Chlaymydia, Gonorrhea, and Trichomoniais Test

What is the STI testing process like?

You can test for sexually transmitted infections, or STIs (which can progress to sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs) with an at-home lab test or at a clinic. For at-home lab testing with ANSA, you collect a sample yourself and send it to a lab—and get your results online. This confidential testing makes it easy to get tested for STIs where you want and when you want. The type of sample you collect depends on what STIs you’re testing for. Samples can include urine, blood (collected with an easy finger prick), or genital swabs. If you go to a clinic for STI testing services, a healthcare provider may draw blood from your arm or collect a swab. They may also ask for a urine sample. How you receive your results depends on the clinic you use for testing services.

Why take an STI/STD test?

We’re all adults here but let’s face it, STD testing isn’t exactly fun, no matter how comfortable you are with talking about your sex life and sexual health. Anyone who's sexually active should engage in regular STD testing, and we're excited to make testing easier and more discreet than ever before.

STD Testing for Women and People with Vaginas

Routine STI screening using STD tests is important because it can help you detect sexually transmitted infections before they potentially cause significant health issues like infertility, cervical cancer, tubal pregnancy (which can result in medical emergencies in pregnant people), and more.

Fortunately, testing for STDs is easy and straightforward: with our STD Test, you can check for 6 common sexually transmitted infections from the convenience of your home—and view your results securely online.

Can you check for STDs at home?

Yes—here’s how to check for STDs at home:

1. Find an STD test that’s right for you - for any at-home STD kit you’re considering, check what STD(s) it screens for, so you can make sure it’s the right test for you. The ANSA STD Test screens for these STDs: Chlamydia Trachomatis, Gonorrhea, Herpes 1&2, Trichomonas Vaginitis, Mycoplasma Genitalium, and Microplasma Hominis. The test arrives in discreet packaging that takes your privacy into consideration.
2. Collect your sample(s) - the ANSA STD Test includes the supplies you need to collect samples from the comfort and privacy of home.
3. Send your sample(s) to the lab - the ANSA STD Test includes a prepaid shipping label and everything else you need to send in your samples. One of the labs we use for testing will process your sample.
4. Check your results online - just days after your samples arrive at the lab, you’ll get to check your test results online (on a secure platform). In the event that you have an abnormal result, a representative from ANSA's physician network will reach out to you prior to the release of your digital results.

How Often to Test for STDs
The frequency of necessary STD testing really varies based on how sexually active you are and if you’re currently outside of a monogamous relationship. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends every 3-12 months depending on risk category, but most medical professionals would agree that a yearly STD test is the minimum responsible frequency and testing should be done more if—and when—you engage in unprotected sex with a new partner. Preventing the spread of STIs and STDs is everybody’s responsibility and knowing your status is a great way to do your part while also keeping yourself and your partner(s) healthy.

This at-home STI test checks whether or not you test positive for a variety of sexually transmitted diseases. In the event that your test results are abnormal, a board-certified physician in your state will contact you at no additional cost to discuss your particular case and prescribe medication where applicable.

In rare cases, you may not receive a definitive result because of short post-exposure time or inadequate sampling. These results do not mean that your results are going to be abnormal, it just means that the testing was unable to provide a clear answer at this time, and repeat testing is suggested.

Will my results be shared with my state health department?
We take customer privacy very seriously and only you will have access to this information. As is the case with all STI testing—whether through ANSA lab tests or your healthcare provider—some positive results require a report to state health departments by law. This is only done to track infection prevalence. If you test positive for chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, ANSA's physician network will report this data to your state health board for tracking.

Know where you stand with our comprehensive at-home STD test.

Your samples are analysed with CE-marked tests in the same labs used by primary care providers, hospitals, and government programs.

ANSA laboratories are CPA-approved and ISO certified, which are the highest levels of accreditation.

Our home sample collection kits are manufactured within our ISO 13485 certified facility, the highest level of accreditation for medical devices.

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia trachomatis infection, commonly referred to as chlamydia, is a sexually transmitted disease that's caused by an infection from a bacterium known as Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is about twice as common in women than in men, and most often affects women in the 15–24 age range.

What is Gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria. Having a gonorrhea infection can increase the risk of contracting HIV, and symptoms can include inflammation of the cervix and urethra. Gonorrhea infection rates are nearly equal among women and men.

In women, gonorrhea often occurs without symptoms—but an untreated gonorrhea infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can cause serious issues for women's health (like infertility and chronic pelvic pain). That’s why routine gonorrhea testing is so important: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all sexually active women under the age of 25 get tested for gonorrhea—as well as chlamydia—every year.

In men, gonorrhea can cause symptoms like painful urination, genital swelling, and testicular pain; however, the majority of cases are asymptomatic. The best way to know for sure is to test regularly.

A chlamydial infection usually doesn’t cause symptoms for women, but it can lead to inflammation in the cervix or urethra. Ultimately, in up to 15% of untreated chlamydia infections in women, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) develops—which can result in infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and tubal pregnancy (also called an extrauterine pregnancy).

In men, chlamydia is likewise rarely accompanied by symptoms, but it can cause inflammation of the urethra and testicles.

Because a chlamydia infection often comes without obvious signs and symptoms, the only way to know for sure is by regularly taking a chlamydia test.

What is trichomoniasis?

Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI, also called an STD) caused by Trichomonas vaginalis. Trichomonas vaginalis, or TV, is a microscopic parasite called a protozoan that lives in moist environments in the human body, such as the genitourinary tract. If you have had sexual intercourse with an infected person without a barrier method such as a condom, you may be at risk of contracting this infection.

An untreated trichomoniasis infection can last for weeks, months, or even years. This infection is very unlikely to go away on its own.

Vaginal trichomoniasis symptoms in women can include a yellow or green vaginal discharge, pain during sexual intercourse, painful urination, or vulval itching. Trichomoniasis often has no penile symptoms. Men who do have symptoms often experience inflammation of the urethra, which can result in pain while urinating.

Pregnant women who are infected with trichomoniasis are more likely to have a preterm delivery and deliver a low birth weight newborn.