may occur in treponemal tests during the first several weeks after infection.

Research regarding the accuracy of at-home syphilis testing suggests that at-home tests may be about as accurate as lab tests conducted on blood that has been collected by a medical professional.

The accuracy of syphilis testing can be affected by the amount of time between exposure to syphilis and whether the blood sample is collected properly. Treponemal tests may give negative test results for several weeks after an initial infection before the body produces sufficient antibodies or even symptoms.

People with questions or concerns about the accuracy of at-home syphilis testing should talk to their doctor and the at-home test provider. It may be helpful to ask at-home testing companies if they have any data on the accuracy of their testing method.

When should I get a At-Home Syphilis Test?

You may consider taking an at-home syphilis test if you want to learn more about your sexual health. At-home syphilis tests cannot diagnose syphilis within the first several weeks after exposure. Although a positive syphilis test indicates that you were infected with syphilis, it does not distinguish between a current infection or a past infection.

For most people, syphilis symptoms appear between 3 weeks and 3 months after the initial exposure to syphilis bacteria. If you believe you may have contracted syphilis, but you do not have symptoms, you should not take an at-home syphilis test. Instead, consult with your doctor for advice specific to your needs. Your doctor can also help you understand the benefits and downsides of at-home syphilis testing.

At-Home Syphilis Test Types

There are several brands offering home testing kits. The following selections represent our top choices for at-home syphilis testing.

Best overall At-Home Syphilis Test

Everlywell – Syphilis Test

• Price: $49
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood
• Tests for: Syphilis
• Results timeline: Within 5 to 7 business days

Everlywell receives our nod for best overall at-home syphilis test due to its affordability and a user-friendly website that provides detailed information about the testing process.

After registering on the Everlywell website and selecting your test, your order will be approved by a board-certified physician. The test uses a blood sample to detect the antibody that is produced by your immune system in response to the bacteria that causes syphilis.

After cleaning your hands, use the provided lancet to prick your finger. Place a drop or two of your blood on the collection card and allow it to dry. Then put your sample inside the biohazard bag and back into the original box. Use the prepaid return label to ship your sample to one of Everlywell’s labs for analysis.

Test results are typically available within 5 to 7 business days after the lab receives your kit. After a physician reviews your results, you’ll be notified by email that your test report is ready. You can then read or download your report on Everlywell’s secure, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)-compliant platform.

In the case of a positive syphilis test, a doctor in your state will reach out to you at no additional cost. Physicians can discuss your results, answer questions about your sexual health, and write prescriptions that can be filled at your chosen pharmacy.

Best At-Home Syphilis Test panel

LetsGetChecked – Standard 5

• Price: $149
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood, Urine
• Tests for: Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, HIV, Trichomoniasis
• Results timeline: Within 2 to 5 days

The Standard 5 from LetsGetChecked is a comprehensive option for STD testing, and it’s our pick for best at-home syphilis panel. This discreet method of testing for sexually transmitted diseases is mailed in a plain envelope with no reference to the company or the contents of the package.

The test utilizes one sample of blood and one sample of urine to look for evidence of syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and trichomoniasis. Your test kit arrives with everything you need to collect your samples and return them to one of LetsGetChecked’s partner laboratories.

Once your sample reaches the lab, test results are usually available within 2 to 5 days. To get your results, log in to your secure LetsGetChecked account. If you have any questions about your test report, the company offers individual support with a member of its clinical team.

If your Standard 5 comes back positive for chlamydia or trichomoniasis, LetsGetChecked’s medical team can prescribe and send you medications free of charge in most states.

Most customizable At-Home Syphilis Test

iDNA – Syphilis Test

• Price: Starting at $78
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood
• Tests for: Syphilis (9 additional tests available)
• Results timeline: Within 2 to 7 days

Based on your needs, iDNA lets you order an individual syphilis test or a predesigned package of tests consisting of ten different tests for sexually transmitted diseases: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis, Syphilis, Herpes 2, Hepatitis C, HIV I/II, HPV, Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma. You can also customize a kit with your own mix of STD tests.

To choose your STD testing strategy, sign up on the iDNA website. At home STD test kits sold by iDNA use FDA-cleared test components, and its lab is (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments)-certified and CAP (College of American Pathologists)-accredited, demonstrating a commitment to accuracy and high-quality testing.

The iDNA syphilis test detects antibodies to Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis infections. The kit includes the supplies needed to collect a small sample of blood in just a few minutes. Be sure to register your kit online before packaging your sample and returning it to iDNA using the prepaid shipping materials.

Results of the syphilis test are usually available within 2 to 7 days. When your test report is ready, you’ll receive an email notifying you that it has been posted to your secure online account following HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)-compliant protocols.

If your syphilis test is positive, iDNA offers free retesting to confirm your result and only charges for shipping and handling. If you would like to discuss your test result with a doctor, the company offers the option of purchasing a physician consultation.

At-Home Syphilis Test fastest shipping

myLAB Box – At Home Syphilis Test

• Price: $79
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood
• Tests for: Syphilis
• Results timeline: Within 2 to 5 days

If you want to get tested quickly, consider the At Home Syphilis Test from myLAB Box, which includes free two-day shipping.

Collecting your fingerstick blood sample takes just five minutes, so you can send it back to the (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments)-certified laboratory on the same day. After the lab receives your sample, results are delivered via email within 2 to 5 days following HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) security protocols.

