Ranking Criteria Explained
Before you proceed to learn more about the top choices in this guide, we’ll take a quick step back and explain the set of criteria used to sort the most prominent testing providers on the market and give them appropriate ratings. When it comes to testing panels, the most relevant criteria include the overall quality of the tests, their accuracy, and the variety within a specific panel. Furthermore, the processing facilities are also of great importance, so we’re always interested in relevant certificates as a sign of complete accuracy and reliability.
We will always put testing quality above anything else, but we also pay great attention to pricing and the range of available payment options, including insurance. Other relevant criteria include turnaround times, client support, potential doctor consultations, and the measures implemented to protect client privacy and security.
Lastly, we also inspect additional tools and features offered by each company. These don’t affect the final ratings tremendously but can definitely serve as excellent tiebreakers if companies match too closely based on the previous criteria.
For a more detailed overview of the companies that made it to the final list and even surpassed our initial expectations, check out our dedicated reviews below.
Our Top Picks
Our list of recommended STD testing options comprises of providers that received the highest scores throughout our ranking process. Read the following mini-reviews to learn more about our top picks and their testing options.
STDcheck
STDCheck is a reputable STD testing provider founded 7 years ago in Houston, Texas. Apart from its multitude of different STD testing solutions, STDCheck also focuses on educating individuals about various STDs and HIV. Its ultimate goal is to expand all across the US and make reliable and budget-friendly STD testing available to the general public.
When it comes to testing panels, STDCheck offers three potential options. The company’s full STD panel covers 10 common STDs, including syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis A, B & C, herpes type 1 and type 2, and HIV type 1 & type 2 antibody/antigen (4th gen). The price of the panel is 198.00$ or 349.00$ if you decide to include HIV RNA Early Detection.
Apart from its most comprehensive screening panel, STDCheck also offers an FDA-approved urine-based panel for chlamydia and gonorrhea. The price of this option is 129.00$. Finally, you can also order a blood-based screening panel for herpes 1 and 2 at a price of 130.00$.
The results are usually ready within 1-2 work days and you can choose to receive them by mail, SMS or not receive them at all until you contact STDCheck.
LetsGetChecked
LetsGetChecked cooperates with the most trusted testing laboratories around the world to provide its users with top-tier screening panels. Thanks to its convenient at-home testing procedure, you won’t have to wait in lines at the lab or have any uncomfortable meetings with your doctor. All you have to do is collect the relevant samples in the privacy of your home and mail them back to the lab for further processing. Once the lab receives your specimens, the results will be ready in 2-5 days, depending on the panel in question.
When it comes to testing panels, the options include Simple 2 (chlamydia, gonorrhea), Basic 3 (chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis), Standard 6 (chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, HIV, syphilis, hep B), and Complete 11 (chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, HIV, syphilis, hep B, Gardnerella, mycoplasma, ureaplasma, herpes simplex 1 and 2).
You will also receive a PDF copy of your report, which you can share with your doctor if you so choose. If you test positive for some of the screened STIs, you can schedule a free consultation with the company’s nursing team and have experts explain your situation and answer any potential questions you might have.
myLAB Box
MyLAB Box is the first true at-home provider on our list licensed to operate in all 50 states. It was launched in 2013 in Los Angeles, California, to provide its clients with budget-friendly, convenient, and very simple testing solutions for the most common STDs in the US. One of the main advantages of this screening model is the fact that you can perform the sample collection at home without the visiting any testing centers, clinics or hospitals.
Dedicated STD panels offered by MyLAB Box include the Safe Box (189.00$), which covers chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV 1 and 2, Uber Box (269.00$), which covers herpes type 2, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, HIV 1 and 2, and hep C, Total Box (from 369.00$), which covers gonorrhea and chlamydia (throat, genital, rectal), mycoplasma genitalium, hep C, HIV 1 and 2, herpes type 2, HPV, and trichomoniasis, and V-Box, which screens for the most common causes of abnormal vaginal discharge. You can also order a chlamydia + gonorrhea bundle for 79.00$. Finally, the company also offers its 8-test panel for couples in the form of the Love Box for two (499.00$).
