Planned Parenthood now offers at-home testing kits for sexually transmitted infections.
The kits test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and also trichomoniasis.
Patients may be sent one by a Planned Parenthood physician after a telehealth appointment, discussing symptoms and potential exposure. A kit is mailed in a discreet package and box.
Upon receiving it, a patient has 30 days to return a urine sample or self-collected swab (rectal, vaginal and pharyngeal).
Results will be relayed in the patient’s preferred form of communication.
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Planned Parenthood offers services on a sliding scale, and at-home tests range in cost from free to $106, said Emily Bisek, regional director of strategic communications.
STI rates have increased in Minnesota , according to the Minnesota Department of Health, and the at-home kits are a way to curb a potential spike in the number of cases due to decreased access to nonemergency health care services during COVID-19.
