Adults can now buy the test over the counter (OTC) without a doctors prescription.
The test, calledSimple 2, is made by the virtual health companyLetsGetChecked.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the two most common STIs in the United States.
Courtesy of LetsGetChecked / Photo Illustration by Lecia Landis for Verywell Health
These STIs are easily treatable, but people dont always know they are infected.
If left untreated, both STIs can have severe health consequences, includinginfertility.
Making STI testing more accessible can help patients get their results faster and seek treatment, the FDA said.
What Does This Mean for STI Testing?
This expands the potential for home health care.
How Does the Simple 2 Test Work?
People with a vagina take a vaginal swab and those with a penis give aurine sample, Mordkin said.
Once the sample is collected, a patient sends their specimen to a designated LetsGetChecked lab for testing.
The kit comes with a prepaid, pre-addressed packet for overnight shipping.
However, the follow-up consultations and prescribed medications are not included in the cost of the test.
How Much Does Simple 2 Cost?
you’ve got the option to order a Simple 2 test online through the LetsGetCheckedwebsiteorapp.
There is no need to get a prescription from an outside source," Mordkin said.
A single Simple 2 test kit costs $99 out-of-pocket.
Currently, the Simple 2 test is not eligible for insurance coverage.
We do not accept insurance at this time.
Many local clinics and Planned Parenthood health centers offer inexpensive or free STI testing.
you’re free to call ahead to learn if you are eligible for free testing.
Youll need to pay out-of-pocket for the test and any follow-up care and treatment you get from LetsGetChecked.
The Simple 2 test may give a false negative test, the FDA said.
Food and Drug Administration.FDA grants marketing authorization of first test for chlamydia and gonorrhea with at-home sample collection.
Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.Get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted disease surveillance, 2021.
Tsevat DG, Wiesenfeld HC, Parks C, Peipert JF.Sexually transmitted diseases and infertility.Am J Obstet Gynecol.
2017;216(1):1-9. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2016.08.008
Planned Parenthood.Should I get tested for chlamydia?.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gonococcal infections among adolescents and adults.