While an at-home syphilis test can offer preliminary results, keep in mind that your doctor may need to conduct additional testing to confirm a positive test result. If your At Home Syphilis Test results are positive, myLAB Box offers free phone consultations with physicians who can provide guidance and information about treatment options.

Do I need follow-up syphilis tests?

The purpose of at-home syphilis testing is to detect antibodies in the blood that develop only after a person has contracted syphilis. Although there is limited information about the role of at-home syphilis testing, some experts suggest that at-home testing may be a useful method of testing certain populations for this infection.

If you have a positive test result on an at-home treponemal syphilis test, you should talk to your doctor about the next step in diagnosing syphilis. Generally, doctors recommend a nontreponemal test to confirm the diagnosis.

Negative test results may also require follow-up testing in people with symptoms of syphilis or in those with a very recent exposure. These individuals should talk to their doctor about which testing strategy is appropriate for their situation.

Syphilis treatment

When diagnosed and treated in its early stages, syphilis is easy to cure. The preferred treatment at all stages is penicillin, an antibiotic medication that can kill the organism that causes syphilis. If you’re allergic to penicillin, your doctor may suggest another antibiotic or recommend penicillin desensitization.

The recommended treatment for primary, secondary or early-stage latent syphilis — which refers to an infection within the last year — is a single injection of penicillin (Benzathine penicillin G 2.4 million units IM in a single dose) ⁷. If you’ve had syphilis for longer than a year, you may need additional doses.

Penicillin is the only recommended treatment for pregnant women with syphilis. Women who are allergic to penicillin can undergo a desensitization process that may allow them to take penicillin.

Even if you’re treated for syphilis during your pregnancy, your newborn child should be tested for congenital syphilis and if infected, receive antibiotic treatment.

The first day you receive treatment, you may experience what’s known as the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction. Signs and symptoms include a fever, chills, nausea, achy pain and a headache. This reaction usually doesn’t last more than one day.

Syphilis treatment follow-up

After you’re treated for syphilis, your doctor will ask you to:

• Have periodic blood tests and exams to make sure you’re responding to the usual dosage of penicillin. Your specific follow-up will depend on the stage of syphilis you’re diagnosed with.
• Avoid sexual contact with new partners until the treatment is completed and blood tests indicate the infection has been cured.
• Notify your sex partners so that they can be tested and get treatment if necessary.
• Be tested for HIV infection.

Trichomoniasis test at home

Trichomoniasis also called trich, is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Trichomoniasis spreads from person to person during sex, this includes penis-to-vagina intercourse or genital-to-genital contact. In women, the most commonly infected part of the body is the lower genital tract (vulva, vagina, cervix, or urethra). In men, the most commonly infected body part is the inside of the penis (urethra). Many people do not have any symptoms. If you do get symptoms, they usually happen within 5 to 28 days after being infected, but others do not develop symptoms until much later.

Most men who have trichomoniasis typically have no symptoms. If they do, they may have:

• Itching or irritation inside the penis
• Burning after urination or ejaculation
• Discharge from the penis

In women, trichomoniasis can cause a foul-smelling vaginal discharge, genital itching and painful urination. Trichomoniasis in women symptoms include:

• Yellow-green or gray discharge from the vagina with an unusual fishy smell
• Discomfort during sex
• Vaginal odor
• Painful urination
• Itching burning, and soreness of the vagina and vulva

Pregnant women who have trichomoniasis might be at higher risk of delivering their babies prematurely and their babies are more likely have a low birth weight.

Trichomoniasis symptoms can come and go, and without treatment, the infection can last for months or even years.

At-home trichomoniasis tests use either nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) or nucleic acid probe technology to find evidence of an infection with Trichomonas vaginalis in a sample of urine or a swab collected from the vagina. If you have trichomoniasis, you need to be tested for other STDs too.

Regardless of the results of at-home trichomoniasis testing, patients should follow up with their doctor for confirmation and a discussion of test results.

Trichomoniasis treatment is with antibiotics, typically metronidazole (Flagyl) or Tinidazole (Tindamax). If you are infected, you and your partner must be treated.

If you have trichomoniasis, you are at higher risk of getting HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). If you are HIV-positive, having trichomoniasis also raises your risk of passing HIV to your sex partner(s). Among women with HIV infection, trichomoniasis is associated with increased risk for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) ⁸. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that women with HIV get screened for trichomoniasis at least once a year ⁹.

Interpreting trichomoniasis test results

Trichomoniasis test results are typically reported as positive or negative. Test results reflect whether evidence of the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis was detected in the test sample.

• A positive test result indicates a diagnosis of trichomoniasis that requires treatment with a prescription medication. If an infection is found, your sexual partner(s) should also be tested and treated.
• A negative test result indicates that the parasite was not able to be detected in the sample. If trichomoniasis is still suspected, a different testing method may be used to confirm the initial test result.

Do I need follow-up trichomoniasis tests?

Follow-up testing is common after an initial test for trichomoniasis.

A positive result indicates that you likely have trichomoniasis. After diagnosis, your doctor may also suggest other STD tests, including tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.

If you’re diagnosed with trichomoniasis, it’s important to refrain from having sex until you and your sex partners have completed treatment. This usually takes around seven days. Follow-up trichomoniasis testing is recommended to ensure that you aren’t reinfected with this parasite and is typically conducted two weeks to three months after you finish treatment.

If your initial test is with wet-mount microscopy and is negative, further testing is still often necessary. To confirm a negative test result, samples collected from the penis or vagina may be used for NAAT or other methods of trichomoniasis testing.

