Why More People Are Choosing At-Home STI Testing
Sexual health is personal, and the way we test for it should be too. For decades, STI testing meant scheduling an appointment at a clinic, waiting days for results, or worrying about privacy. Things have changed.
Millions of people now prefer at-home STI testing—not because they're avoiding care, but because they're taking control of it. At-home options have expanded significantly in recent years, making testing more accessible: no appointments, no waiting rooms, and results on your own timeline. The stigma around STI testing is fading. Regular STI testing is just health care—as routine as any other checkup.
Who Should Consider STI Testing?
You may want to consider testing if:
- You are experiencing symptoms such as new or changed vaginal discharge, painful or burning urination, painful intercourse, or bleeding between periods
- You have had a new sexual partner
- A sexual partner told you they have symptoms, were tested for, or were diagnosed with an STI
- You have multiple sexual partners, or your partner has other partners
- You think you may have been exposed to an STI, even if you have no symptoms
Anyone who is sexually active and has sex without a condom is at risk if their partner has an STI. According to the CDC, more than half of infected women show no symptoms of chlamydia or gonorrhea — testing is the only reliable way to know.¹
What Is an At-Home STI Test?
An at-home STI test lets you collect a sample in your own home and either run the test yourself or send it to a lab — no appointment required. "At-home" covers a few different approaches worth understanding:
Rapid at-home testing: You purchase a test, collect a sample, and run the test device entirely at home with no mailing required. While rapid at-home tests can use lateral flow technology (similar to COVID-19 at-home tests), Visby Medical offers the only FDA-authorized over-the-counter at-home PCR STI test, with lab-quality accuracy and results in 30 minutes.
Mail-in lab testing (results in 3–7 days): You purchase a test, collect a sample at home, mail it to a certified lab, and get your results online.
Telehealth-ordered tests: A virtual provider orders the test for you, but you'll still need to mail in the sample and wait for lab results.
What STIs can be tested at home? At-home testing options are available for a range of STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, HIV, syphilis, and others. Visby's FDA-authorized test detects chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis.
What Visby's Test Can and Cannot Detect
This test CAN tell you if you have:
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Trichomoniasis (also known as "trich")
This test CANNOT tell you if you have other STIs, such as:
- HIV (the virus that causes AIDS)
- Syphilis
- Herpes
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
If you are at risk or have symptoms of these or other STIs, contact a healthcare provider or local sexual health clinic to be tested.
A note on trichomoniasis: trich is estimated to affect approximately 3.7 million people in the US³ — making it more common than chlamydia and gonorrhea — yet it is not a nationally reportable condition, meaning it rarely appears in public STI statistics. Most people who have trich show no symptoms and don't know they're infected. Testing for it matters.
PCR: The Gold Standard for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Trichomoniasis
When it comes to testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, there is a well-established gold standard method: PCR.
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a molecular test that detects and amplifies tiny fragments of DNA or RNA from infectious agents in your sample. The CDC and every major health organization recommend PCR as the gold standard for STI testing² — it's the method used in clinical laboratories around the world for detecting these three infections.
PCR is also exceptionally sensitive. It can detect an infection even at very low concentrations, which means you can trust your result without needing to retest or confirm with another method.
And because more than half of infected women show no symptoms of chlamydia or gonorrhea at all¹ — regular testing is the only reliable way to know your status.
Visby is currently the only FDA-authorized over-the-counter at-home PCR test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. That means the same gold-standard method used in clinical labs, now available in your home, in 30 minutes.
How Accurate Is Visby's Test?
A multi-site clinical study was conducted across 13 geographically diverse locations in the US, with results from 2,293 women compared against a combination of three FDA-cleared tests. The Visby Medical Women's Sexual Health Test correctly identified:⁴
- 97.2% of positive chlamydia specimens and 98.8% of negative specimens
- 100% of positive gonorrhea specimens and 99.1% of negative specimens
- 97.8% of positive trichomoniasis specimens and 98.5% of negative specimens
The same PCR chemistry used in clinical laboratories runs inside Visby's at-home device — location doesn't change the molecular biology.
As with any diagnostic test, false positive and false negative results are possible. A negative result does not rule out infection with other pathogens, and a positive result does not preclude the possibility of co-infection with additional pathogens. This test is not a substitute for visits to a healthcare provider.
Privacy at Visby
With Visby, your test kit arrives in discreet packaging. Results are delivered to a secure, password-protected app visible only to you. If you pay out-of-pocket, there is no insurance trail. Your primary healthcare provider won't know unless you tell them. (One note: if you test positive and connect to a telehealth provider through the Visby app, that provider will have a record of your visit — which is standard for any medical care.)
Your At-Home STI Testing Options
The right choice depends on what matters most to you:
- Visby's FDA-authorized OTC at-home PCR test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis delivers results in 30 minutes, entirely at home, with a built-in connection to a third-party telehealth provider if you test positive.
- Mail-in lab testing is available for a broader range of STIs, including HIV, syphilis, and others, though results take several days.
- A clinic or healthcare provider visit is available for in-person evaluation, ongoing care and support, and comprehensive testing and treatment options.
- Lateral flow tests are inexpensive and offer quick results, but there are currently only at-home options for HIV and syphilis. These do not include access to a licensed telehealth provider, and a positive result typically requires follow-up with a healthcare provider for confirmation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Visby's Test
When can I take this test?
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Wait to take this test until it has been at least 48 hours since you have taken the antibiotic doxycycline (also known as Vibramycin) or used any of the following in your genital area: douches, washes, lubricants, vaginal wipes, vaginal moisturizers, antiperspirants, deodorants, or feminine hygiene spray.
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You can take this test at any point in your menstrual cycle. However, it is best to avoid testing during the heavy flow day(s) of your period.
Can I test urine or a different sample type? No. Any sample other than a vaginal swab will not produce a valid test result.
Can I have more than one positive result? It is possible that you could have more than one STI that was detected by this test. Please contact your healthcare provider and share all the results so that you can get treated properly for all infections that you may have.
For a full list of FAQs, visit visby.com/pages/faqs.
Take Control of Your STI Testing
At-home STI testing removes the barriers that used to keep people from getting tested: scheduling hassles, privacy concerns, and the wait. You have choices. Visby is the only FDA-authorized OTC at-home PCR test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis — delivering lab-quality results in 30 minutes, on your schedule, in your home.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The result obtained with this test should not be used to start, stop, or change any course of treatment unless advised by your healthcare provider. Visby's at-home STI test is FDA-authorized for over-the-counter use and is not intended for medico-legal purposes. The performance characteristics of this test have not been evaluated in women less than 14 years of age.
Sources
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70(4):1–187. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/rr/rr7004a1.htm
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chlamydial Infections — STI Treatment Guidelines. https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/chlamydia.htm
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Trichomoniasis. https://www.cdc.gov/trichomoniasis/about/index.html
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Visby Medical Women's Sexual Health Test — Instructions for Use. Available at visby.com
