Now You Can Get an STD Test at Home

New options for testing and treating some of the most common sexually transmitted diseases are becoming available, a trend that experts hope will keep downward pressure on US infection rates. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first at-home test that can detect three common infections in women—gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis—as well as the first home-based kit for the virus that causes cervical cancer. The agency ended the year by approving two different drugs for gonorrhea, the first new options for the disease in decades, reports the AP. It's positive news after cases of sexually transmitted infections reached alarming highs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted screening, education, and treatment for sexual health nationwide.

But the pandemic years also brought positive developments for testing. The same technology used for the first over-the-counter coronavirus tests is now being translated into home-based kits for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections. Previously, the FDA had mostly limited the use of such tests to health professionals. "Sexual health can be stigmatized and people can be hesitant about testing," said Dr. Ina Park, a sexual health specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. "Now we have a lot of options for patients who may be wary of going into a provider's office."

Visby Medical launched its three-in-one test for women last year, following FDA approval in March. The urine-based test includes a vaginal testing swab and a small electronic device that develops the results and sends them to an online app for review. The test, which costs $150, also includes a telehealth consultation with a medical provider who can discuss the results and prescribe medication. The entire process—from buying the test to getting a prescription—can take as little as six hours, compared with several days under the traditional model, says Dr. Gary Schoolnik, Visby's chief medical officer. "Many patients are very hard to track down and ... if they have a positive test result, are never treated and are lost to follow-up," said Schoolnik.

In May the FDA approved Teal Health's testing kit for HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer. The company's Teal Wand allows women to collect their own vaginal sample, which is then placed in a tube and shipped to a laboratory for processing. Updated federal guidelines for HPV screening released earlier this month endorsed self collection for the first time. "I'm feeling very optimistic about the fact that people have more testing options and also that we now have access to new drugs." Park said.