How does at-home STI testing work with TestSmart?

Choose your test kit, complete a 2-minute health questionnaire, and a GP reviews and approves your referral. Your kit arrives in discreet packaging. Collect your sample at home, return using the prepaid mailer, and receive results in 3-4 business days. No clinic or collection centre visit required at any point.

Can men use TestSmart?

Yes. TestSmart is Australia's first at-home urine STI screening service available to both men and women. The chlamydia and gonorrhoea urine test works for all genders. No other Australian at-home service offers lab-processed urine testing for men.

Do I need to visit a collection centre or clinic?

No. TestSmart requires no clinic visits and no collection centre visits at any stage. You collect your sample at home and return it using the included prepaid mailer. Results are delivered securely online.

How accurate are TestSmart results?

All samples are processed at NATA-accredited laboratories using the same NAAT testing methods used in clinics and hospitals. Results are reviewed and verified by Australian GPs before being released.

How long does it take to get results?

Results are available in 3-4 business days after the lab receives your sample.

What happens if my result is positive?

A TestSmart GP will contact you to discuss your result and treatment options. Where appropriate, treatment can be delivered to your home via our partner pharmacy. A test of cure is included at 4 weeks, and a retest for re-infection is recommended at 3 months.

Is the packaging discreet?

Yes. Your kit arrives in plain, unmarked packaging with nothing to identify what is inside. Free shipping and sample return is included.

Does TestSmart offer rectal and throat swab testing?

Yes. TestSmart is the only at-home testing provider in Australia offering self-collected rectal and throat (oral) swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, available in the Comprehensive STI Kit.

At-Home STI/STD Testing vs Online Pathology Referrals

There are two main ways to get an STI (also called STD) test online in Australia today: a fully at-home service, or an online referral that still requires a visit to a pathology collection centre. This is separate from the traditional route of seeing a GP or visiting a sexual health clinic in person.

	At-Home Testing (TestSmart)	Online Pathology Referral
Sample collection	At home	At home or at a collection centre
Sending the sample	Mailed back using a prepaid label	Dropped off in person at a pathology centre
Clinic or centre visit required	No	Yes, at least once
Appointment needed	No	Sometimes, depending on the service
Results	Reviewed by a clinician, sent to you	Reviewed by a clinician, sent to you
Lab	NATA-accredited Australian laboratory	NATA-accredited Australian laboratory

What "at-home" usually means

Many services describe themselves as "at-home" because part of the process - the consultation, or in some cases sample collection - happens without visiting a clinic. But most online referral services still require you to visit a pathology collection centre at some point, whether that's to have your sample collected or simply to drop it off. Some also require a Telehealth consultation before a kit is sent to you.

With TestSmart, the entire STI/STD testing process - collection and return - happens without a collection centre visit.

Which one should you choose?

An online referral service may suit you if you have a pathology collection centre nearby and don't mind visiting in person. If there isn't one close to you, or you'd simply prefer not to visit a collection centre at all, a fully at-home, mail-in STI/STD test is an alternative option available.