The first step in testing for trichomoniasis usually involves collecting a sample and performing wet-mount microscopy. Samples may be taken from the penis or vagina with a small brush or swab. After preparing the samples, a doctor examines them under a microscope for the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. The collection process may be uncomfortable, but the discomfort is typically very brief. The accuracy of wet-mount microscopy can vary based on the doctor’s experience performing the test and how quickly the test is performed after the sample is collected. When the sample is evaluated within an hour of collection, it can accurately diagnose 30% to 64% of infections. The ability of this test to detect an infection decreases if an hour passes before the sample is analyzed.

Cultures can correctly detect an active infection in 70% to 85% of patients with trichomoniasis, although this can vary based on the type of test sample being evaluated.

Trichomoniasis treatment

The most common treatment for trichomoniasis, even for pregnant women, is to swallow one megadose of either metronidazole (Flagyl) or tinidazole (Tindamax). In some cases, your doctor might recommend a lower dose of metronidazole two times a day for seven days.

Recommended regimen for trichomoniasis among women ⁹:

• Metronidazole 500 mg 2 times/day for 7 days

Recommended regimen for trichomoniasis among men ⁹:

• Metronidazole 2 g orally in a single dose

Alternative regimen for women and men ⁹:

• Tinidazole 2 g orally in a single dose

Both you and your partner need treatment. And you need to avoid sexual intercourse until the infection is cured, which takes about a week.

Don’t drink alcohol for 24 hours after taking metronidazole or 72 hours after taking tinidazole, because it can cause severe nausea and vomiting.

Your doctor will likely want to retest you for trichomoniasis from two weeks to three months after treatment to be sure you haven’t been reinfected.

Untreated, trichomoniasis can last for months to years.

At-home human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that attacks your immune system. HIV can also be spread by contact with infected blood or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding.

To become infected with HIV, infected blood, semen or vaginal secretions must enter your body. This can happen in several ways:

• Having unprotected sex with a person with HIV. This is the most common way that HIV spreads. You may become infected if you have vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected partner whose blood, semen or vaginal secretions enter your body. The HIV virus can enter your body through mouth sores or small tears that sometimes develop in the rectum or vagina during sexual activity.
• By sharing drug needles. Sharing contaminated IV drug paraphernalia (needles and syringes) puts you at high risk of HIV and other infectious diseases, such as hepatitis.
• Through contact with the blood of a person with HIV
• From blood transfusions. In some cases, the virus may be transmitted through blood transfusions. American hospitals and blood banks now screen the blood supply for HIV antibodies, so this risk is very small.
• From mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Infected mothers can pass the virus on to their babies. Mothers who are HIV-positive and get treatment for the infection during pregnancy can significantly lower the risk to their babies.

At-home HIV testing checks the blood or oral fluid for antigens and/or antibodies that are produced in response to the virus. At-home HIV testing is a form of screening that requires follow-up testing if test results are positive.

At-home HIV tests don’t look for the virus itself. Instead, they look for either antibodies alone or both antigens and antibodies. If these substances are detected, the test returns a positive result for HIV.

• Antibodies are produced by the body in response to HIV infection. At-home tests that look for antibodies alone detect these substances in the blood or oral fluid. It can take several weeks after an HIV infection for the body to produce antibodies, so these tests can detect HIV 12 weeks after infection.
• Antigens are substances that the body recognizes as foreign and activate an immune response. Testing for both antigens and antibodies at home requires a blood sample taken from a fingerstick. Because antigens appear before the body produces antibodies, HIV tests that look for both antigens and antibodies can detect an HIV infection within only 2 to 4 weeks of becoming infected.

There are two kinds of at-home HIV tests:

1. Rapid Self HIV Test (OraQuick retail price around $40) is done entirely at home or in a private location and can produce results within 20 minutes. You can buy a rapid HIV self-test kit at a pharmacy or online. The only rapid self-test currently available in the US is an oral fluid test called OraQuick. For the rapid self-test, you must swab your gums to collect an oral fluid sample and use the materials in the kit to test your oral fluid sample. You will be able to get a result within 20 minutes. It is important to follow the directions as described in the instructions or the test will not work. There is a phone number included with the HIV self-test for anyone to call to get help with conducting the test.
   • You should always interpret the rapid self-test according to the test manufacturer’s instructions (https://oraquick.com/taking-the-test):
     • If the test result is negative, and you haven’t had a possible exposure during the previous 3 months, you can be confident you don’t have HIV.
     • If your test result is positive, go to a health care provider for follow-up testing.
     • Some people have difficulty in conducting a rapid self-test and the test does not perform as it should. If a rapid HIV self-test is invalid as described in the instructions, then the test has not worked. In this case, you will need to use another rapid self-test, a mail-in self-test, or seek testing at a health care provider or testing center.
2. Mail-In HIV Self-Test includes a specimen collection kit that contains supplies to collect dried blood from a fingerstick at home. The sample is then sent to a lab for testing and the results are provided by a health care provider. Mail-in self HIV tests can be ordered through various online merchant sites. Your health care provider can also order a mail-in self-test for you. Directly purchased self-tests (purchased online) may not be covered by private health insurance or Medicaid. Check with your insurance provider and your health care provider about reimbursement for mail-in self-tests that are self-purchased. Some mail-in self-test providers can bill your insurance for you.
   • There are many mail-in self-testing services available through online merchants. The mail-in self-testing HIV kit you receive provides the tools you will need to safely prick your finger and collect a very small sample of blood on a card. The sample is then mailed to a laboratory for testing. When the testing is completed a health care provider will contact you with the results. You should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to ensure you collect a good sample.
     • If the test result is negative, and you haven’t had a possible exposure during the previous 3 months, you can be confident you don’t have HIV.
     • If your test result is positive, go to a health care provider for follow-up testing.

