The Legacy team is excited to announce that we’re now offering at-home testing for sexually transmitted infections. Our new STI Test Kit can detect 6 common infections, from the privacy of home, with nearly 100% specificity and sensitivity.
STI testing is recommended for anyone who is trying to conceive or freezing sperm. Our clients have been asking for an easy, affordable, and discreet way to test, to make sure they’re healthy, and to make sure they can use their frozen sperm in clinics in the future.
We heard you, and we’re happy to provide an at-home STI panel that meets the requirements of the majority of fertility clinics in the US. The at-home male STI Test Kit panel includes:
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- HIV 1 and 2
- Syphilis
STI testing is now part of Legacy’s sperm analysis and freezing packages
Forever
- 3 semen analyses
- 1 sperm DNA fragmentation analysis
- 1 STI test
- Lifetime frozen sperm storage for 12 vials
This gives our sperm freezing clients peace of mind that they’ll have the maximum number of options when using their frozen sperm in the future.
STI testing is also available for purchase on its own or as an add-on to semen analysis with optional annual or 5-year freezing. Our STI Test Kit is just $150 — even if you don’t have insurance. Comparable testing in a clinic or lab would cost around $350.
Why is STI testing important?
Testing for and treating STIs is key for your fertility and overall health.
First of all, many people should be getting tested regularly, especially if they’ve had unprotected sex with a new partner, a previous partner says they have an STI, or they have STI symptoms.
Men and people with penises are less likely than others to have symptoms of an STI. So the only way to know if you have one — to properly treat it and keep from spreading it — is to test.
STIs can be harmful to your fertility. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis, if undetected or left untreated, have been shown in extensive research to harm sperm health. Learn more about STIs and male fertility.
STI testing is highly recommended before trying to conceive or freezing sperm.
STI testing is especially important for people who are trying to conceive, doing fertility treatments, or considering freezing their sperm.
- Before trying to conceive: Routine testing for STIs before trying to get your partner pregnant can ensure you’re not unknowingly transmitting an infection that could harm their fertility, or affect the health of your unborn child.
- Before fertility treatments: STI testing panels are usually required by fertility clinics before they’ll handle or store your reproductive cells (sperm or eggs). For a client with a positive STI result, they may use a different protocol, such as sperm washing (a process in which the sperm is separated from the semen) or quarantine (storing your frozen sperm separately from others’, to avoid the very small risk of cross-contamination in storage).
- Before sperm freezing: For the above reasons, we highly recommend doing STI testing at or around the time of sperm freezing. While this is not mandatory for cryogenic storage with Legacy, it is required by many fertility clinics, with different regulations in different states. STI screening prior to sperm freezing ensures that your sample can be used at any fertility center or medical practice in the future.
How does at-home STI testing work?
The good news: testing for STIs at home is private, fast, and easy. Here’s the play-by-play:
- Receive your kit at home in as little as 2 days.
- Follow the simple instructions to collect your urine sample and a few drops of blood via a finger prick.
- Mail your kit back to us with pre-paid shipping.
- Get easy-to-understand results and next steps within 5 days.
Our STI Test Kit includes everything you need to quickly and simply produce and mail a urine sample, used to detect gonorrhea and chlamydia, and a “finger prick” blood sample, used to detect hepatitis B and C, HIV, and syphilis.
