What to Order
At IWTK we will test for chlamydia [kla-mid-ee-a] and gonorrhea [gone-or-ee-ah] in your vagina, penis, butt, and/or throat. We also offer trichomonas testing for women and will send an in-home HIV test kit to residents of some areas, including Baltimore City and Arizona. It is your decision about what tests to order and what body sites you want us to test, but we have some guidance to help you know what may be best for you.
At IWTK we will test for chlamydia [kla-mid-ee-a] and gonorrhea [gone-or-ee-ah] in your vagina, penis, butt, and/or throat. We also offer trichomonas testing for women and will send an in-home HIV test kit to residents of Baltimore City. It is your decision about what tests to order and what body sites you want us to test, but we have some guidance to help you know what may be best for you.
How do you know which body sites to test for STIs?
Knowing what to test is easy! Whatever parts of your body come into contact with someone else’s genitals should be swabbed and tested. This could be your throat, your vagina, your penis, or your butt. Remember – using a sex toy also counts as contact. Here is more information to help you decide:
| What kind of sex have you had in the past 3 months? | Body Sites We Recommend for Testing If Your Answer is Yes |
|---|---|
| Have you given oral sex? (This means you have given someone a blow job, given someone head, gone down on someone) | Throat (Order a throat swab) |
| Have you received oral sex? (This means someone has given you a blow job, given you head, gone down on you) | Penis (Order a penis swab) or Vagina (Order a vagina swab) |
| Have you received vaginal sex? (This means someone put their penis or sex toys into your vagina.) | Vagina (Order a vagina swab) |
| Have you received butt (anal) sex? (This means someone put their penis or sex toys into your butt.) | Butt (Order a butt swab) |
| Have you put your penis into someone else’s vagina or butt (anus)? | Penis (Order a penis swab) |
If you are transgender, non-binary, or genderqueer, please pick the swab type that best suits the genitals you currently have and a throat or butt swab if you have sex with those parts of your body.
Remember that you do not need to collect blood for any of the STI tests. Read about Collecting Your Samples.
Should you order an in-home HIV test kit?
The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once. You should be tested routinely (every 3-6 months) for HIV if any of the STI risk factors apply to you. Men or Transwomen who have sex with people who identify as men should get tested for HIV every 3 months. If you are an intravenous (IV) drug user, it is also a good idea to get tested for HIV at least once a year.
If you reside in some areas, including Baltimore City, you can order an in-home HIV test called an OraQuick from IWTK. You can order this test by itself or along with STI tests. The OraQuick test is very easy to do and all the supplies you need come with the kit. All you have to do is collect some fluid from along your gum line using the oral swab test stick that comes with the kit. There is no blood collection involved. The test is fast and totally painless.
Remember though that this test is only reliable if it has been at least 3 months since you might have come into contact with HIV. If you might have been exposed more recently, then you should consider getting an HIV blood test. Fast and confidential HIV blood tests are offered at low or no cost at many clinics and health centers. Find a testing location. If think you might have come into contact with someone with HIV in the past 72 hours, see a healthcare provider urgently to discuss a course of medication called PEP (post exposure prophylaxis). PEP might prevent you from becoming infected with HIV.
It is best to know your HIV status. If your test is positive, you can start taking medication to keep the virus at undetectable levels, stay healthy, and prevent transmission to your partner(s). If your test is negative, you may want to consider starting on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily medicine that is very effective at preventing HIV infection.
How do you know which body sites to test for STIs?
Knowing what to test is easy! Whatever parts of your body come into contact with someone else’s genitals should be swabbed and tested. This could be your throat, your vagina, your penis, or your butt. Remember – using a sex toy also counts as contact. Here is more information to help you decide:
| What kind of sex have you had in the past 3 months? | Body Sites We Recommend for Testing If Your Answer is Yes |
|---|---|
| Have you given oral sex? (This means you have given someone a blow job, given someone head, gone down on someone) | Throat (Order a throat swab) |
| Have you received oral sex? (This means someone has given you a blow job, given you head, gone down on you) | Penis (Order a penis swab) or Vagina (Order a vagina swab) |
| Have you received vaginal sex? (This means someone put their penis or sex toys into your vagina.) | Vagina (Order a vagina swab) |
| Have you received butt (anal) sex? (This means someone put their penis or sex toys into your butt.) | Butt (Order a butt swab) |
| Have you put your penis into someone else’s vagina or butt (anus)? | Penis (Order a penis swab) |
If you are transgender, non-binary, or genderqueer, please pick the swab type that best suits the genitals you currently have and a throat or butt swab if you have sex with those parts of your body.
Remember that you do not need to collect blood for any of the STI tests. Read about Collecting Your Samples.
Should you order an in-home HIV test kit?
The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once. You should be tested routinely (every 3-6 months) for HIV if any of the STI risk factors apply to you. Men and transwomen who have sex with other men should get tested for HIV every 3 months.
If you reside in some areas, including Baltimore City or Arizona, you can order an in-home HIV test called an OraQuick from IWTK. You can order this test by itself or along with STI tests. The OraQuick test is very easy to do and all the supplies you need come with the kit. All you have to do is collect some fluid from along your gum line using the oral swab test stick that comes with the kit. There is no blood collection involved. The test is fast and totally painless.
Remember though that this test is only reliable if it has been at least 3 months since you might have come into contact with HIV. If you might have been exposed more recently, then you should consider getting an HIV blood test. Fast and confidential HIV blood tests are offered at low or no cost at many clinics and health centers. Find a testing location. If think you might have come into contact with someone with HIV in the past 72 hours, see a healthcare provider urgently to discuss a course of medication called PEP (post exposure prophylaxis). PEP might prevent you from becoming infected with HIV.
It is best to know your HIV status. If your test is positive, you can start taking medication to keep the virus at undetectable levels, stay healthy, and prevent transmission to your partner(s). If your test is negative, you may want to consider starting on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily medicine that is very effective at preventing HIV infection.