NOTE: State laws regarding HIV self-testing vary and may limit availability. Check with your health care provider for additional testing options. Go here to find Free, Fast, and Confidential STD Testing Near You (https://gettested.cdc.gov). Or visit the Greater Than AIDS Web site to access FREE HIV self-tests as part of a limited time distribution effort (https://www.greaterthan.org/free-hiv-self-test).

If you’ve been diagnosed with HIV, it’s important to find a specialist trained in diagnosing and treating HIV to help you:

• Determine whether you need additional testing
• Determine which HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) will be best for you
• Monitor your progress and work with you to manage your health

If you think you have been exposed to HIV within the last 72 hours, PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) – may be an option.

Without medication, it may take years before HIV weakens your immune system, by interfering with your body’s ability to fight infection and disease, to the point that you have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is the final stage of infection with HIV, which is a potentially life-threatening condition where you’ll be more likely to develop opportunistic infections or opportunistic cancers (diseases that wouldn’t usually cause illness in a person with a healthy immune system). AIDS happens when the body’s immune system is badly damaged because of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Not everyone with HIV develops AIDS.

Thanks to better antiviral treatments, most people with HIV in the U.S. today don’t develop AIDS. Untreated, HIV typically turns into AIDS in about 8 to 10 years.

There’s no cure for HIV/AIDS, but medications can dramatically slow the progression of the disease. These drugs have reduced AIDS deaths in many developed nations.

Advantages and disadvantages of At-Home HIV testing

At-home HIV test is different from test done in a medical office or laboratory. Accordingly, it has specific advantages and risks.

Advantages of at-home HIV testing include:

• Convenience: You can do the test on your own time and without having to set up an appointment or travel to a medical facility.
• Simplicity: Test kits are designed to make the process straightforward and easy to do in your own home.
• Transparent pricing: Because you do the sample collection yourself, there are no copays or unexpected technician fees for at-home tests.

Disadvantages of at-home HIV testing include:

• Confirmatory tests needed: Although generally accurate, at-home tests are not the final word. Test results, especially for HIV-positive results, need to be confirmed with an additional laboratory test.
• Potential for errors in sample collection: While kits offer detailed instructions, the safeguards that exist to prevent errors and contamination in a specialized lab are not present in your home environment.
• Results without a doctor’s guidance: With an at-home test, you won’t have your doctor immediately on hand to explain what the results mean for your health.
• Varying test quality: Not all tests are created equal, and some tests may be more likely to return inaccurate results.
• Not covered by insurance: You typically have to pay for at-home tests out-of-pocket and without insurance coverage.
• Not available in all states: Regulatory requirements limit the availability of some types of at-home tests in certain U.S. states.

Interpreting At-Home HIV Test Results

Results from at-home HIV testing will show that antigens and/or antibodies for HIV were either detected or undetected. If they were detected, this is considered a positive test result.

As with any medical test, it’s important to be cautious when interpreting results. The best way to review any test result or health concern is by talking with your doctor.

Essential considerations related to the results of at-home HIV testing include:

• Positive tests require follow-up testing: A second test conducted in a laboratory is necessary if an initial screening test, such as an at-home test, is positive.
• Tests don’t detect recent HIV exposure: Depending on the type of test, it can take 2-12 weeks for an infected person to test positive. For this reason, a negative result does not rule out an infection with HIV if the test is taken soon after potential exposure.
• Tests should not guide behavior: High-risk behavior should be avoided regardless of whether a test result is positive or negative.
• Regular screening may be necessary: People with multiple or recurring exposures to HIV need repeat screenings that account for the time between exposure and the development of antibodies and/or antigens that can be detected on tests.
• Testing may make you anxious: Taking a test and getting results may cause worry or anxiety. Consider talking with a doctor, mental health professional, or support organization to get help with the emotional impacts of testing.

At-Home HIV Test Types

Several companies offer at-home HIV testing. The following sections detail the best at-home HIV tests.

Best overall at-home HIV test

OraQuick – In-Home HIV Test

• Price: $39.99
• Type: Self-test
• Sample: Oral fluid
• Tests for: HIV antibodies
• Results timeline: 20 minutes

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test is a safe and FDA approved method of testing for HIV from the privacy of your home. With over 20 million tests sold, it has been recommended by health care professionals for more than 15 years. Test kits are available on the OraQuick website and at other authorized online and physical retailers.

Taking the in-home HIV test is as simple as it gets. Gently swipe a test stick along your upper and lower gums, then insert it into a test tube. After 20 minutes, you can read the results on the testing device using straightforward, step-by-step instructions.

OraQuick’s product is the only at-home oral HIV test that is approved by the FDA. Oral fluid HIV tests are typically very accurate. In studies, the OraQuick test correctly detected 91.7% of people who were infected with HIV and 99.9% of people who were not infected with the virus.

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test is FDA-approved for people 17 and older. It detects antibodies, which are blood proteins created by the body to fight an HIV infection. The test can detect antibodies three months after a risk event.

