Earlier this semester, the Sex Wonk column mentioned “I Want The Kit,” a free service (for D.C. residents) that tests for Chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis through the mail.
Because many people are too embarrassed to get tested for sexually transmitted infections, the Kit is like a shy person’s laboratory through the U.S. Postal Service. But it is not quite a mail order doctor’s office as you still have to go in person to get treatment if you are infected.
For your benefit, I had the Kit tested by two AU students — one man in the School of Public Affairs and one woman from the Kogod School of Business — who agreed to describe the experience, so you know what to expect if you want to get tested. A step-by-step replay follows:
Who needs to be tested?
Anyone who is sexually active. Sexually active means vaginal, anal or oral sex — yes, even oral sex.
All sexually active women 25-years-old or younger should be tested annually for Chlamydia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Untreated Chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can lead to infertility.
Ordering the Kit
Ordering the Kit requires filling out the form on www.iwantthekit.org. You can also opt in and add a rectal swab in addition to the standard urethral swab.
“It took less than five minutes to order the test off the site, which makes it seem like you are only getting tested for Chlamydia, but it actually also checks you for gonorrhea,” said the SPA student. “I also [ordered] an anal swab and felt a little awkward for clicking to say ‘yes, I want it.’”
Wait until the Kit arrives in the mail
As expected, the Kit arrived a week later in a discreet manila envelope with a Baltimore return label. It contained sterile test tubes, plastic collection bags, forms and detailed collection instructions. It even had a pre-stamped return envelope to make the whole process even easier. The forms were rather straightforward and offered to send results by text message.
Experience self-swabbing action
“I thought the test was uninvasive and the instructions were easy to follow,” said the female Kogod student. “Overall, it was a painless test and took such little time and effort for such a great amount of benefit.”
However, the male SPA student, who ordered both the standard and the rectal swab, said it was not immediately apparent which swab was which.
“I decided there was no way the Q-tip sized swab was for the front,” he said. “There was a thinner one for that.”
Men touch the “swab just at the tip or inside the opening to the penis.” Women insert “the swab about one inch inside the opening of your vagina and rotate it … so that moisture is absorbed into the swab.”
Drop into the mail and wait for the results
One of the students received a text that read “U R negative” without any other explanation. The other is still waiting.
So, although convenient, the test takes a little longer than just walking into a doctor’s office. However, it is quite discreet for the timid population. It is important to remember that this does not test for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, so you should get tested for other STIs separately.
