At-home medical testing provides you details about your well being, proper at your fingertips, with out the necessity to ever set foot into a health care provider’s workplace. One of many newest developments on this pattern is at-home testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), that are bacterial, viral or parasitic infections that may be handed on by way of sexual contact.
Historically, STI testing entails seeing a health care provider in particular person. There, they’ll usually take samples like urine or vaginal fluids and ship them for testing. However, even though STIs are exceedingly widespread — 2.4 million STI cases have been reported in the USA in 2020 alone — there’s nonetheless stigma hooked up. For some, privateness could also be a part of the enchantment of at-home testing. “It’s extra discreet, and it’s off the report,” mentioned Dr. Robyn Faye, board-certified OB-GYN and member of HealthyWomen’s Women’s Health Advisory Council.
As well as, Covid-19-related backlogs and dwindling healthcare provider (HCP) numbers have made it harder to see an HCP in particular person. So it’s not stunning that at-home testing for STIs has increased significantly during the pandemic.
STI charges in the USA
Whereas teenagers and younger adults have the best STI charges in the USA, anyone who engages in sexual contact can get an STI. Actually, growing old can enhance your threat for STIs as a result of vaginal thinning, which is widespread with menopause, may cause microtearing that may make it simpler for micro organism and viruses to enter your bloodstream.
Findings additionally present STI charges are higher in ladies in comparison with males, and girls are more likely to expertise critical well being points from STIs, together with infertility, power ache and being pregnant issues.
Moreover, Black and Hispanic folks have greater STI charges than white folks, although they signify solely 12% of the U.S. inhabitants. The CDC explains that this distinction is probably going the results of an absence of entry to sexual healthcare.
Easy accessibility to testing comes with just a few downsides
If you order STI take a look at kits on-line, they’ll ship proper to your entrance door in discreet packaging, offering you with all the pieces it’s worthwhile to accumulate samples by yourself. After gathering samples, you’ll ship them over to the model’s affiliated lab. It’s a easy, no-fuss course of.
Along with comfort and privateness, one other advantage of at-home STI testing is that it helps enhance entry to testing for infections like gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, herpes, syphilis and HIV for these residing in communities with restricted healthcare providers.
However there are some caveats. For instance, whereas at-home testing is pretty correct, there’s at all times room for error because of self-collection, Faye mentioned.
At-home testing additionally comes with just a few different drawbacks, similar to:
- Not realizing when you must get examined. Testing proper after suspected publicity, for instance, gained’t at all times internet you an correct end result. Faye additionally identified that many individuals with STIs are sometimes asymptomatic, making common screening important.
- Not realizing what to check for. “[People] come into the workplace and say they’ve a yeast an infection once they have trichomoniasis, and so they produce other issues incorrect with them,” Faye mentioned. Except you’re paying for an STI panel, which incorporates testing for a number of infections — and prices extra — you would possibly take a look at for the incorrect factor.
- No therapy. Whereas some at-home testing manufacturers provide remedy with a optimistic end result, it’s not a common perk. For those who obtain a optimistic end result and the at-home testing service doesn’t present any follow-up or prescription, it’s vital to see an HCP.
- Issue decoding outcomes. HCPs are outfitted to appropriately interpret your STI testing outcomes, one thing not everybody could do correctly. Although some on-line take a look at manufacturers will join you with a medical skilled if you happen to’ve examined optimistic, not all will.
- Price. Whereas pricing for single testing could also be extra inexpensive, complete STI panels can typically price upwards of $400 with out insurance coverage. So whereas at-home testing could also be extra handy and simple to entry bodily talking, it’s cost-prohibitive for many individuals.
Complete healthcare and improved entry: A balancing act
Anybody who’s symptomatic ought to see a medical skilled and keep away from utilizing at-home assessments, Faye urged. However if you happen to’re enthusiastic about at-home assessments for asymptomatic testing, go for manufacturers affiliated with CLIA-certified labs that additionally provide doctor follow-up.
Whereas at-home assessments are nice for individuals who don’t have quick access to a healthcare supplier or who could really feel uncomfortable speaking about intercourse, there could also be a lacking aspect of patient-doctor interplay, Faye famous.
In-person appointments additionally enable HCPS to speak to folks about protected intercourse, reply questions that crop up randomly and schedule follow-up testing. HCPs may additionally gently ask folks about their lives and companions, leaving the door open for folks to report cases of home or sexual abuse. With out this in-person interplay, some folks could fall by way of the cracks, Faye recommended.
However at-home STI testing does have its place. For busy, well-informed individuals who need to take cost of their sexual well being and know to comply with up with their HCP in the event that they’re optimistic, at-home testing is usually a handy and dependable approach to display for STIs.
