Three New Tests from GetTested.com Tackle the Silent STDs Among Men

Less than half of adults aged 18 to 44 have been tested for an STD other than HIV. With 20 million new cases each year in the U.S., individuals are turning to a more convenient, private option: at-home testing.

GetTested.com, a startup delivering at-home STD test kits straight to consumers, has eliminated uncertainty regarding sexual health and taken the guesswork out of pricing with its three kit options. The 13-panel test ($399), including the new additions of human papillomavirus (HPV), mycoplasma and ureaplasma, also screens for chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis C, herpes type 2, HIV-I/II, syphilis and trichomoniasis. Individuals may also choose the 8-panel kit for $249 or the HIV-I/II test panel for $99.

GetTested.com is extending HPV screening, typically available only to women through the doctor's office, to men with its 3-site testing. Half of all men contract HPV in their lifetime and the majority exhibit no symptoms. Contrary to popular belief, HPV can have serious implications in men, including penile, head and neck and anal cancers.

Men account for approximately 27 percent of all new HPV-related cancer cases per year (except genital warts cases, 10 percent of which are cancerous and occur equally in both men and women). Screening is especially important for men ages 18 to 30 since this group requires the most time for the body to clear any type of HPV infection.

Mycoplasma, also usually asymptomatic among men -- in an overwhelming 94 percent of cases -- and ureaplasma were labeled emerging sexual health issues by the CDC in 2015. Mycoplasma is linked to urethritis (sometimes accompanied by a burning pain while urinating or discharge from the penis) in men and cervicitis (characterized by a large amount of discolored discharge and painful urination) and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women.

"The uncertain fate of the Affordable Care Act threatens to limit Americans' access to life-saving health care," said Hannah Dela Cruz, spokesperson for GetTested.com. "As we expand our services, GetTested.com seeks to curb the STD epidemic in the country by offering accessible testing options for uninsured Americans who want to protect their sexual health."

GetTested.com customers receive a gender-specific kit in a discreet blank mailing box with either a vaginal swab or urine collection kit and a blood card. Samples can be collected within 10 minutes and are then mailed directly to a CLIA certified, CAP accredited laboratory for testing.

Individuals receive an email within three to five days with a link to a HIPAA compliant portal where they can view their results. Since customers do not go through their insurance provider for payment, testing type and frequency remain anonymous. Kits can be purchased at gettested.com and include prepaid FedEx shipping and a phone consultation in the event of an HIV-positive result.

GetTested.com is a service delivering at-home STD test kits nationwide. Gender-specific lab kits screen for 10 of the most common STDs, eliminating uncertainty and allowing individuals to take charge of their sexual health. Samples can be collected in less than 10 minutes, and diagnoses are delivered electronically within a few days.

Created in partnership with a CLIA certified and CAP accredited laboratory, GetTested.com ensures rapid but accurate results delivered to consumers' fingertips through a HIPAA compliant portal.

For more information, visit https://gettested.com.