If you decide to try the OraQuick product, remember that a positive test result does not necessarily mean that you are infected with HIV. Rather, it means that additional testing should be done in a medical setting to confirm the result.

If you need support when taking this test, the OraQuick website has an extensive Q&A section. For more personal assistance, the company offers a 24/7 call center with support in both English and Spanish.

Most comprehensive at-home HIV test

Everlywell – HIV Test

• Price: $49
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood
• Tests for: HIV antibodies, Antigens, P24
• Results timeline: Within 5 business days

The Everlywell HIV Test includes confirmation testing and free consultation with an independent physician in the case of positive test results.

The testing kit is available on the Everlywell website and is shipped in discreet packaging. Just register your kit on the company’s website and follow the instructions to collect a few drops of blood from your fingertip. Postage is free both ways, making it easy to return your test sample.

Once your sample is received by Everlywell’s labs, results are usually available within five business days. You’ll be notified when your results are ready through the company’s secure online platform.

Everlywell’s fourth-generation test is more than 99% accurate and can detect an HIV infection 18 to 90 days after a risk event. The company offers a steep discount on testing if you sign up for Control, its monthly subscription service.

Fastest at-home HIV Blood Test Results

myLAB Box – HIV Home Test

• Price: $79
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood
• Tests for: HIV antibodies, Antigens, P24
• Results timeline: Within 2 to 5 days

The HIV Home Test from myLAB Box offers fast delivery and quick results. After an order is placed on the company’s website, it is processed and shipped within 24 hours. Once you collect and mail your sample to one of myLAB Box’s partner labs, test results are available in 2 to 5 days.

The at-home HIV test uses a self-collected sample of blood. Using a retractable needle called a lancet, prick your fingertip and place a few drops of blood on a special card provided in the test kit. Then enclose your sample in self-addressed and prepaid packaging and ship it to an accredited lab for testing.

Once your sample arrives at the lab, results are typically available within a few days through your HIPAA-secure online account. Test results are more than 99.9% accurate.

In the case of positive results, myLAB Box offers free post-test consultations by professional STD counselors and physicians via telemedicine.

Best STD Panel Test that includes HIV

LetsGetChecked – Standard 5

• Price: $149
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Blood, Urine
• Tests for: HIV (I, II, P24 antigen), Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis
• Results timeline: Within 2 to 5 days

LetsGetChecked’s most popular STD test is the Standard 5, a panel that can detect five of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. This panel checks all the boxes: discreet packaging, quick results, 1-on-1 support, and even medication for chlamydia and trichomoniasis at no extra cost. The kit is available on the LetsGetChecked website and includes free shipping.

The Standard 5 test kit provides all the supplies needed to collect samples of blood and urine. After washing your hands and wiping them with an alcohol pad, prick your finger with a lancet and collect your blood sample in the tube provided. Urine samples should be collected in the morning, before taking a shower, in a small collection tube.

Samples can be shipped free of charge to LetsGetChecked’s network of laboratories that have met standards for CLIA certification and ISO accreditation. Test results are available on a secure online dashboard in 2 to 5 days.

Keep in mind that many STDs can be asymptomatic, which means you may not realize you have an infection unless you get tested.

HIV Prevention

There’s no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for AIDS. But you can protect yourself and others from infection.

To help prevent the spread of HIV:

• Use treatment as prevention (TasP). If you’re living with HIV, taking HIV medication can keep your partner from becoming infected with the virus. If you make sure your viral load stays undetectable — a blood test doesn’t show any virus — you won’t transmit the virus to anyone else. Using TasP means taking your medication exactly as prescribed and getting regular checkups.
• Use post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if you’ve been exposed to HIV. If you think you’ve been exposed through sex, needles or in the workplace, contact your doctor or go to the emergency department. Taking PEP as soon as possible within the first 72 hours can greatly reduce your risk of becoming infected with HIV. You will need to take medication for 28 days.
• Use a new condom every time you have sex. Use a new condom every time you have anal or vaginal sex. Women can use a female condom. If using a lubricant, make sure it’s water-based. Oil-based lubricants can weaken condoms and cause them to break. During oral sex use a nonlubricated, cut-open condom or a dental dam — a piece of medical-grade latex.
• Consider preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The combination drugs emtricitabine plus tenofovir (Truvada) and emtricitabine plus tenofovir alafenamide (Descovy) can reduce the risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection in people at very high risk. PrEP can reduce your risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90% and from injection drug use by more than 70%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Descovy hasn’t been studied in people who have receptive vaginal sex. Your doctor will prescribe these drugs for HIV prevention only if you don’t already have HIV infection. You will need an HIV test before you start taking PrEP and then every three months as long as you’re taking it. Your doctor will also test your kidney function before prescribing Truvada and continue to test it every six months. You need to take the drugs every day. They don’t prevent other STIs, so you’ll still need to practice safe sex. If you have hepatitis B, you should be evaluated by an infectious disease or liver specialist before beginning therapy.
• Tell your sexual partners if you have HIV. It’s important to tell all your current and past sexual partners that you’re HIV-positive. They’ll need to be tested.
• Use a clean needle. If you use a needle to inject drugs, make sure it’s sterile and don’t share it. Take advantage of needle-exchange programs in your community. Consider seeking help for your drug use.
• If you’re pregnant, get medical care right away. If you’re HIV-positive, you may pass the infection to your baby. But if you receive treatment during pregnancy, you can significantly cut your baby’s risk.
• Consider male circumcision. There’s evidence that male circumcision can help reduce the risk of getting HIV infection.

