Vantage at-home tests by LabX Diagnostics let you collect your own sample and mail it to our laboratory. Vantage is LabX Diagnostics’ at-home testing brand: every kit is processed by LabX Diagnostic Systems, the CLIA-certified (CLIA #10D2067145), COLA-accredited laboratory in Tampa, Florida. Choose the At-Home STI Panel ($149, urine) a 10-target PCR test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, Mycoplasma genitalium, two Ureaplasma species, Gardnerella vaginalis, syphilis (Treponema pallidum DNA) and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2; the Blood STI Panel ($199) for syphilis antibodies, hepatitis B and hepatitis C; or the Complete STI Panel ($299) for all 13 tests. Results arrive in 2–3 business days from when the lab receives your sample, and they are shown only inside your private account. None of these panels include HIV.
Which at-home STI panel should I choose?
| Panel | Sample | What it tests for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| At-Home STI Panel | Urine | 10-target urine PCR: chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum, Gardnerella vaginalis, syphilis (Treponema pallidum DNA), herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 | $149 |
| Blood STI Panel | Small-volume blood (press-on device, no needle) | Syphilis (RPR with treponemal confirmation on a reactive screen), hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C antibody (with HCV RNA on a reactive screen) | $199 |
| Complete STI Panel | Urine and small-volume blood | All 13 tests above in one kit | $299 |
If you are not sure, the Complete STI Panel covers both sample types for one fee; ordered separately the two panels come to $348. If your main concern is chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis or a current sore, the urine panel is the one to start with; hepatitis B and C, and a check for past or latent syphilis, need the blood panel.
How at-home STI testing works
- Order online. Pick a panel and check out.
- Your kit ships by USPS in discreet packaging with step-by-step instructions.
- Collect at home. Urine goes in a collection cup. Blood is collected with a device that presses onto your upper arm and draws a small sample without a needle.
- Send it back in the return envelope in the kit. Blood samples travel FedEx Priority Overnight to our Tampa laboratory.
- Get your result. Results are ready 2–3 business days after the lab receives your sample. We tell you a result is ready — never what it says — and you sign in to see it.
Why urine and blood tests find different infections
The urine panel uses PCR, which looks for the genetic material (DNA) of each organism in your sample. It detects chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, Mycoplasma genitalium and the two Ureaplasma species, and it also looks for the DNA of Treponema pallidum (the organism that causes syphilis) and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2.
- Syphilis and herpes on the urine panel detect the organism if it is present when you collect — most useful when there is an active infection or a sore. They do not replace blood testing: a negative urine result does not rule out past or latent syphilis, or herpes, and the urine panel does not include herpes antibody testing.
- Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are detected in blood, and syphilis antibody testing (RPR) shows current or past infection — a urine sample cannot do either. Those are on the Blood STI Panel.
- Gardnerella vaginalis is associated with bacterial vaginosis and is mainly relevant for people with a vagina. Gardnerella and the Ureaplasma species are often found in people who have no symptoms and no disease, so these results should be interpreted by a licensed physician.
That is why the blood and urine panels test for different things, and why the Complete STI Panel includes both samples.
What happens if a result is reactive
A reactive (positive) screening result is not a diagnosis. For the blood tests, a reactive screen is confirmed on a second, different method before we report it, which can add a day.
- Contact a clinician. Most infections on these panels are curable and all are treatable, but treatment has to be prescribed. Our laboratory does not treat, prescribe or give medical advice.
- Tell recent partners. If you would rather not do it yourself, your county health department can notify partners without using your name.
- Reporting. Sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections are notifiable conditions. Like every clinical laboratory, we are required by law to report positive results for these conditions to the state health department. That report is confidential and protected by law.
If you are unwell — fever, severe pain, abdominal or pelvic pain, or you are pregnant — seek care today rather than waiting for a kit.
Timing, window periods and HIV
An infection caught very soon after an exposure may not show up yet. If you were exposed in the last few weeks, test now and test again later. These panels do not include HIV testing — ask your provider, or find free and low-cost HIV testing near you at gettested.cdc.gov.
Privacy and where we ship
Your result is shown only inside your account, and the emails and texts we send never say what a result is. Samples are tested by LabX Diagnostic Systems, a CLIA-certified (CLIA #10D2067145), COLA-accredited laboratory in Tampa, FL. We do not ship at-home kits to New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island or California — see our shipping policy.
Order the urine panel ($149) → Complete panel ($299)
Talk to a licensed physician
This page is general information, not medical advice or a diagnosis. Review any result and any symptoms with a licensed physician, and seek care right away if you are unwell. See our medical disclaimer.