Personalabs
If you want full control over your health without having to go through doctors and insurance providers, Personalabs is a perfect health hub for you. The company encourages its users to take a proactive approach toward a healthier lifestyle. It was founded in 2006 and currently offers more than 2,300 testing locations across the US through its partnership with LabCorp.
Some of the screening panels offered by the company include: Comprehensive STD Blood Test (471.00$), 11 Panel STD Blood Test (463.00$), Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 1 IgG Blood Test (78.00$), Genital Herpes Test IgG Blood Test (55.00$), STD Mini Panel (123.00$), Chlamydia and Gonorrhea by NAA Urine Test (108.00$), Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2, DNA PCR Blood Test (205.00$), Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 IgM Blood Test (108.00$), Talent Blood Test (357.00$), Comprehensive Female Sexual Health and Wellness Blood Test (1049.00$), and many others. Note that many of the panels are frequently discounted up to 50%.
STD Testing 24/7
STD Testing 24/7 is a well-known provider of different STD testing solutions founded by PHAS Group LLC back in 2014. The company offers its services 24/7, which is also one of its main advantages over the competition. It only performs FDA-approved tests that collect samples within CLIA-certified labs. You can provide your biological specimen at more than 4,000 testing locations and receive your final report within 3 business days or less.
When it comes to STD testing panels, STD Testing 24/7 offers only one option in the form of its 8 Test Panel designed to cover chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B and C, herpes 1 and 2, syphilis, and HIV antibody tests. The price of the test is 199.95$. If you suspect recent exposure to HIV, you can also include the Early Detection test into your screening panel for a total price of 299.95$. The company can also provide its customers with adequate treatments and referrals when needed.
Any Lab Test Now
Any Lab Test Now is a franchising conglomerate designed to provide direct access laboratory testing to the general public. It was founded in 2007, right after Any Test Franchising Inc. got the rights to franchise the concept. The company currently offers its testing solutions in more than 160 independently owned and operated stores across the US.
In terms of screening panels, Any Lab Test Now offers its Comprehensive STD Panel, which includes tests for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis B and C, and herpes 1 and 2. The price of the panel is 229.00$, but it may vary by location, so you should definitely contact your local store before ordering any tests. The panel uses urine and blood samples and yields the results within 24-48 hours.
Apart from the main panel, you can also opt for the company’s herpes panel for 49.00$. This panel includes tests for herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 and antibody IgG. If your results come back positive, it is highly recommended that you perform a full screening panel for the most common STDs in the US.
PlushCare
PlushCare is a private online healthcare clinic focused on urgent care and internal medicine that also utilizes the achievements of telemedicine with the possibility of online visits. The company was launched in 2014 but has quickly risen to the top thanks to its affordable pricing and high-quality service. It’s currently headquartered in San Francisco, CA.
PlushCare doesn’t offer any STD testing panels per se, but you have the possibility of ordering all its testing solutions at a significant discount, which constitutes a testing panel in our eyes. The company offers screening options for chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes 1 and 2, HIV (antibody), hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. If you decide to order all tests, the total price will be 199.00$. You can also opt for its chlamydia and gonorrhea panel for 90.00$ or herpes 1 & 2 panel for 80.00$. The results are usually available within 3 business days.
Walk-In Lab
Walk-in Lab is a BBB-accredited company launched in 2009 in Madisonville, LA. It provides its users with direct access to a multitude of lab testing solutions at nationwide high-traffic locations. One of the things that set Walk-in Lab apart is its low pricing policy and multitude of additional features. The company partnered with LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics, meaning it can offer more than 3,700 testing centers worldwide.
When it comes to STD testing panels, Walk-in Lab offers, Military Deployment Blood & Urine Test Panel (295.00$), Hepatitis Blood Test Panel, Acute (89.00$), Fighter or MMA Blood Test Panel (84.00$), STD #1 Baseline Blood Test Panel, 3 Tests (139.00$), and STD #2 Essential Blood & Urine Test Panel, 9 Tests (199.00$), and many other options.
As you can see, Walk-in Lab provides its users with a unique set of STD testing panels and generates accurate and reliable results within 2-3 days or 3-5 days for more complex testing solutions. You’ll receive an email notification the moment your results are ready.
