By Sarah McElroy, NP

Did you know that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that one in five people have a sexually transmitted disease, and of those people about 70% don’t have symptoms. With this in mind, and the unfortunate stigma that some providers project onto their patient’s, I’m always happy to learn about (and pass on) new resources for my patient’s. In recent years, at home STI testing has become an easy and convenient option for patient’s that I recommend if my patients are hesitant to come in for testing.

TBD Recommends: 3-Panel STD Test

I have a few recommendations I pass onto my patient’s to be sure at home testing is reliable, accurate and trustworthy. At home STI testing should be from an actual healthcare/medical company. This means there should be actual health care providers leading the medical decision making of the company. You should be able to find their names and certifications online, not with a search but on the actual website. If you’re using their service, there should also be an option to reach out to a health care provider from start to finish in the testing process.

While you’re looking online, make sure the company you’re testing through is using a lab that is reputable. Labs for STI testing should be easy to find with a quick search to ensure they have the right credentials to handle STI testing. Labs are held to standards through CLIA to ensure that the testing performed at that lab is certified to be accurate, reliable and timely with getting results out- all things you want from at home testing.

A company providing at-home testing for STI’s (or really anything) should be very upfront with how the company operates including what you can expect from using their service. A timeline for how quickly you should get results, how you will get results and how the clinician team will notify you and provide treatment should be very clear. Having a clear way to ask questions to a health care provider on the team should be outlined because you may have questions before or after your results are available.

TBD Recommends: 5-Panel STD Test

The first recommendation I pass onto patient’s is TBD. TBD is a great way to test for STI’s at home. TBD provides very clear instructions on how to use their tests and also what to expect from the process. The clinician’s at TBD are all sexual health and wellness experts that are available at any time to answer your questions along the way. There’s no gimmick with TBD. The kits are easy to use, the labs are certified, results are accurate and the people are real.

This article provides information about sexual health, healthcare and/or related subjects. The blog content and any linked materials herein are not intended to be, and should not be construed as a substitute for, medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment. Any reader or person with a medical concern should consult with an appropriately-licensed physician or other healthcare provider. This blog is provided purely for informational purposes. The views expressed herein are not sponsored by and do not represent the opinions of TBD Health Inc.