What You Should Know About Online STD Testing

These days, there’s an app for everything—ordering food, ordering a ride, organizing a date, even watching your health. Yet, unfortunately for those of us who hate fronting up to the doctor when we feel a little tingle downstairs, we are not at the stage where you can simply take a photo of your junk and receive an automated STD diagnosis from your phone.

If you’re like me, and you find STD testing stressful or you’re concerned about privacy, there are still options. Things aren’t totally stuck in the 20^th century: you can do your STD test online!

But before you get too excited, getting tested online isn’t as simple as it sounds. There are a few things you need to consider before you sign up.

1. How does online STD testing work?

The first thing you need to check is that your chosen provider is FDA approved. Once you have selected a provider, the process is relatively simple. First, order your STD test online. You will then either be asked to select a local medical center to take the test, or be mailed a testing kit with instructions.

2. What diseases do you need to be tested for?

Chances are if you’re looking for an STD test, you might already suspect what type you need based on the symptoms or other information you might have. If you’re taking the test online be sure to check that the test will cover what you need. Online testing can be done for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Oral Herpes, Genital Herpes, HIV and even Syphilis. If you need a test for something else, it might be worth consulting with a doctor.

3. Check the lab credentials

If your provider sends you to a lab for testing, you will obviously know the name of the lab. Professional labs like Quest Diagnostics or LabCorp are where your doctor might send your tests, so you can be assured accurate results. However, if you are asked to take a test at home and mail it in, you might want to check that the lab your provider is using is reputable.

4. Privacy

With sites like stdcheck.com, you are guaranteed privacy: the name of the company will not appear on your credit card records, the medical center will not keep your information on file, and you will receive your results by email (your doctor will not physically mail you any information).

In recent years, the US has seen an increase in STDs like Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis. Not all STDs display obvious symptoms, so even if you’re unsure, get tested. Better to be safe than sorry. To get your online test, check out stdcheck.com or Rapid Testing.