It’s difficult enough to fit in a trip to see the doctor. But when it's time for an STD test, many of us really dread it. We're hesitant to get tested in a timely manner (or at all), even when we know we should. It’s not fun to take the test, and it’s not fun to talk about. TBH, it’s terrifying to think of coming out at the end with a positive result.
In fact, according to a survey conducted by at-home testing service myLAB Box, 65% of respondents said that fear was the reason they hadn’t gotten tested in several years. And while 70% of people expressed concern about contracting an STD within one month of having sex with a new partner, a third of people waited several months before getting tested.
That’s where myLAB Box comes in. Its goal is to make it possible to take an STD test in the comfort of your own home with a do-it-yourself kit.
Here’s how it works: You order a little box filled with everything you need—a test swab and tube, a finger prick for the blood sample, and Band-Aids and wipes. After following the simple instructions, you send your results off to their lab and receive your test results in a matter of days.
It took me about 20 minutes in total to test myself for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis (the five-panel test pack I tried retails for $189). Here's what I did:
Step 1: Collect a sample *down there*
at-home-std-test-4 is more important than any fear you may have.
RELATED: 16 Signs You May Have HIV
That being said, you shouldn’t completely replace a visit to the doctor with an at-home test each time. While it’s a good starting point, an eventual trip to the doctor offers a more surefire way to garner healthy, accurate results. Not to mention, there are good reasons to see an ob-gyn for a routine visit anyway, like cancer screenings or to address any abnormalities with periods.
“I think screening at home is great because I think maybe it will reduce barriers to entry to getting tested,” says Veronica Ades, MD, MPH, clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Health’s department of obstetrics and gynecology.
“Many STDs are asymptomatic, and so women often do not feel anything but do in fact have an infection. It's important if you're sexually active, especially if you're not using condoms or if you're not sure of the STD status of your partner, to get screened regularly,” Dr. Ades says.
She did, however, voice a few concerns, one of the biggest being that at-home testers may not be equipped to accurately interpret their own results. "Some people are very savvy and understand the results and know the difference between diseases, but that is not true for everybody,” she says. “They may have a really serious emotional reaction to a positive test, especially when they don't know what the implications of that positive test are." Then, they'll have to consult a professional anyway, she adds. "They need to go find a doctor and say, ‘My test was positive, what does this mean?’”
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Dr. Ades also points out that at-home testing could delay treatment after a diagnosis, which is especially troubling if the infection is one that needs to be treated immediately, like chlamydia. "They may have a positive test and then have a delay before they can get into a doctor, whereas if they had gone to the doctor and gotten the testing, the doctor is obligated to communicate with the patient and get them in quickly for treatment.”
Bottom line: Don’t be scared to get tested, and don’t put it off. The sooner the better—it’ll only help your health!
Sign up: mylabbox.com