FAQs
Since IWTK is a national non-profit program funded by located public health entities, our STI testing services are totally FREE for our users; this includes outgoing and return postage for our kits.
Unfortunately, IWTK cannot provide you with the tracking number for your return kit shipment but, if you would like to receive the USPS tracking number for your OUTGOING kit, please Contact Us. We encourage our users to record their USPS tracking number on the outside of your white return envelope shipment before mailing it back to us.
If you lost your kit, that’s okay. Please Contact Us so that we can work with you to cancel the order. Once the order has been cancelled, you will be able to place a new order for a kit.
At this time, IWTK offers the following testing for STIs:
For Maryland & Alaska Residents
- Chlamydia testing via swab (Excluding throat & rectal swabs for females in Baltimore City)
- Gonorrhea testing via swab (Excluding throat & rectal swabs for females in Baltimore City)
- Trichomonas testing via swab (Excluding throat & rectal swabs for females in Baltimore City)
- HIV self-tests (Excluding Alaska)
For Residents Outside of Maryland & Alaska
- Chlamydia testing via urine for males only
- Gonorrhea testing via urine for males only
- HIV testing via blood in a microtainer for all
- Syphilis testing via blood in a microtainer for all
- Hepatitis B & C testing via blood in a microtainer for all
- Free Pregnancy Tests
We are aware that this may be difficult for you to think about however, we want to offer you the very best kind of test to diagnose any STI. To get the most reliable results, you should choose the test kit for the genitals you currently have and add a butt (rectal) swab and/or throat swab if you have sex with those parts of your body.
Your IWTK username is the email address or the phone number you used to create an IWTK account. If you only used an email address to create an account, then that email address is your username. If you only used a phone number, then that phone number is your username. If you used an email address and a phone number to create an account, then that email address or that phone number can both be your username.
Contact Us and we will provide a status update on your order.
You should order a kit whenever you think you need to be tested. If you do not need to be tested immediately, we do not recommend that you order a kit.
No, cannot order a kit for your partner. Each person must set up their own account and order their own kit.
We understand there are many options available for you to get tested for STIs. Many people will seek in-person STI testing with their primary care provider or at a local health department or clinic. However, some people may feel that seeking in-person testing for STIs can be intimidating and stigmatizing. IWTK offers a safe space for you to receive the same quality STI testing that you would receive at a healthcare provider’s office.
We understand you might not be able to drop-off your specimens to USPS on the same day when you collect them. If that is the case, it’s okay! To ensure your specimens remain viable, we strongly recommend that you refrigerate your specimens until you are able to drop them off to USPS.
If you are not comfortable collecting your own specimens, you may have someone else assist you as long as they follow the directions for specimen collection included in your kit.
Yes, this is okay.
Detailed and easy-to-read instructions for how to collect your specimens are included in each kit. There is no need to worry about doing it wrong! If you swab the correct body part, we can almost always test the specimen. If something does go wrong, we will just send you another kit.
Your samples should be collected as close as possible to the time you mail them. If you cannot make it to the post office on the same day you collect your swabs, you can refrigerate them until you are ready to mail them. If you have already left your swab unrefrigerated, you can still send it in.
Absolutely! Swabs and blood can be collected by another person if they follow the provided instructions.
Leftover blood samples are handled according to the state/tribal regulations of where you live. If you have any questions, please Contact Us.
The minimum amount of blood to complete any testing is 400 microliters. You will be notified if there is not enough blood in your sample and you can order another kit.
There are 3 easy steps to prepare before taking our blood samples:
- Drink a large glass of water 30 minutes before you start; this makes collecting blood easier.
- Having warm hands really helps! Wash your hands with warm water or take a warm shower before you start.
- Get your blood flowing! Swing your arms in a circular motion, clench and relax your hands before starting.
Detailed and easy-to-read instructions on how to collect your specimens are included in each kit. There’s no need to worry about doing it wrong! If you swab the correct body part, we can almost always test the specimen! If something does go wrong, we will just send you another kit.
The incubation period for syphilis is 2-3 weeks. You should get re-tested if you have gotten tested before the end of this incubation period.
