The FDA just approved a new, fully at-home test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. The tests, which is only for women, will be available without a prescription. Users can collect their own sample and have results in less than 30 minutes.

There were more than 2.2 million cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea reported in the U.S. in 2023. There were also about 2.6 million cases of trichomoniasis (a.k.a trich). If diagnosed early, these infections can be cured with antibiotics. When left untreated, however, they can cause serious health issues including infertility.

Many times these STIs have no symptoms. That’s why it’s important that people who are sexually active get tested even if they don’t have symptoms.

At-home STI testing has become more popular recently because it is private and convenient. STI tests can be bought online or in pharmacies and are sometimes available for free from health departments. Most of the kits on the market today let people collect their own sample but don’t give results right away. Instead, the tests are mailed the tests to a lab and results come in a few days.

The new Visby Medical Women’s Sexual Health Test is different. It can be done entirely at home. It comes with a collection kit that lets the user swab their vagina and use a powered testing device to processes the sample. Users get their results on the app.

Anyone who tests positive needs to see a health care provider either in person or via telemedicine so they can get right medication. Anyone who has symptoms should see a health care provider even if they test negative.

This test can be used by with or without symptoms. Studies found that Visby Medical Women’s Sexual Health Test was accurate. It correctly identified:

• 98.8% of negative and 97.2% of positive chlamydia samples
• 99.1% of negative and 100% of positive gonorrhea samples, and
• 98.5% of negative and 97.8% of positive trichomoniasis samples.

At-home STI testing can help more people get tested by removing the barriers involved with having to see a health care provider—whether that’s finding a clinic, scheduling an appointment that doesn’t interfere with work, securing transportation, or overcoming the feelings of embarrassment that can happen when talking to a doctor in person.

A recent study found that young people say they would prefer testing for STIs at home over going to a doctor’s office or clinic. Reasons why? Convenience, privacy, and comfort.

This test joins a few others that can be done entirely at home. An at-home HIV test was approved in 1996, and the FDA approved a fully at-home test for syphilis in 2024.