Australians to check for STIs at home with new test given green light

Australia's first womens' self-test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea will be hitting the shelves after receiving the green light from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The self-test kit detects the STIs in 15 minutes with a single swab.

Touch Biotechnology CEO Matt Salihi, who oversaw the test's development, said he hopes their work will support early detection of the STIs.

"With increased access to accurate, private testing, we hope it will empower women to take the first step towards receiving a diagnosis," he said.

"It marks significant progress in improving the options for female sexual health in Australia, hopefully reducing the number of infections that go undiagnosed and enabling more people to receive appropriate and timely treatment for infection that prevents further health complications."

Currently, the only option for women to test for gonorrhoea and chlamydia is an individual lab or PCR test. This process can be costly and results typically take one to three days.

STIs affect almost one in five Australians in their lifetime according to government statistics, and some infections including chlamydia and gonorrhea can be asymptomatic.

The number of STI cases has increased dramatically during the past 10 years in Australia with rates of chlamydia and gonorrhoea increasing by 26 per cent and 157 per cent respectively.

Chlamydia is the most reported communicable disease in Australia with over 110,000 reported cases in 2023, but often appears asymptomatic and so could remain undiagnosed.

People may be reluctant to test for the infection due to perceived stigma or lack of awareness, according to health authorities.

Gonorrhoea presents itself with pain or discomfort in the throat, eyes, cervix and other areas and is often mistaken for other infections.

The self-test will be available in the upcoming weeks to purchase at pharmacies, and distributors, and online across the country.