HIV treatment

Currently, there’s no cure for HIV/AIDS. Once you have been infected with HIV, your body can’t get rid of it. However, there are many medications that can control HIV and prevent complications. These medications are called antiretroviral therapy (ART). Everyone diagnosed with HIV should be started on ART (antiretroviral therapy), regardless of their stage of infection or complications.

ART is usually a combination of three or more medications from several different drug classes. This approach has the best chance of lowering the amount of HIV in the blood. There are many ART options that combine three HIV medications into one pill, taken once daily.

Each class of drugs blocks the virus in different ways. Treatment involves combinations of drugs from different classes to:

• Account for individual drug resistance (viral genotype)
• Avoid creating new drug-resistant strains of HIV
• Maximize suppression of virus in the blood

Two drugs from one class, plus a third drug from a second class, are typically used.

The classes of anti-HIV drugs include:

• Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) turn off a protein needed by HIV to make copies of itself. Examples include efavirenz (Sustiva), rilpivirine (Edurant) and doravirine (Pifeltro).
• Nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are faulty versions of the building blocks that HIV needs to make copies of itself. Examples include abacavir (Ziagen), tenofovir (Viread), emtricitabine (Emtriva), lamivudine (Epivir) and zidovudine (Retrovir). Combination drugs also are available, such as emtricitabine/tenofovir (Truvada) and emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (Descovy).
• Protease inhibitors inactivate HIV protease, another protein that HIV needs to make copies of itself. Examples include atazanavir (Reyataz), darunavir (Prezista) and lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra).
• Integrase inhibitors work by disabling a protein called integrase, which HIV uses to insert its genetic material into CD4 T cells. Examples include bictegravir sodium/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide fumar (Biktarvy), raltegravir (Isentress) and dolutegravir (Tivicay).
• Entry or fusion inhibitors block HIV’s entry into CD4 T cells. Examples include enfuvirtide (Fuzeon) and maraviroc (Selzentry).

Starting and maintaining HIV treatment

Everyone with HIV infection, regardless of the CD4 T cell count or symptoms, should be offered antiviral medication. Remaining on effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) with an undetectable HIV viral load in the blood is the best way for you to stay healthy.

For ART to be effective, it’s important that you take the medications as prescribed, without missing or skipping any doses. Staying on ART with an undetectable viral load helps:

• Keep your immune system strong
• Reduce your chances of getting an infection
• Reduce your chances of developing treatment-resistant HIV
• Reduce your chances of transmitting HIV to other people

Staying on HIV therapy can be challenging. It’s important to talk to your doctor about possible side effects, difficulty taking medications, and any mental health or substance use issues that may make it difficult for you to maintain ART.

Having regular follow-up appointments with your doctor to monitor your health and response to treatment is also important. Let your doctor know right away if you’re having problems with HIV therapy so that you can work together to find ways to address those challenges.

HIV treatment for age-related diseases

Some health issues that are a natural part of aging may be more difficult to manage if you have HIV. Some medications that are common for age-related heart, bone or metabolic conditions, for example, may not interact well with anti-HIV medications. It’s important to talk to your doctor about your other health conditions and the medications you’re taking.

If you are started on medications by another doctor, it’s important to let him or her know about your HIV therapy. This will allow the doctor to make sure there are no interactions between the medications.

HIV treatment response

Your doctor will monitor your viral load and CD4 T cell counts to determine your response to HIV treatment. These will be initially checked at two and four weeks, and then every three to six months.

Treatment should lower your viral load so that it’s undetectable in the blood. That doesn’t mean your HIV is gone. Even if it can’t be found in the blood, HIV is still present in other places in your body, such as in lymph nodes and internal organs.

HIV treatment side effects

HIV treatment side effects can include:

• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Heart disease
• Kidney and liver damage
• Weakened bones or bone loss
• Abnormal cholesterol levels
• Higher blood sugar
• Cognitive and emotional problems, as well as sleep problems.

At-Home Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Test

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of related viruses that commonly causes skin or mucous membrane growths (warts). Warts are contagious. They can spread through direct contact with a wart. Warts can also spread when someone touches something that already touched a wart. There are more than 200 types of human papillomavirus (HPV). About 40 of them are spread through direct sexual contact with someone who has the HPV virus. They can also spread through other intimate, skin-to-skin contact. Some of these types can cause different types of cancer. If you’re pregnant and have an HPV infection with genital warts, it’s possible your baby may get the infection. Rarely, the infection may cause a noncancerous growth in the baby’s voice box (larynx).

There are two categories of sexually transmitted HPV. Low-risk HPV can cause warts on or around your genitals, anus, mouth, or throat. High-risk HPV can cause various cancers:

• Cervical cancer
• Anal cancer
• Some types of oral and throat cancer
• Vulvar cancer
• Vaginal cancer
• Penile cancer

Genital HPV infections are contracted through sexual intercourse, anal sex and other skin-to-skin contact in the genital region. Some HPV infections that result in oral or upper respiratory lesions are contracted through oral sex.

Most HPV infections go away on their own and don’t cause cancer. But sometimes HPV infections last longer. Some types of genital HPV can cause cancer of the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina (cervix). Other types of cancers, including cancers of the anus, penis, vagina, vulva and back of the throat (oropharyngeal), have been linked to HPV infection.

HPV vaccines can help protect against the strains of HPV most likely to cause genital warts or cervical cancer.

