Self-Testing at Home

At-home health testing has become increasingly popular over the last few years, and this has further accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Various companies now offer a diverse range of tests, making access to healthcare more effortless than ever before. 

When it comes to testing, you will find many options available to you. Nowadays, you can even do STD test at home if you suspect that you maybe have a sexually transmitted disease.  

Types of At-Home Tests

There are three main types of at-home tests:

• Self-tests can be performed entirely at home, and you should be able to get the results in under an hour. The test kit will also guide you when it comes to interpreting the result. 
• With a self-collection test, you need to take a sample and send it to a lab where it is analyzed. The lab will send you an electronic result once it has finished with the analysis. 
• If you order a test from home, the samples are collected and analyzed in a laboratory, but a specially designed website makes it easier to schedule and pay for the test. 

You may need a prescription for some at-home tests. However, over-the-counter tests can usually be bought online or in a store without a prescription. 

The Most Common Uses of At-Home Tests

The different types of at-home tests can provide you with information about symptoms and can help you conveniently manage your health. 

The following tests are available:

• Screening tests look for signs of a potential health issue before symptoms have occurred. For example, some at-home tests can look for sexually transmitted diseases that don't cause symptoms, which may lead to the disease unknowingly being spread to others. 
• Other tests diagnose health problems after they have already started, for example, COVID-19 at-home tests. However, a doctor may need to do more tests to confirm the results of at-home tests. 
• Monitoring at-home tests can keep track of a person's health in response to treatment over some time. Diabetes testing kits are examples of these monitoring tests. 
• Some tests can determine if a person is at high risk of developing a disease. For example, genetic tests can look for DNA mutations associated with some types of cancer. 
• Wellness tests are designed to look for a specific problem but can help you understand different aspects of your wellness journey. These tests can measure nutrient levels, hormones, and others. 

Benefits of At-Home Tests 

At-home testing has the following benefits: 

• At-home tests are super convenient, as you can get tested without leaving your home, and you don't have to travel to a medical office, sit in a waiting room, or schedule an appointment. 
• It allows you to become more informed about your healthcare, and you can get access to new information about your health and wellness. 
• Costing is also transparent for at-home tests. The price is usually clearly displayed, and it's unlikely that you will come across hidden fees. 

Disadvantages of Testing at Home

There can also be downsides to doing medical testing at home. 

• A doctor usually better understands your overall health to interpret your test results, something which at-home tests don't provide. 
• You could pay out-of-pocket for your test, as health insurance may not cover it. 
• There is a potential for errors and inaccurate results, as reliable results usually depend on the samples being appropriately collected, something a trained nurse or technician would be able to do more successfully. 

Doing Your Test Properly

You can follow some steps to make sure you do your test correctly so that you don't get misleading or incorrect results. 

• Always check the expiration date when you buy a test, as the chemicals in the test may have lost their effectiveness if the rest is already past its expiration date. 
• Make sure you read the package instructions to determine how you should store the test. The test can be sensitive to very high or low temperatures and should be stored properly. 
• Make sure you understand how to take the test, and don't take the test before first reading the instructions. Some testing companies now have online tutorials that help you take the test correctly. 
• Determine if the test needs to be taken at a specific time or under particular conditions, such as a fasting test. Do the test precisely as instructed. If you have any questions, first speak to your healthcare provider before doing the test. 

Getting Your Results

Your results for an at-home test should be available almost immediately or within at least 60 minutes. Most of the test kits should include a mechanism for seeing and interpreting test results. 

If the test was a self-collection test or a laboratory test you ordered from home, you should get your results through an online health portal. Some of these tests may need to go to a lab for analysis, and the results will only be available in a few days. 

If you don't understand the results of your at-home test, you need to ask your doctor to review the results with you. However, some doctors may prefer to repeat the test in a medical setting to confirm the results. Many tests require follow-up testing in a laboratory before an official diagnosis can be made. For example, if you have done an at-home HIV test, the test results will need to be confirmed by a laboratory blood test. 

It's always good to speak to your doctor before taking an at-home test, as they play a vital role in your general healthcare. Ask them if there are any downsides to taking the test and if follow-up testing will be needed. 

Final Thoughts

There could be some risks involved in doing at-home tests due to poor quality test kits or tests that are done without following the instructions. The safest is to choose tests that have been FDA-approved. The other risk is that you could end up making the wrong lifestyle decisions if the test results are misconstrued.