Home Testing

Home testing kits from Chemist4U

STI testing

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are conditions that are passed on through sexual activity.¹ You may be concerned that you have an STI if you’ve recently had sex without using contraception or if you’re experiencing symptoms such as:²

• Unusual discharge from your vagina, penis or anus
• Pain when you pee
• New lumps around your genitals or anus
• A rash
• Unusual vaginal bleeding
• Itchy genitals or anus
• Blisters, sores or warts around and in your genitals, anus, mouth or throat

Different types of STIs include:^1,2

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhoea (clap)
• Trichomoniasis
• Genital warts
• Genital herpes
• Pubic lice (crabs)
• Scabies
• Syphilis
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• HIV

STI tests, such as a HIV test kit, can currently test for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV, trichomoniasis and syphilis.^3,4 They come with clear instructions to enable you to take a sample yourself, seal it securely and post it to a laboratory. Depending on what you’re being tested for, they will direct you to:⁴

• Take a swab (from your vagina or throat)
• Give a urine sample
• Give a finger-prick blood sample

Your results will be sent to you within a few days.⁴

Importantly, if you have symptoms of an STI, you should not use a home test kit but should visit your local sexual health clinic or GP. You may need different tests, treatment and an examination to rule out a complication.⁴

Pregnancy testing

If you’re trying to get pregnant or are worried you may be pregnant after having unprotected sex or missing a period, at-home pregnancy tests provide a reliable way to get the answer you need.⁵

If you’re wondering when to take a pregnancy test, you can do one from the first day of a missed period or at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.⁵ Some early pregnancy tests can be used before you’ve missed a period.⁵ However, taking a test too early can produce a false negative (when you get a negative test, but you actually are pregnant).⁶

To take a pregnancy test, pee on the urine test strip provided in the box.⁵ The test works by detecting human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)—a hormone which starts to be produced around 6 days after fertilisation—in your urine.^5,6 Even a faint line on a pregnancy test means that you are pregnant.

Covid testing

You can do a rapid lateral flow test (LFT) at home to find out whether you are infected with Covid-19.⁷

Your Covid testing kit will provide instructions on how to complete the test accurately.⁷ Different Covid tests can provide slightly different instructions, so just make sure you follow the instructions you’re given.⁷

A Covid test kit uses either a:⁷

• Throat and nose swab (like a cotton bud)
• Nose swab only

You will need to swab the inside of your nose and/or your tonsils then put the swab into the liquid in the tube provided, swirl it and drop some of the liquid onto the test strip.⁷ After a short wait, you will be able to read your result.⁷

Where to buy Covid tests? You can buy LFT tests from most pharmacies.⁷

Diabetes testing

Diabetes testing strips cannot tell you if you have diabetes. However, they can help you to monitor your blood sugar levels when used alongside a glucose monitor.⁸ A blood glucose monitor includes a lancet to prick your finger, a digital display and a place to insert a test strip.⁸ You can also get a strip-free monitor, which has pre-installed test strips.

To test your blood sugar levels, insert a test strip in the meter (unless it’s pre-installed), then prick your finger and hold the test strip against your blood.⁸

If you have Type 1 diabetes, you can get a diabetes monitor for free on the NHS.⁸ If you have Type 2 diabetes, you should speak to a healthcare provider before you buy one, as there are lots of different types and they will let you know which one is right for your needs.⁸ 

Vaginal infection testing

Vaginal infections include bacterial vaginosis (BV) and thrush.^9,10

BV causes grey or white vaginal discharge that has a strong, fishy smell.^9,11 However, in some people it doesn’t cause any symptoms at all.⁹ It’s a result of an imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in your vagina.¹¹

Thrush is a vaginal yeast infection that occurs when a fungus called Candida grows out of control.¹⁰ It causes thick, white discharge that looks like cottage cheese, redness, itching and burning when you pee.¹⁰

A thrush test and bacterial vaginosis test kit (BV test kit) can look for signs of BV and thrush using a vaginal swab.^9,11,12 You should insert the end of the swab into your vagina, rotate it and then remove it.¹² After 10 seconds, you can check the swab to see if it has changed to blue, green or stayed the same colour.¹² The instructions in the BV test at home packaging will tell you what your results indicate.¹²

Other at home testing kits

You can also buy allergy test kits, urinary tract infection tests, menopause test kits and other at-home kits to test your:

• Thyroid hormone
• Testosterone levels
• Blood (e.g. An iron at home test to check your iron levels at home or a vitamin D home test)
• Cholesterol
• Uric acid
• Fertility

However, recent research has indicated that even though many of these tests claim to provide accurate results, they cannot evidence these claims.^13–15 As a result, it’s worth exercising some caution when using these at-home tests. They may produce false negatives or false positives, which can cause you to feel unnecessarily reassured or worried.¹⁶

Many of these tests also recommend consulting a healthcare professional, regardless of the result.^13,16 In which case, it may be more worthwhile to consult a healthcare professional in the first place to make sure you receive an accurate diagnosis.

Sources

1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9138-sexually-transmitted-diseases--infections-stds--stis
2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis/
3. https://www.therotherhamft.nhs.uk/services/sexual-health-services/home-testing
4. https://onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com/uk/sti-tests#what-do-home-sti-kits-test-for
5. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/trying-for-a-baby/doing-a-pregnancy-test/
6. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9709-pregnancy-am-i-pregnant
7. https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/covid-19-rapid-lateral-flow-test/
8. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/looking-after-diabetes/testing/test-strips-and-monitors
9. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bacterial-vaginosis/
10. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5019-vaginal-yeast-infection
11. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22123-bacterial-vaginosis-test
12. https://www.chemist-4-u.com/canesten-self-test-for-vaginal-infections
13. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c24vedre9dmo
14. https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/the-problem-with-diy-health-test-kits-aDhtk8e19xwl
15. https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj-2025-085546
16. https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/are-home-health-test-kits-worth-it-a1Bww5T3r3SQ