27/09/2023

Skip the Gyno Visit & Test for STDs at Home with These Simple Screening Kits

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Since COVID-19 became a thing, we’ve gotten more and more comfortable testing ourselves for health issues at home. It makes sense: home testing kits, whether it’s for COVID or a UTI, are quicker, more convenient, and cheaper than making an appointment with your doctor. And when it comes to sexual health specifically, the fewer barriers we have to testing, the better.

That’s why we’re so excited about at-home STD testing, especially when it’s offered by a sex-positive company like TBD Health. Through TBD, you can buy STD home screening kits that aim to “reduce all the stigma, anxiety, and inaccessibility” that usually comes with getting tested, co-founders Daphne Chen and Stephanie Estey tell SheKnows. It’s something they say is especially important now, when reproductive rights are being attacked right and left.

“More and more we’re seeing local sexual health clinics nationwide shuttering due to lack of funding and resources,” they say. TBD Health wants to be a solution “for those living in sexual healthcare deserts and beyond, by offering a more accessible and approachable way to taking care of your sexual health.”

At-home STD testing has been around for a few years, but TBD Health stands out, and not just because of their bright color scheme (which we love). The company also offers a seriously impressive range of tests. You can choose from 3-panel, 5-panel, or 9-panel STD tests, or test for specific STDs, such as HPV or chlamydia and gonorrhea.

To give you an idea of the scope, TBD’s most comprehensive 9-panel test will screen you for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, syphilis, HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, herpes II, and Mycoplasma genitalium — which is more than the “full panel” you typically get at the doctor’s office. TBD Health also offers emergency contraception, PrEP (a daily pill for HIV prevention), and consultations with clinicians. You can also take a short questionnaire from TBD to help you wade through the options and figure out which one is right for you.

Here’s how TBD’s at-home STD testing works. Whatever kit you choose, it’ll be delivered to you in discreet packaging and with free shipping. Depending on the test, you’ll be asked to collect a few samples of urine, blood (via a finger prick), or vaginal discharge, with TBD providing any swabs, collection cups, or other tools you may need. From there, you bag up the samples as instructed and ship them to the CLIA- and CAP-approved labs TBD Health uses (the same labs that doctors, hospitals, and universities use). TBD guarantees that you’ll have test results in less than a week, and you can access them via the company’s online portal.

“If you are positive, or if you just have questions, our clinical team will do a telemedicine consult and provide you with everything you need,” including prescriptions, TBD notes on its site. You’ll also have unlimited messaging with the company’s clinical team about your tests.

“The true differentiator of TBD is the care that comes along with the experience,” Chen and Estey explain. “All of our clinicians are trained in sex positivity, they have sensitivity training, and they are trauma-aware.” Offering counseling on next steps and resources for both patients and their partners, TBD “really walk(s) you through the entire process,” they say, unlike the “transactional” experience you might have with some healthcare providers.

Of course, privacy is always top of mind when it comes to sexual health. Chen and Estey say their goal is to “create the safest space possible” to discuss STD results, which includes using military-grade encryption to store patients’ data. (Note that for some STDs, TBD Health is required by law to report a positive result to the applicable Department of Health.)

One thing to note is that TBD Health doesn’t accept health insurance, though the company’s FAQ page states that its tests are “generally priced lower than the out-of-pocket costs associated with STD testing.” (HSA and FSA are accepted.) TBD also offers test kit subscriptions for a lower cost, which is a great way to test consistently while saving some money. The 9-panel STD test is $299 for a one-time purchase, for example, but $239 if you get a monthly subscription.

In even better news, we also have an exclusive discount code: Just enter SHEKNOWS20 at checkout until Oct. 15 for 20 percent off of a TBD Health purchase. Take this as your sign to pick up a kit, get tested, and take control of your sexual health ASAP.