Frequently asked questions

In manufacturer validation, our kits showed 95–100% agreement with laboratory reference methods (ELISA / PCR), with the exact figure varying by infection. As with any screening method, false positives and false negatives are possible, so any result should be confirmed with a licensed healthcare provider.

No. These are rapid screening kits intended to give preliminary insight, not a medical diagnosis. A diagnosis requires a licensed healthcare provider, typically alongside confirmatory laboratory testing.

Our range covers Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, and Herpes individually, plus a Multi-STD 4-in-1 pack covering Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B in a single order.

Most kits deliver an on-site result in under 10 minutes — there is no sample to mail to a lab.

Yes. Every order ships in plain, unbranded packaging, and your information is kept confidential.

Treat a positive screening result as preliminary and contact a licensed healthcare provider promptly for confirmatory testing and guidance on next steps.

Routine herpes screening is not recommended for everyone without symptoms or a known exposure. Herpes screening is best suited to people who have symptoms or a known exposure, and any result should be discussed with a clinician.

Every infection has a window period — the time after exposure before a screen can reliably detect it — so screening too early can produce a false-negative result. As general guidance, chlamydia and gonorrhea are usually detectable from about one to two weeks, syphilis from about three to six weeks (with a repeat at around three months), hepatitis B typically within a few weeks, and herpes antibodies can take six to sixteen weeks. These windows are general guidance based on CDC recommendations and can vary by kit and by person, so if you screen early and get a negative result, retest after the window has passed. If you have symptoms or a known exposure, speak with a licensed healthcare provider about the right timing for you.

Yes, and many people do. Common STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and hepatitis B frequently cause no noticeable symptoms, which means you can carry and pass on an infection without knowing. Regular at-home screening based on your risk is one of the simplest ways to stay informed. Remember that a screening result is a preliminary check, not a diagnosis, and any positive result should be confirmed by a healthcare provider.

A negative result means the screen did not detect the infection in your sample. It is reassuring, but it is not an absolute guarantee, especially if you screened inside the window period before the infection becomes detectable. If there is any chance you screened too early, retest after the window for that infection has passed. Keep up regular screening based on your level of risk, and see a healthcare provider if you develop symptoms.

It is a good idea. STIs pass between partners, so if one person may have been exposed, screening together gives you both a clearer picture and helps prevent passing an infection back and forth. Our single-infection kits and the Multi-STD 4-in-1 pack make it easy to screen more than one person discreetly at home. If either result is positive, both partners should follow up with a licensed healthcare provider for confirmatory testing and advice.

It depends on what you want to screen for. A single-infection kit is a focused, lower-cost option if you have a specific concern — for example, screening for chlamydia after a known exposure. The Multi-STD 4-in-1 pack screens for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis B together, which is a convenient choice if you want broader peace of mind in one go. Multi-kit discounts also apply on single-infection kits, so you can mix and match to build the screening that suits your situation.

Screening is worth considering for any sexually active adult, and it becomes more important after certain events — unprotected sex, a new or non-exclusive partner, a partner whose status you are unsure of, or a known exposure. People who share needles or who may have had contact with blood or other body fluids may also benefit from screening. Because many STIs cause no symptoms, waiting until something feels wrong is not a reliable strategy. If you are unsure whether to screen, our symptom checker can help point you in the right direction.

Most rapid screening kits use lines or a color change to show the result, and the instructions in the box explain exactly how to interpret yours. A control line must appear to confirm the test worked; the presence or absence of a second line indicates the screening result. Read your result within the time window stated in the instructions, as reading it too early or too late can be misleading. If anything is unclear, repeat the screen with a new kit and confirm any positive result with a healthcare provider.

If the control line does not appear, or the result is faint or difficult to read, the screen is considered invalid. This usually means there was an issue with the sample or the timing rather than anything wrong with your health. Repeat the screen with a new kit, following the instructions carefully and reading the result within the stated time window. If you continue to get unclear results, contact our customer service team or speak with a healthcare provider.

Very little preparation is needed, which is part of the appeal of home screening. Read the full instructions first, make sure you are within the detection window for any recent exposure, and check the kit's expiry date. Have a clean, flat surface and a few uninterrupted minutes so you can complete the steps and read the result within the correct time window. No fasting or special preparation is required.

Privacy is built into how we operate. Your order details and personal information are kept confidential and are not shared, and because these are on-site screening kits, there is no sample to mail to a lab and no external report generated. You collect your sample and read your result privately at home. Orders also ship in plain, unbranded packaging so there is nothing on the outside to indicate the contents.

