DIY test kit for STIs can be done at home to encourage regular testing

Like a Covid RAT kit but for sexual health, a new STI-testing kit has been invented so people can check themselves for several infections in the comfort of their own home.

Two female-led businesses have teamed up to create the Ettie Kit, a rapid sexually transmitted infection testing kit that can produce results in minutes.

The test involves a genital swab and provides results in about 20 minutes. People also have the option of taking a small blood sample from their finger for the test.

The Ettie Kits can be bought online without a prescription and will be available in pharmacies at a later date.

The kits will test for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and herpes, as opposed to other tests on the market, which only test for one or two infections at a time. They also have multiple tests in the kit.

The Ettie Kits, named after sexual health pioneer Ettie Rout, were created by advocacy group Project Gender and sexual wellness brand Share Satisfaction.

“There are barriers that we don’t see all the time in different layers of society, and we (Ettie Kits and Share Satisfaction) want to break down those barriers holding people back,” said co-founder Erin Jackson.

Share Satisfication founder Taslim Parsons said it was “an awesome collaboration of women doing epic stuff”.

“It’s for us all to own our own wellness journey,” she said. “These kits will ensure people are getting tested and if we can reduce the rates of STIs in New Zealand, then that is a huge accomplishment.”

The kits have high clinical accuracy greater than 99 per cent and are manufactured under strict quality controls according to the ISO 13485 Medical Device Standard, the world’s most recognised medical device standard.

They include four tests, as well as a box of 12 condoms and a bottle of water-based lubricant.

Taslim Parsons of Share Satisfaction.

It only took three conversations between the founders to know “it was a no-brainer”.

“They’re looking at sexual health, we’re looking at sexual wellness, it just made sense,” Parsons said.

Jackson said they were working to “normalise and destigmatise the conversation around safe sex”, and this was the first time “we have seen the combination of health and pleasure”.

“This is about sexual empowerment and to own your sexuality.”

Jackson said single kits were still in development, but for now the ultimate kits, which include the condoms and lubricants, are available.

Project Gender founders (from left) Angela Meyer, Tania Domett and Erin Jackson.

Studies conducted by Project Gender showed there was an element of whakamā, or shame, around going to the GP to test for STIs.

The study also showed only 32 per cent of online daters always used protection against STIs during consensual sex, while 21 per cent never did.

Over 50s were the least likely to consistently use protection with 42 per cent of the sample group claiming to never use protection.

“What we want to do is change the conversation in that a part of being a responsible sexual partner, means you are testing,” Jackson said.

Ettie Kits can be bought online without a prescription and will also be available in some pharmacies at a later date.