An at-home HPV test uses a sample of cells collected from the vagina to detect whether a person’s cervix is infected with a high-risk strain of HPV. Although there are over 200 known strains of HPV, only high-risk strains of HPV are associated with cancer. At-home HPV tests can detect up to 14 different strains of high-risk HPV, but not every test identifies the specific strain causing a patient’s infection. Some at-home HPV tests do identify the specific strain of HPV in a sample of cells, a process called HPV genotyping.

At-home HPV testing does not detect low-risk strains of HPV, which can cause warts on the genitals, anus, mouth, and throat.

At-home HPV tests may be recommended for those with limited health care access. Although less is known about the effectiveness of at-home HPV tests, research indicates they may be an appropriate alternative to in-lab testing.

Advantages and disadvantages of At-Home HPV Testing

At-home HPV testing has both benefits and disadvantages for patients seeking cervical cancer screening. Benefits of at-home HPV testing include:

• Increased access: At-home HPV testing allows more women to be screened for cervical cancer. Without having to see a doctor, people in communities with limited access to health care professionals can access this important screening tool.
• Less invasive: Unlike when cervical cells are obtained in a health care setting, at-home HPV tests don’t require a sample of cells scraped directly from the cervix. A self-collected vaginal swab allows patients to be tested for an HPV infection without a pelvic exam or use of a speculum.
• Clear pricing: Purchasing an at-home HPV testing kit allows patients to clearly identify the total cost of HPV testing. Patients can better budget for cervical cancer screening tests without any hidden doctor or laboratory fees.

Disadvantages of at-home HPV testing include:

• Research is ongoing: While at-home HPV testing is already used in some parts of the world, more research is needed to determine the best ways for patients to collect samples.
• Results without a doctor’s guidance: Interpreting the results of HPV tests can be confusing. While some at-home HPV testing companies connect patients to a health care provider who can help answer questions, seeing HPV test results without immediate access to a doctor can cause anxiety for some patients.
• Need for follow-up testing: If a patient’s at-home HPV test result is positive, it’s important to talk to a doctor to discuss follow-up tests or treatment.
• Not covered by insurance: Most health insurance plans cover HPV tests administered by a health professional without requiring a copay or deductible. In contrast, at-home HPV tests are typically paid out-of-pocket and may not be covered by a person’s health insurance plan.

Are at-home HPV test results accurate?

No test is 100% accurate. Although HPV testing is a routine aspect of cervical cancer screening, both false positive and false negative results can occur. Researchers are still learning about the accuracy of at-home HPV testing, but results of large studies suggest that self-collected samples may be nearly as effective at detecting severely abnormal cervical cell changes as samples collected by a doctor.

Laboratory vs. At-Home HPV test

At-home HPV testing still requires patients to mail their self-collected sample into a laboratory for analysis, so both at-home and in-lab testing are able to utilize similar technology to detect the virus. Both approaches are considered accurate, although there may be some improvement in accuracy when samples are collected by a doctor rather than by a patient.

Some of the differences between in-lab and at-home HPV testing include:

• Sample collection: When a sample is collected by a doctor for an HPV test, the sample is taken directly from the tissue of the cervix using a brush, spatula, or scraper. In contrast, an at-home HPV test uses a sample of cells collected from a patient’s vagina.
• Type of analysis: Although both approaches detect the genetic material of HPV, doctors have more options for choosing a type of HPV test and HPV genotyping.
• No option for cotesting: At-home HPV tests only look for high-risk strains of the HPV virus and can’t detect abnormalities that have already developed on the cervix. Because a Pap smear can’t be performed at home, cotesting isn’t an option without seeing a doctor.

Interpreting At-Home HPV Test Results

Results of at-home HPV tests are reported as either positive or negative. A positive test result means that a high-risk strain of HPV was detected in the sample. A negative result means that a high-risk strain of HPV was not detected in the sample. If HPV genotyping was performed, results may include the individual strain of HPV detected.

It’s important to discuss test results with a doctor who can help you determine the meaning of your result and what it may mean for your health.

When should I get an At-Home HPV Test?

Although at-home HPV tests may serve as a screening tool for communities that have limited access to health care professionals, patients should have a discussion with their doctor about the pros and cons of at-home HPV testing. A doctor can also help patients decide on an appropriate timeline for cervical cancer screening tests and whether at-home HPV testing is a good option.

Do I need follow-up HPV tests?

If an at-home HPV test result is negative, whether a patent requires follow-up testing depends on their history of cervical cancer screening. In many cases, a patient’s doctor will advise repeating the HPV test using traditional testing methods in a medical office.

At-Home HPV Test Types

There are a number of options for at-home HPV testing. The following sections include the best at-home HPV tests.

Best overall At-Home HPV test

Health Testing Centers – HPV High Risk with Genotyping-Genital Test Kit

• Price: $99
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Vaginal swab, Urine
• Results timeline: Within 3 to 4 business days

The HPV High Risk with Genotyping-Genital Test Kit from Health Testing Centers is the top overall pick due to its comprehensive testing, simple process, and positive customer reviews.

The Health Testing Centers kit utilizes a vaginal swab or urine sample to test for 14 types of high-risk HPV—including types 16 and 18, which are responsible for most HPV-related cancers.

After placing your order on the company’s website, a test kit is mailed in discreet packaging to your home within 3 to 5 business days. After reviewing the instructions provided in the kit, it only takes a few minutes to collect a vaginal swab or urine sample for testing. Then package and mail the completed sample to one of Health Testing Centers’ CLIA-certified labs.