Because these are sealed, single-use medical screening devices, opened kits generally cannot be returned for safety and hygiene reasons. Unopened, unused kits may be eligible for return within the stated timeframe. For the exact terms and to start a return, please see our returns page or contact our customer service team, who can walk you through the options.

Our customer service team is available to help with orders, delivery, product questions, and returns. You can reach us by phone at (740) 272-5823 or through the contact details on our customer services page. For questions about your health, symptoms, or a screening result, please speak with a licensed healthcare provider, as our team cannot offer medical advice.

Store your kits at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, heat, and moisture, unless the instructions specify otherwise. Every kit has an expiry date printed on the packaging, and using a kit past that date can affect the reliability of the result. If you are keeping kits on hand for future use, check the expiry date before you screen. Keep them out of reach of children.

There is no single answer, because it depends on your level of risk. People with new or multiple partners, or anyone with an ongoing chance of exposure, may choose to screen more regularly, while others screen mainly after a specific event or concern. Regular screening matters because many STIs are symptom-free, so you can be infected without any warning signs. A licensed healthcare provider can help you decide on a schedule that fits your circumstances.

Yes. Our rapid screening kits are designed for use by adults regardless of sex, and the sample type — such as a fingerstick blood drop or a simple swab — is explained in each kit's instructions. Some infections and their symptoms present differently between men and women, but the screening process itself is straightforward for everyone. As always, confirm any positive result with a healthcare provider.

For many people the biggest barrier to getting screened is the clinic itself — the appointment, the travel, the waiting room, and the wait for results. At-home rapid screening removes that friction, giving you a private, on-site result in minutes without mailing a sample to a lab. It is a fast, discreet first step that helps you decide whether you need confirmatory testing and care. Clinic and laboratory testing remain the gold standard for a confirmed diagnosis, which is why we always recommend following up any positive screen with a provider.

Screening for herpes is most useful if you have symptoms, such as sores or blisters, or if you have had a known exposure to a partner with herpes. Routine herpes screening is not recommended for everyone, because in people without symptoms it can produce results that are difficult to interpret and cause unnecessary worry. If you are considering herpes screening, it is worth discussing your situation and your result with a licensed healthcare provider. Our herpes kit is intended as a preliminary screen, not a diagnosis.

If your result is negative and you screened after the window period, it is reassuring — keep up regular screening based on your risk. If your result is positive, treat it as a preliminary screen and contact a licensed healthcare provider to confirm with laboratory testing and discuss treatment, as most STIs are treatable and many are curable. If your result is invalid or unclear, repeat the screen with a new kit. Acting early on any result protects both your health and your partners'.

If you have had sex — vaginal, anal, or oral — with a new or non-exclusive partner, or a partner whose status you are not certain of, there is a real possibility of exposure. Exposure does not require many partners or obvious risk; a single encounter can be enough, and condoms lower but do not remove the chance. Because many STIs cause no symptoms, the only reliable way to move from worry to clarity is to screen. If you are weighing up your own situation, our symptom checker can help you think it through.

No — and this is one of the most common and costly misunderstandings. Many STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and hepatitis B, often cause no symptoms at all, especially in their early stages, yet can still be passed on and can still affect your health over time. Feeling fine is not the same as being clear, which is exactly why screening exists. A rapid at-home screen gives you a preliminary answer without waiting for symptoms that may never appear.

Choosing not to screen means an infection you cannot feel can go unaddressed. Left undetected, some STIs can be passed to partners without either of you knowing, and certain infections can lead to more serious health problems the longer they go untreated. Screening early gives you the chance to confirm a result with a healthcare provider and get treatment before complications develop. The point of screening is not to alarm you — it is to replace uncertainty with a clear next step.

Yes. STIs are passed through contact during a single sexual encounter, not built up over many, so one instance of unprotected or higher-risk sex is enough to warrant screening. The chance depends on the infection and whether a partner was carrying it, which is often unknown. If that one encounter is on your mind, screening is a simple way to find out where you stand rather than carrying the worry.

It is worth screening anyway, for reasons that have nothing to do with trust. Many people who carry an STI have no symptoms and have never been screened, so a partner can genuinely believe they are clear while unknowingly carrying an infection. "Clean" is only meaningful if it is backed by recent screening. Screening together removes the guesswork and protects you both.

Yes. Several STIs, including gonorrhea, syphilis, and herpes, can be passed through oral sex, even though the risk profile differs from other types of contact. Because oral transmission is easy to overlook, people sometimes assume they have not been exposed when they have. If oral sex is part of your history with a partner whose status you are unsure of, it is reasonable to include that in your decision to screen.

