Now You Can Get an STD Test at Home
New testing tools and treatments for some of the most common sexually transmitted infections are beginning to reach patients, a development public health experts hope will help continue the recent decline in U.S. infection rates.
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first at-home test capable of detecting three common infections in women—gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis—along with the first home-based test kit for the virus that causes cervical cancer. Toward the end of the year, the FDA also approved two new drugs to treat gonorrhea, marking the first new treatment options for the disease in decades, according to the Associated Press.
The approvals come after sexually transmitted infection cases surged to record levels before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, when disruptions to routine screening, education, and treatment limited access to sexual health services nationwide.
At the same time, the pandemic helped accelerate innovation in testing technology. The same rapid-testing platforms used for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests are now being adapted for home use to detect syphilis and other STIs. In the past, the FDA generally restricted these types of tests to use by health professionals.
“Sexual health can be stigmatized, and many people feel uncomfortable getting tested,” said Dr. Ina Park, a sexual health specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. “Now we have more options for patients who may be hesitant to go into a provider’s office.”
Visby Medical launched its FDA-approved three-in-one test for women last year. The urine-based kit includes a vaginal swab and a small electronic device that processes results and sends them to a smartphone app. Priced at $150, the test also includes a telehealth visit with a medical provider who can review results and prescribe treatment if needed. The full process can take as little as six hours, compared with several days under traditional testing models, said Dr. Gary Schoolnik, Visby’s chief medical officer.
“Many patients are difficult to follow up with, and some who test positive are never treated,” Schoolnik said. “This helps close that gap.”
In May, the FDA approved Teal Health’s at-home HPV testing kit. The Teal Wand allows women to collect a vaginal sample themselves and mail it to a lab for analysis. Earlier this month, updated federal screening guidelines endorsed self-collection for HPV testing for the first time.
“I’m very optimistic,” Park said. “People now have more testing options, and we also have access to new treatments.”
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