Test results are available through a patient portal on the company’s website within 3 to 4 business days of receipt by the lab.

Best for At-Home HPV test for FSA/HSA payments

LetsGetChecked – HPV Test

• Price: $89
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Cervical swab
• Results timeline: About 21 days

LetsGetChecked accepts flexible spending account (FSA) and health savings account (HSA) cards to pay for this reasonably priced test that checks for 14 high-risk types of HPV.

LetsGetChecked’s CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited labs meet established quality control standards. Results are provided through a secure online account.

The average processing time is 21 days from when a sample arrives at one of LetsGetChecked’s partner laboratories. According to the company, this delay is due to worldwide shortages of one of the chemicals used during lab testing.

LetsGetChecked offers a dedicated team of nurses who are available 24/7 to walk you through the testing process and explain test results.

At-Home HPV test with the clearest results

Everlywell – HPV Test

• Price: $49
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Vaginal swab
• Results timeline: Within a few business days

The Everlywell HPV Test is top pick for clearest results due to the company’s user-friendly online platform for viewing your test outcome. A personalized report of each HPV marker is combined with educational tips to help you understand what your results mean.

Screening for HPV with Everlywell is straightforward and easy. Order your kit online, register it on Everlywell’s website, and collect your sample from the privacy of your home. This HPV test uses a vaginal swab sample to test for 14 high-risk strains of HPV.

Once your sample is collected, just drop it in the mail and your results will be available within a few business days. Everlywell’s secure platform is HIPAA compliant, and the company guarantees that your health data will never be sold.

Tests ordered through Everlywell are reviewed by an independent, board-certified physician in your state. If your HPV test results are positive, a physician will reach out to you to discuss the next steps.

At-Home HPV test with fastest results

myLAB Box – At Home HPV Test

• Price: $79
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Vaginal swab
• Results timeline: Within 2 to 5 days

If you’re looking for an HPV test that is quick and easy, try the At Home HPV Test from myLAB Box. With free two-day shipping and an impressive turnaround of 2 to 5 days, myLAB Box’s product is our pick for fastest HPV test results.

Testing with myLAB Box is simple. Just order your kit on the company’s website, and it is shipped to you directly and discreetly. Collecting your sample takes less than five minutes, allowing you to mail it to the laboratory on the same day.

The myLAB Box kit tests for 14 high-risk types of HPV. Your results will be sent via email. If you have any questions or concerns about your test results, the company offers free phone consultations with physicians.

At-Home HPV test for people without insurance

Nurx – Home HPV Test Kit

• Price: $79 ($49 with insurance)
• Type: Self-collection
• Sample: Vaginal swab
• Results timeline: About 7 days

For people who aren’t using insurance to cover the cost of HPV screening, Nurx is a great option to consider. Purchasing the Home HPV Test Kit without insurance costs $79, plus an additional $15 consultation fee for unlimited access to Nurx’s medical team for one year to discuss your test results.

The testing process is straightforward and hassle-free. Nurx’s website offers detailed videos that walk you through the testing process.

Be sure to wait at least two days after your period and spotting ends before using the kit’s swab to collect a sample of vaginal cells to test for 14 high-risk HPV strains. Then just package your sample according to the instructions provided and mail it to the company’s HIPAA-compliant and CLIA-certified partner lab. You’ll be notified when your results are available, usually in about seven days.

Once you receive your result, Nurx’s physicians are available to discuss any questions that come up over the next year.

HPV treatment

Warts often go away without treatment, particularly in children. However, there’s no cure for the virus itself, so they can reappear in the same place or other places.

• Genital warts can go away with treatment from your healthcare provider or with prescription medicine. If left untreated, genital warts may go away, stay the same, or grow in size or number.
• Cervical precancer treatment is available. Women who get routine Pap tests and follow up as needed can find problems before cancer develops. Prevention is always better than treatment.
• Other HPV-related cancers are also more treatable when found and treated early.

Medications to eliminate warts are typically applied directly to the lesion and usually take many applications before they’re successful. Examples include:

• Salicylic acid. Over-the-counter treatments that contain salicylic acid work by removing layers of a wart a little at a time. For use on common warts, salicylic acid can cause skin irritation and isn’t for use on your face.
• Imiquimod. This prescription cream might enhance your immune system’s ability to fight HPV. Common side effects include redness and swelling at the application site.
• Podofilox. Another topical prescription, podofilox works by destroying genital wart tissue. Podofilox may cause burning and itching where it’s applied.
• Trichloroacetic acid. This chemical treatment burns off warts on the palms, soles and genitals. It might cause local irritation.

If medications don’t work, your doctor might suggest removing warts by one of these methods:

• Freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy)
• Burning with an electrical current (electrocautery)
• Surgical removal
• Laser surgery

Treatment for HPV in the cervix

If you have an abnormal HPV or Pap test, your gynecologist will perform a procedure called a colposcopy. Using an instrument that provides a magnified view of the cervix (colposcope), your doctor will look closely at the cervix and take samples (biopsy) of any areas that look abnormal.

Any precancerous lesions need to be removed. Options include freezing (cryosurgery), laser, surgical removal, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and cold knife conization. LEEP uses a thin looped wire charged with an electric current to remove a thin layer of a section of the cervix and cold knife conization is a surgical procedure that removes a cone-shaped piece of the cervix.

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