Chlamydia prevalence is rising across the U.S., but the infection can be cured with medication. According to the CDC, the number of chlamydia cases in the U.S. has climbed by 19% since 2014.
See chlamydia at home test kits.Cases of gonorrhea are on the rise, but among all STDs, gonorrhea is entirely curable. Since 2014, gonorrhea has risen by 63%, according to data released by the CDC in 2019.
See gonorrhea at home test kits.Hepatitis includes several different viral types, and most home STD kits include testing for hep C, which can lead to permanent liver damage.
See hepatitis at home test kits.Herpes is one of the most common STDs, and many home testing kits include a test for herpes simplex type 2, or genital herpes.
See herpes at home test kits.Most home STD test kits check for two common forms of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2; testing for both types helps detect both early infections and incubated forms of HIV.
See HIV at home test kits.Human papillomavirus is by far the most common STD in the world, so much so that almost everybody who is sexually active will be infected at some point. Most strains of the virus are not harmful, so at-home test kits generally check for the high-risk strains that can lead to cervical cancer and other types of cancer.
See HPV at home test kits.Syphilis is on the rise in the U.S. and untreated, the disease can wreak havoc on the body, even leading to death. Fortunately, syphilis can be easily treated.
See syphillis at home test kits.A home STD kit is a safe, reliable method for getting yourself tested for one or more sexually transmitted diseases or sexually transmitted infections. These kits can be ordered online or sometimes purchased in a brick-and-mortar store. You provide your sample according to the included instructions and send your sample off to be tested. Depending on the number or type of tests, you can usually get results in 3-7 days.
Regardless of which STDs you’re being tested for, a home STD test kit will include detailed instructions for providing your sample that will be easy to follow, and it’s important that you follow them closely to maximize test accuracy. For most STDs, this means providing a small, relatively pain-free blood sample, urine sample or genital swab. In some cases, it may be necessary to provide all three, depending on what you’re checking for. Once you’ve completed the sampling process, you’ll send your kit back and your results will be available about 3-7 days later.
Home STD testing is appropriate for anybody who believes they may have been exposed to an STD through unprotected sex, who has never had an STD screening before or who is in a high-risk group for whom annual STD testing is recommended. Home STD testing may also be appropriate for people for whom getting to the doctor or a health clinic is inconvenient, as the tests can be sent directly to you.
Home STD tests work by allowing you to discreetly provide your sample, whether blood, urine or genital swab (or sometimes all three) and then send your samples back in a postage-paid box to be tested. The laboratory process is similar to what’s done when you get tested for STDs in other settings, such as doctor’s offices, but home test kits most often provide you with your results via an online account as opposed to in-person tests in which it’s common not to see your actual results unless you have tested positive.
Generally, at-home STD testing is done with about 99% accuracy if all instructions are followed correctly, including ensuring you’ve paid attention to exposure windows. Every STD has a unique window of time before which the disease can be detected in your body, and before you provide your sample, you should be sure to understand the exposure time frame for the STDs you’re hoping to get tested for. Any test, including those done in doctor’s offices, can return a false negative if testing is done too soon after exposure.