How Effective Is At-Home STD Testing

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In the eyes of many sexually-active individuals, one of the major barriers to STD testing is the notion of having ones privacy compromised. After all, with testing comes the possibility of obtaining a positive result, and with that comes the chances of having ones identity reported in conjunction with such findings; a risk that many simply arent willing to take. Luckily, there is a way to get tested for STDs without having to worry about an invasion of privacy courtesy of the United States government. Thanks to the advent of at-home STD testing, more and more people are finally starting to take the necessary steps to learn the truth about their health and STD status. At-home STD testing provides a private, comfortable environment in which people can collect their own samples for STD testing purposes and send them off to laboratories, which can then interpret the results and report their findings in a strictly confidential manner.
Tracey Powell is the founder and CEO of getSTDtested.com, an online company that works to facilitate such at-home STD testing, and he believes that his business provides an essential service to those needing to get tested. The fact that customers can actually get tested in the privacy of their own homes can make the difference, for many, between getting tested promptly and not getting tested at all. Since getSTDtested.com specifically works to protect customers identities, theres never a question of reporting concerns or confidentiality breaches; and since customers looking for certain tests dont even have to leave their houses to submit samples, it makes the process of getting tested for STDs as simple as it could possibly be.

While at-home STD testing does come with its own set of advantages, there is one drawback to this particular method; the reliability factor. Although at-home STD testing can be extremely effective, Tracey will be the first to admit that from time to time, human error can play a role in the process. At-home STD tests work by having the customer provide a urine sample, which then gets sent off to a laboratory for interpretation. Every at-home kit comes with specific instructions about the collection and storage of the applicable urine samples. However, such collection and storage methods are still subject to customer compliance, and although the instructions are fairly simple, it is possible for a person to simply make a mistake.

As part of the sample-taking process, customers are required to collect a specific amount of urine for testing purposes; if a person provides too much or too little urine, then the test cannot be run. Customers are also instructed to keep their urine specimens out of the heat and away from direct sunlight; the failure to do so can ruin the samples and render them useless. Finally, it is possible for customers to inadvertently contaminate their own samples, which can affect the results of their STD tests.

Of course, if a sample is discovered to be ineffective as far as laboratory analysis goes, then a customer always has the option of providing another sample. However, the improper treatment and handling of a sample can result in incorrect test findings, a notion that comes with its own set of ramifications on many fronts. Therefore, those who choose to undergo at-home STD testing should take care to follow the directions on their collection kits in order to allow for the most accurate of laboratory readings.

Of course, in the world of STD testing, false negatives and false positives arent limited to at-home testing alone. Doctors and laboratories can, on occasion, make mistakes, and the percentage of erroneous results from self-provided samples isnt great enough to render the at-home testing process problematic or generally unreliable. Even with its inherent limitations, the benefits of at-home testing greatly outweigh the risks involved. After all, if it werent for the at-home option, many people wouldnt bother getting tested for STDs in the first place.