It’s normal to be concerned about the accuracy of STD tests when getting tested. Testing may be an inconvenience for some, but you may also just feel uncomfortable about the process in general. While our mission is to make the process as comfortable and easy as possible, we understand that no one likes to be tested. Therefore, you want to make sure your testing experience is worth it by getting accurate results.
Accuracy of STD testing
Getting inaccurate results for STD testing can defeat the entire purpose. A false negative can make you think you don’t have an infection, when in reality you do. This could potentially harm you if you leave the infection untreated and put your partners and others at risk of transmitting infections. A false positive result can be disturbing and possibly embarrassing for you and your partners, and may even lead to you taking medications to treat an infection you don’t even have, which can have serious adverse consequences. Cheap STD testing can also be a significant variable affected by accuracy: the more accurate the test, the less likely that another test will be needed.
How do you ensure you get an accurate STD test result? There are a few different methods to consider.
STD Test Kits vs STD Lab Tests
Accuracy of STD Test Kit
STD kits, while convenient and private, can pose a number of threats to the accuracy and accurate results of testing. There are a few reasons why the idea of an STD kit seems attractive. You can take the test at your leisure, in the privacy of your home, and then return the kit when you’re done. You will save yourself from awkward conversations or office visits with your doctor or other healthcare provider, and you will have relative control over the entire testing process.
While it seems great in theory, the reality is that STD test kits are often not as accurate as tests performed in a clinic or laboratory due to the potential for user error. Testing for STDs at home requires you to collect your own samples and then send them back. If they are not performed correctly, your test may be invalid or produce an inaccurate result.
Because of these and other factors, such as problems that arise while the kit is being shipped to or from your home, self-administered test kits are often responsible for false negative results, more so than tests performed in a laboratory or testing center.
Aside from the possibility of inaccurate results, while STD testing kits may seem like a more personal experience, the opposite can be true if someone you live with discovers the box or someone on your street or in your building finds it on your doorstep or in your home. sees. your hands as you walk back to your house. It’s also not nearly as fast as some other STD testing options, as it can take some time for the kit you ordered to arrive, get back to the lab, and for you to get results.
Accuracy of STD laboratory tests
STD lab testing is much more accurate than self-testing because, for starters, it eliminates many of the factors that can result in inaccurate results from a home kit. Because STD lab testing is performed by certified labs with trained and experienced technicians, you greatly reduce the chance of a false test result due to user error. Performing tests in a laboratory also greatly reduces the risk of your sample becoming contaminated or otherwise damaged, as might occur during or after an at-home testing procedure. The laboratory technicians know how to properly prepare and handle your samples, and in most cases begin processing the samples right away.
While a lab testing environment may seem like you’re sacrificing the privacy that an STD testing kit can provide, in almost all cases the lab technician collecting your samples doesn’t know what you’re being tested for, but exactly what samples he needs. collect. They don’t know if you’re there for an STD test or another routine health test, so there’s no need to feel embarrassed during your lab visit.
STD test accuracy by method
In addition to the different accuracy levels for lab and at-home tests, the collection method both require can also affect how accurate your results are.
Accuracy of STD blood tests
STD blood testing is one of the most common methods of STD testing and one of the methods our STD lab tests use. These tests are used to diagnose HIV, genital herpes, hepatitis, and syphilis. Blood tests work by testing for your body’s response to one of these infections. If your body has developed antibodies to fight the infection, it means that the infection is present or that there has been an infection in the past.
Blood tests are also a common testing method in self-administered STD testing kits. Again, while the same potential problems exist for both home and laboratory tests, self-administered tests offer the same increased chances of inaccurate testing and user error as mentioned above.
Accuracy of STD swab test
STD tests can also be taken in the form of a swab test. These swabs can be administered orally or rectally and are often used to test for oral and rectal chlamydia and gonorrhea, which often cannot be detected by other methods. Pap smear testing is widely considered the most uncomfortable test you can do. Unless you specifically need to be tested for one of these forms of chlamydia or gonorrhea, we recommend that you skip it.
Pap smears can be collected through self-administered testing or through a medical provider, such as a clinic or doctor’s office. As with other testing methods, laboratory testing comes with less risk of potential inaccuracies, but many users prefer the comfort, convenience and privacy of performing the swab test themselves.
Accuracy of STD urine test
Urinalysis is the other testing method performed by our laboratory partners. Urine tests are most commonly used to test for bacterial infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. These tests check for the presence of the bacteria in your urine. Although urine tests are fairly accurate, they are not as accurate as cervical or urethral samples that may be collected by your doctor. But if you don’t have the time or availability for a doctor’s visit, urinalysis can be a quick and reasonably accurate way to test for these infections.
As with the other testing methods mentioned, urine samples are also often collected as part of an STD testing kit, with the same potential for user error and other types of inaccuracies.
Fast accuracy of STD testing
In addition to the factors that affect the accuracy of these testing methods, there is another variable that can affect your test results, and that is the “latency” or “incubation period” for the infection being tested for. The latency or incubation period is the time it takes for your body to develop a detectable amount of the infection from the initial transmission of the infection. If you are tested too early, the test may not detect the infection, which could lead to a false negative result.
Fortunately, early detection tests are also available for most of these infections. To ensure the most accurate results, look up the incubation periods for the infections you want to be tested for before ordering your test. These incubation periods can vary by infection, so be sure to check.
Are STD tests accurate enough?
While we’ve outlined many possible variables that can affect the accuracy of STD testing, the most important thing to know is that inaccurate results are rare. With the proper laboratory testing process, they are exceptionally rare and you usually don’t have to worry about the possibility of a false result. For convenient and accurate STD testing, order your tests today through Priority STD Testing at one of our professional STD testing centers. By being aware of the various factors that affect the accuracy of STD tests and how to properly monitor them, your test results are more likely to be accurate.