EverlyWell
EverlyWell was launched in 2015 in Austin, Texas, as a private company focused on preventive medicine, health & wellness, and digital health. The company’s portfolio contains a multitude of different at-home testing solutions covering a wide range of diseases and other medical conditions. The company also features comprehensive STD panels with average turnaround times between 3 and 5 business days.
EverlyWell offers male and female STD testing panels, both covering chlamydia, gonorrhea, hep C, HSV-2, syphilis, HIV, and trichomoniasis. Both panels cost 199.00$. The only difference between the two options lies in the biological specimens required for the tests. The male iteration utilizes a urine sample and blood spot and the female version uses a vaginal swab and blood spot.
Every user can also schedule video or phone consultations with one of the company’s many physicians, which are completely free of charge for those who test positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HSV-1 or trichomoniasis.
Private iDNA
Private iDNA is an at-home provider of STD testing solutions launched in 2016 with headquarters in Dallas, Texas. The company offers 4 numerous budget-friendly testing bundles, allowing its clients to test for the most common STDs in the US without having to make some heavy investments and break their monthly budgets.
When it comes to the aforementioned testing bundles, Private iDNA offers the following solutions: Simple, which screens for chlamydia and gonorrhea (68.00$), Common, testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis (98.00$), Complete, which includes chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, HIV 1 & 2, syphilis, herpes 2, and hep C (198.00$), and Comprehensive panel that adds mycoplasma/ureaplasma and HPV to the Complete bundle (298.00$).
As we already mentioned, Private iDNA is an at-home testing provider, which means you can collect your sample in the privacy of your own home and simply mail it for further processing. The results are usually ready within 2-7 business days.
Choosing The Best STD Testing Panels
Testing panels offer numerous advantages for users and their physicians, as well as for the labs performing the tests. These include considerably lower prices compared to individual testing solutions, quicker turnaround times, more comprehensive testing, labor efficiency, and potential for testing automation. On top of that, administering a multitude of tests that respond to the same STD will also increase your chances of detecting the said disease and receiving the right treatment.
On the other hand, it is very important to find a high-quality and reputable testing provider in order to bypass the potential disadvantages of STD testing panels. Subpar companies will often try to cut back on their expenses by using sub-optimal tests, methods, testing instruments, and reagents, which can lead to inconclusive results and false positives/negatives. This is why, in our opinion, choosing the best company for the job is much more important than focusing on the particular testing panel since it leaves much bigger room for potential errors.
We’ve already touched on the subject of ranking criteria previously in this guide, so we already have a pretty good picture of the different factors used to grade companies and their STD testing panels. This final segment is entirely dedicated to explaining the essential ranking factors and making the whole process more transparent and understandable.
Service quality is our top priority at the beginning of every testing circuit. This factor includes the overall expertise of the company’s staff, the quality of its processing facility and potential certifications and approvals, the company’s network of physicians and support staff, the number of different testing solutions, and the quality of the entire testing process.
Test processing times or turnaround times is an extremely important factor given the very nature of STDs. Most STDs in the US are pretty harmless if detected early, so having your results quicker can make all the difference between solving your problems with a handful of antibiotics or having to go through a painstaking treatment later on.
Available testing locations greatly contribute to cutting the overall time you’ll need to spend in order to access the nearest testing center. There’s a big difference between having a testing lab right in your neighborhood and having to drive miles and miles in order to reach it. Our modern way of life dictates pretty harsh limitations on our time and we simply can’t afford a long road trip in order to get tested. Our grading system is pretty simple when it comes to this criterion: the more testing locations, the better.
Privacy and security are of vital importance when performing STD testing of any kind. We are interested in seeing the overall security measures implemented on the official website, the anonymity level offered during the testing process, and the company’s privacy policy. These are just the broad strokes since this factor covers many smaller questions as well, including the usage of gathered data, discrete packaging, credit card reports, and many other mechanisms in charge of keeping you as a customer completely anonymous and protecting your data from potential abuse.
Value for money is a pretty straightforward criterion where we investigate the overall value received for the price requested. Here, we simply compare all the other ranking factors with the standing pricing policy and determine whether the value factor is high enough as to merit the investment or not.
Lastly, we factor in the overall experience. Companies and their testing panels don’t receive specific grades in this section, but it serves as a unified reference point to us while compiling our final list.