At-Home STI Tests: 5 Checks Before You Order a Kit

Sexually transmitted infections aren’t only a younger person’s concern. If you have a new partner after a divorce, a separation or the death of a spouse, testing is part of looking after yourself. Home kits let you test without a waiting room. They differ a lot in what they test for, how they work and what happens after a positive result, so check these five things before you order.

1. Know whether you’re at “increased risk”

The CDC¹ recommends chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for sexually active women 25 and older if they’re at increased risk. That includes having a new partner, more than one partner, a partner who has other partners, or a partner with an STI.¹ The CDC also recommends hepatitis C screening for all adults, and HIV testing for women who seek care for STIs.¹

If you have a new partner, that alone puts you in the group the CDC¹ recommends screening.

2. Check what kind of kit it is

There are two main types:

• Test at home, result at home. In 2025, the FDA² authorized the first test for chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis that you can buy without a prescription and run entirely at home, with results in about 30 minutes. It’s for women with or without symptoms.²
• Collect at home, lab tests it. In 2023, the FDA³ authorized the first over-the-counter test for chlamydia and gonorrhea where you collect a vaginal swab or urine sample at home and mail it to a lab. It’s for adults 18 and older.³

Many online services sell panels for other infections too. Ask which tests in the panel are FDA³-authorized for home collection, and which lab runs the samples.

3. Read the accuracy figures

For the fully at-home test, the FDA² reported that it correctly identified 98.8% of negative and 97.2% of positive chlamydia samples, with similar figures for gonorrhea and trichomoniasis.² That’s high, but not perfect. The FDA notes that a false negative can delay treatment and a false positive can lead to unneeded treatment.²

If you have symptoms, or had a known exposure, and your result is negative, see a clinician anyway.

4. Know what happens after a positive result

The FDA² advises anyone with a positive result for any of the three infections in the home test to seek medical care.² Before you order, find out:

• Does the service connect you with a clinician who can prescribe treatment, or are you on your own?
• Can they send results to your own doctor?
• Will they help you tell partners, or explain how to?

5. Check the cost, coverage and privacy

• Compare the kit price with testing through your doctor, a local health department clinic or a family planning clinic, which may cost less or be covered by insurance.
• Ask whether you can use your HSA or FSA card.
• Read how the company stores your results and whether it shares any data.

Try: “I have a new partner and I’d like to be tested. Which tests do you recommend for me, and is a home kit or an office visit better in my situation?”

Down There, Decoded includes a Down-There Log and a See script for appointments. Use them to note symptoms, test dates and results, and to prepare for a follow-up visit. Explore the intimate-health playbook.