What comes to your mind when you hear the word “testing kit”? It’s likely that the answer we will get will differ from person to person. A person who has a few issues with drugs or any banned substances will likely think about drug test kits.

Another who has a secret fear of being infected with an STD or any other kind of ailment will immediately think of health related tests. Whichever anyone thinks will be correct as all of these are valid and required in a lot of circumstances.

Examples of Testing Kits

There are a whole lot of examples, some of which you can find on TestingKit.com. However, to give you an idea of what we mean, we will look at some examples of common test kits that are currently available. You can have those for testing for drugs. Some of these and the drugs they are used to test for include: general drug identification, cocaine and crack fentanyl, GHB, ketamine, LSD, marijuana, MDMA, and opiates.

You can also test for STDs right in your home without the need to visit any hospital. Some of the infections that can be successfully tested for include: gonorrhea (genital, throat, rectal), chlamydia (genital, throat, rectal), mycoplasma genitalium, HIV (I & II), hepatitis C, herpes type-II, syphilis, trichomoniasis, and HPV.

You can also run fertility tests at home with the right kit. The above are just a few examples of what you can be done at home.

Are they Effective?

This is a valid concern and one that many before have raised. Based on studies that have been carried out on the subject, it has been found that these home options are quite effective though they do have their short comings.

One of the very common short comings of something like the HIV self-testing products available is the fact that they may not be able to show early signs of an infection. This is mainly because the more widely approved types make use of oral fluids which take much longer to begin to show the antibodies needed to identify the infection. You can read about it here: https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/home-rapid-test#accuracy.

However, as far as accuracy goes, they offer an accuracy level of over 90%. This will of course depend on the test in question. Note also that there will be the need for a confirmatory test taken a few months after for HIV. It is also encouraged that high risk individuals under this process every few months. These include drug addicts, those with multiple partners and anyone who engages in sexual relations without protection.

For others like drug test etc., the level of accuracy is extremely high.

Benefits of Testing Kits

There are a number of benefits that can be derived from using home testing kits. We will quickly look at a few of these here.

Convenience

This is probably one of the most common benefits that these home tests offer. Rather than having to go to a laboratory to get the test done, you simply get the stuff from your local pharmacy and perform the test by yourself. This is surely more convenient than using a lab.

Increased Testing

Since privacy is now assured, more people who would never have gotten tested will now be more open to the prospect given that only those who they choose to inform of the outcome of the exercise will know about it.

Ease of Use

Being something for home use, they are designed for easy use. This means that anyone can easily get and use any of the different kits.

Privacy

This is another very common benefit especially when it has to do with conditions that you do not want people to know about. A good example is this HIV testing kit discussed here. The simple fact that you can conduct the check in the privacy of your home ensures your secrets are safe with you and you alone.

How to Choose One

There are so many products out there today that promise one thing or the other. When choosing a product for something as important as this, you must make sure that you choose something you can rely on for accuracy. It will be safest for you to look for products that have been approved by the FDA.

You can also look for products that have a lot of positive reviews from actual customers. You do not want to buy something like this from quacks or fraudulent companies. Once it is approved by the FDA or it has a lot of positive reviews, then you can give it a try.