A fresh home test for chlamydia and gonorrhea will be available soon. Here’s what you need to know

Australia Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently approved a self-test kit for chlamydia and gonorrhea for women and others with a vagina.

Reports indicate that these home tests will be available in pharmacies from December 13.

So what do we know about this test?

Basics

The test was developed by a The company is based in Sydney called Touch Biotechnology.

We don’t know yet how much sellers will charge for it, but people will have to pay for the test out of pocket (Medicare only subsidizes pathological tests performed in the laboratory).

The test covers the two most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), chlamydia and gonorrhea. Both are bacterial infections.

It’s a vaginal examination. Although you can make a deal chlamydia AND gonorrhea in other parts of the body, including the throat and rectum, there are currently no self-testing kits available in Australia for other places (or for men and others without a vagina).

To collect the sample, you insert the cotton ball into the vagina. The next steps are similar to a home COVID test, although the sample must be mixed with two different solutions rather than one.

You then place a few drops of the mixed solution into two separate wells on the cartridge (one for chlamydia and one for gonorrhea). Similar to the COVID test, two lines mean you most likely have the infection and one means you probably don’t have it. The result can be read after approximately 15 minutes.

Who should take this test?

Most people who chlamydia infection will not have any symptoms. But the infection can sometimes cause burning when urinating, vaginal discharge, unusual vaginal bleeding, and pelvic pain.

Gonorrhea it doesn’t usually cause any symptoms when in the vagina, but it can similarly cause vaginal discharge, bleeding, and pain.

All of this means you don’t have to have any symptoms to take the test.

If you do not have symptoms, it is essential not to test too soon after exposure. Chlamydia can take 7–14 days from exposure and gonorrhea may last for about 7 days appear for a test, including laboratory tests. If you’ve had sex without a condom and you’re worried, it’s best to test after about a week (if you have symptoms, it’s wise to test earlier).

Most sexually transmitted diseases are straightforward to treat, but if left undiagnosed and treated for a long time, they can cause complications. For example, chlamydia can enter the uterus and fallopian tubes and cause fertility problems.

Of course, detecting and treating sexually transmitted diseases is also essential to limit their spread. Chlamydia and gonorrhea infections in Australia has increased over the last few years.

How exact is the test?

The The TGA has strict criteria about how exact home STI tests need to be. They must have a sensitivity of at least 95%, meaning they correctly identify at least 95% of positive cases.

Touch Biotechnology claims to have an at-home test for chlamydia and gonorrhea sensitivity over 99%.. However, the research behind this figure has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

In any case, a positive result still needs to be confirmed by a laboratory test. Therefore, if you test positive, you should consult your doctor for further testing and treatment advice.

Home STI tests are not entirely fresh

While this represents an electrifying innovation in sexual health, home STI testing is not entirely fresh in Australia. HIV self-tests are available available in Australian pharmacies from 2021. These tests involve taking a petite amount of blood from the fingertip.

Analyzing the effectiveness of home HIV tests may give us clues as to what to expect from newer home tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Although most HIV tests it is still performed in clinicsthe availability of self-tests has been shown to enhance the frequency of testing HIV test and encourage people who have done it never tested before to do this.

Home HIV testing provides a greater level of anonymity compared to a clinic visit. This may be particularly essential for certain populations, including younger people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse or immigrant communities, and men who have sex with men who identify as heterosexual.

Research suggests that most people who test positive for HIV successfully contact HIV the care and treatment they need.

In Australia, women and people with a cervix aged 25 and over can now take their own vaginal swab to screen for HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer. You can take a swab test at the clinic or make an appointment home tests via telehealth.

A few things to consider

When you see the doctor like a doctor or nurse to check your sexual health, they can discuss a range of issues with you, including contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, vaccinations and other prevention methods.

Home tests should not replace a conversation about sexual health and wellbeing with a doctor, for example at a GP surgery, sexual health clinic, youth health service or other health service.

And remember that the home test is narrow to chlamydia and gonorrhea only. If you have symptoms that worry you, such as pelvic pain, pain during sex, or pain when urinating, you may have another sexually transmitted disease or medical problem.

So if you have symptoms and your home chlamydia and gonorrhea tests come back negative, it would be a good idea to get tested to see what else might be going on.