Product

Introduction

Taking care of your sexual health shouldn’t be complicated, embarrassing, or time-consuming. That’s why we created a simple self-test you can use in the privacy of your own home. In just a few easy steps, you can check for common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and gain peace of mind.

No waiting rooms. No awkward conversations. No unnecessary delays. Just clear results that put you in control of your health. Whether you’re testing after a new relationship, as part of your regular routine, or simply because you want to be sure - you deserve an option that’s fast, discreet, and reliable.

Our self-test gives you the confidence to know your status and take the right steps for your well-being. After all, caring for your sexual health is an important part of caring for yourself.

Note: This Product does not exist yet. We chose to include a mockup to illustrate our vision of how the final diagnostic tool could look and function once all development steps are completed. While our current work focused on proof-of-concept experiments, the mockup serves to demonstrate how our project could eventually be translated into a practical, user-friendly test.

Did you know that:
  • Early detection means earlier treatment, which prevents long-term complications.
  • Self-testing supports autonomy and helps reduce stigma around sexual health.
  • When more people test and treat early, the spread of infections in communities goes down, protecting everyone.

Testing Recommendations

Syphilis (1,2)
  • Women and men at increased risk*
  • At least annually for sexually active men who have sex with men (MSM) and every 3-6 months if at increased risk
Chlamydia (1,2)
  • Sexually active and pregnant women under 25 years.
  • At least annually for MSM
Gonorrhea (1,2)
  • Annually for sexually active women under 25 years. Also for older women if at increased risk.
  • Individuals with new or multiple sex partners.
  • MSM
Trichomonas (1,2)
  • Women at high risk of infection
HPV (1,2)
  • Every 3 years for women or people with a cervix aged 21–29 years, with cytology.
  • Every 5 years for women or people with a cervix aged 30–65 years, with cytology and HPV testing.

* According to CDC people at increased risk means people that: “[..] have a new partner, more than one sex partner, a sex partner with concurrent partners, or a sex partner who has an STI; practice inconsistent condom use when not in a mutually monogamous relationship; have a previous or coexisting STI; have a history of exchanging sex for money or drugs; or have a history of incarceration.” (1)

Instructions

Test Execution

Instructions
Figure 1: Image instructions for our Syphilis minimum viable product (MVP) test.
  1. Wash your hands / Wasche deine Hände / Lave tes mains / Lava le mani
  2. Disinfect your fingertip / Desinfiziere deine Fingerkuppe / Désinfecte le bout de ton doigt / Disinfetta la punta del dito
  3. Prick your fingertip / Stich in die Fingerkuppe / Pique le bout de ton doigt / Pungi la punta del dito
  4. Transfer the blood into the pipette / Überführe das Blut in die Pipette / Transfère le sang dans la pipette / Trasferisci il sangue nella pipetta
  5. Transfer the blood from the pipette onto the test / Gib das Blut aus der Pipette auf den Test / Dépose le sang de la pipette sur le test / Trasferisci il sangue dalla pipetta sul test
  6. Put a bandaid onto the wound / Klebe ein Pflaster auf die Einstichstelle / Colle un pansement sur la plaie / Applica un cerotto sul punto della puntura
  7. Wait 10 minutes / Warte 10 Minuten / Attends 10 minutes / Attendi 10 minuti
  8. Evaluate the test / Werte den Test aus / Évalue le test / Valuta il test

Test Evaluation

Evaluation
Figure 2: Image instructions for the Test Evaluation.

A: The test is invalid / Der Test ist ungültig / Le test est invalide / Il test non è valido

B: The test is negative / Der Test ist negativ / Le test est négatif / Il test è negativo

C: The test is positive / Der Test ist positiv / Le test est positif / Il test è positivo

Results & FAQs

I got a negative result. What does that mean?

Your test did not detect an infection. That’s great news!

However, every medical test has limits, and while ours is highly sensitive, no test is perfect. If 1,000 people with an infection were tested, about 970* would receive the correct positive result, while around 30* might get a false negative. In other words, results are highly accurate, but a small number of infections may go undetected.

It’s also important to remember that some infections take time before they can be detected. If you tested soon after a possible exposure, consider repeating the test after the recommended window period. For more information, click on the different STI boxes. And remember, making testing part of your regular routine keeps you and your partners safe.

I got an invalid result. What does that mean?

Sometimes a test doesn’t work as expected - maybe the sample wasn’t collected properly, or the device was disturbed while running. If your result looks unclear or doesn’t show the control line, it’s considered invalid. Don’t worry - this doesn’t mean anything about your health status. Simply repeat the test with a new kit to get a reliable answer.

I got a positive result. What does that mean?

Your test shows an infection was detected. This can feel worrying, but remember: STIs are common, treatable, and nothing to be ashamed of. The most important next step is to confirm the result with a healthcare professional and begin treatment if needed. Acting quickly not only protects your health but also helps prevent passing the infection on to others. For details about your particular STI(s), for example to learn how you may have gotten infected, what treatment could look like and other essential information, click on the corresponding box.

* These values serve as placeholders. Clinical sensitivity and Specificity analyses have not been perfomed.

About this page

This page was developed following feedback from Dr. Walter Bierbauer and was influenced by our survey results. We made a particular effort to structure and design it based on insights gained from these engagements, specifically:

  • To encourage action by focusing on positive health outcomes rather than risk perception, for example in our fact box.
  • To boost self-efficacy and remove any uncertainty by having clear and accessible text and video instructions, FAQs and pictograms.
  • To ensure results are acted upon by guiding the readers towards relevant resources according to their results, for example with our STI Factsheets and FAQs.

References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). STI screening recommendations. In: Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021. Atlanta (GA): US Department of Health and Human Services; 2021 [cited 2025 Oct 8]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/screening-recommendations.htm.
  2. Brighton Sexual Health. When should I test? Brighton (UK): Brighton Sexual Health; [cited 2025 Oct 8]. Available from: https://brightonsexualhealth.com/home-sti-tests/when-should-i-test/.
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