Yes, you can still get tested if you have had a previous infection. You will continue to test positive for syphilis if you have tested positive before, but we can tell whether it is an active or a previous infection.
A pap smear test for cells that may cause cervical cancers in the future. A pap smear does NOT test for STIs so, you should continue to get your annual pap smears as well as STI tests.
Please refer to the CDC's STI screening guidelines for information on how often you should get tested.
You should wait until after the incubation period has ended to get tested for an STI. The incubation period is the time period from exposure to the first symptoms. Each infection has its own incubation period and testing before the end of the incubation period may cause a false negative result. Please refer to this chart for the incubation periods of STIs we offer testing for.
It is recommended that you wait 3 months to get retested after getting treated for an STI.
If you still have symptoms after completing treatment, you should talk to your doctor; there may be something else causing your symptoms.
Please refer to the HIV section of the CDC STI screening recommendations for information on how often you should get tested for HIV.
Rapid HIV tests, such as OraQuicks, can detect HIV 18-90 days after exposure.
No, you do not have to report your in-home HIV kit result to IWTK or the state government however, we encourage you to notify your partner(s) so they can stay safe and also get tested. There are several anonymous partner notification apps such as tellyourpartner.org.
There are national and state hotlines available that provide information and can help you get connected to healthcare. Click here for a list of hotlines.
No, anyone above the age of 14 can use IWTK without permission from their parent/guardian. Only the person who is getting tested will be notified about their results.
Your STI test kit will arrive in a plain manila envelope. Your OraQuick in-home HIV test will arrive in a small, brown corrugated box. If you ordered an STI kit along with an OraQuick, they will both be inside the corrugated box. No one will know what is inside by looking at the envelope or the box.
We will not notify your partners, but we encourage you to notify your partners so they can also stay safe. There are several anonymous partner notification apps, such as tellyourpartner.org
Our website is on a Johns Hopkins University HIPAA-compliant server. Your information is secure. Please do your part by logging off and closing your browser after completing your order or checking your results.
If your test result is positive, you should contact a local clinic or healthcare provider right away to start treatment. You should tell your partner(s) as well so they can be tested and treated too. You should also stop having sex until both you and your partner(s) complete your treatment. We usually recommend no sex for 7 days after you and your partner(s) have been treated.
Please Contact Us and provide us with your full name, order number and a message about not receiving your kit.
Please Contact Us and provide us with your full name, order number and a message about needing help understanding your results.
Depending on which method you chose when you placed your order, we will send you either an email or text message when your test results are ready. The message will tell you to login to your IWTK account and check your results.
We are required by law to report your positive test results to your state’s Department of Health. This does not mean that you are in trouble, this reporting is standard procedure for STIs.
To access your test results, go to https://iwtk-app.iwantthekit.org/ and login to your IWTK account with your username and password. Once you've logged in, check your order status. If your order is in the "complete" status, click the blue "View" button next to your order to see your test results.
If you want a hard copy of your result, please print one by following the prompts when you login to check your test results.
Click here to find USPS offices and mailboxes near you by searching your address, city or zip code.
No, the biohazard label on your kit will not impact USPS processing or delivery. In fact, we are required by law to include that label on your kit because your specimens are categorized as biohazardous material(s).
How your swabs are tested depends on whether they are tested in-house (IWTK) or with PreventX:
IWTK: Swabs are tested by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) using an automated molecular diagnostics platform.
PreventX: Swabs and urine samples are tested by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) using an automated molecular diagnostics platform. Blood samples are tested by Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) tests using an automated immunochemistry platform.
CAP stands for College of American Pathologists. It’s an accreditation agency that ensures (through blind specimen challenges and onsite inspections) we are proficient in performing the tests and are in compliance with federal testing regulations.
IWTK: Our lab is located at the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus in downtown Baltimore, MD.
PreventX: 10234 Alliance Road, Blue Ash, OH 45242
Our studies on how the environment affects meatal swabs have been positive. Heat does not increase degradation. Samples stored at 36 degrees Celsius degraded at the same rate at 4 degrees Celsius. Regardless of environmental effects, positive samples consistently tested positive.