Condoms significantly reduce the risk of many STIs, but they do not eliminate it. Some infections spread through skin-to-skin contact in areas a condom does not cover, and condoms can also slip or break. Consistent condom use is one of the best ways to lower your risk, but it is not a guarantee, so screening still has value if you have any concern about exposure. A negative screen after the appropriate window period offers reassurance that condom use alone cannot.

Far more common than many people realize. The CDC estimates there are millions of new STI cases in the United States every year, across all ages and backgrounds. This is not a rare or unusual thing to be concerned about — it is an ordinary part of looking after your sexual health. Framing screening as routine self-care, rather than something to feel embarrassed about, is often the first step to actually doing it.

Embarrassment stops a lot of people from getting screened, which is one of the main reasons at-home screening exists. With a rapid home kit, there is no waiting room, no front-desk conversation, and no one else involved — you screen privately and read the result yourself, usually in under 10 minutes. Orders arrive in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing on the outside to indicate the contents. Privacy removes the barrier so you can focus on the answer.

Yes, because feeling fine tells you very little about whether you have an STI. A large share of infections are symptom-free, particularly early on, so the absence of symptoms is not evidence that you are clear. If you have had a possible exposure, screening while you feel well is exactly the right time — it lets you catch something before it has a chance to affect your health or a partner's. Regular screening based on your risk is a normal part of staying healthy.

Potentially a long time. Because many STIs cause no obvious symptoms, an infection can be present for months or longer without you noticing, all while it remains transmissible. This is why relying on how you feel is not a dependable approach, and why screening after a possible exposure matters. If you think an exposure may have happened some time ago, it is not too late to screen and confirm your status.

It is not safe to assume so. Bacterial STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis do not clear on their own and require treatment, and leaving them untreated can lead to complications over time. Some infections behave differently, but none of the ones people commonly worry about should be left in the hope they resolve themselves. Screening, followed by confirmation and treatment through a healthcare provider, is the reliable path.

It depends on the infection, but untreated STIs can carry real consequences. Untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can affect reproductive health and fertility, untreated syphilis can cause serious problems in later stages, and chronic hepatitis B can affect the liver over time. The reassuring part is that many STIs are treatable and some are curable, especially when caught early — which is the whole reason screening is worthwhile. A licensed healthcare provider can explain what any confirmed result means for you.

It can still make sense. An infection acquired before the relationship began may have gone undetected for years, since many STIs cause no symptoms, so screening once as a couple gives you both a clear baseline. It is also relevant if either partner has had a possible exposure. Screening in a committed relationship is not about suspicion — it is simply good sexual health practice.

Yes — symptoms like irritation, discharge, or discomfort can have many causes, some of which are unrelated to STIs. That uncertainty is exactly why a screen can help: it addresses one specific question rather than leaving you guessing. Keep in mind that a screening kit is a preliminary check, not a diagnosis, so if you have symptoms you should see a licensed healthcare provider regardless of your screening result. They can identify the actual cause and recommend treatment.

Start with your situation: the type of contact you have had, any symptoms, and what you know about a partner's history. If you have a specific concern, a single-infection kit may be all you need, while the Multi-STD 4-in-1 pack covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis B together for broader peace of mind. Our symptom checker can help point you toward the right option. If you are unsure, a healthcare provider can advise on what makes sense for you.

No — in fact, more time having passed often means the infection is well past its window period and more readily detectable. If you have been carrying a concern for weeks or months, screening now can finally give you an answer. An older exposure that was never checked is still worth screening for, both for your own health and to avoid unknowingly passing something on. Confirm any positive result with a healthcare provider.

Yes, and this is one of the strongest reasons to screen. Because so many STIs are symptom-free, it is entirely possible to carry and transmit an infection while feeling perfectly well. Screening lets you find out before that happens, so you can take steps to protect a partner and seek treatment if needed. Knowing your status is as much about the people you care about as it is about you.

Take a breath — anxiety after a possible exposure is very normal, and there is a clear path forward. First, note when the exposure may have happened, because most infections have a window period before a screen can reliably detect them. If enough time has passed, a rapid home screen can give you a preliminary answer privately, usually in minutes; if it is very recent, you may need to wait or retest after the window. Either way, if you have symptoms or a known exposure, speak with a licensed healthcare provider, who can guide you on timing and next steps.

It is possible for some infections. STIs that spread through skin-to-skin contact or contact with sores, such as herpes and syphilis, can be passed on through close intimate contact even without penetration. The risk varies by infection and situation, but "no penetration" does not automatically mean "no risk." If you have had intimate contact with a partner whose status you are unsure of, it is reasonable to consider screening.