HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B Test

This test is suitable if you want certainty about STIs that are transmitted through blood. This could be after unprotected sex, with multiple partners, or if you have been at risk through blood contact, such as sharing needles or a needle stick injury.

Your test results come with an explanation of the results as well as a downloadable laboratory report. This report can be taken to a GP for further testing, treatment, and guidance. Homed-IQ provides prescriptions for chlamydia treatment to customers who are residents of the Netherlands. If you are a customer in the Netherlands and test positive for chlamydia, contactmedicalsupport@homediq.comto arrange a prescription. For customers in the Netherlands, Homed-IQ works with OneTwoDigital, a digital GP office. OneTwoDigital can further help with STI-related complaints. The care, as with your own GP, is reimbursed by your health insurance company.

Homed-IQ test kits do not have customer names or information on them for privacy reasons. This means in order to link your test to your account, you must activate the test using the unique 12-digit test code before mailing it to the lab. The laboratory cannot process your test results or send them to you unless your test is activated.

The incubation period is sometimes confused with the window period. The incubation period is the time between when an individual is exposed to an infection and when they begin showing symptoms. This is different from the window period, which is the time between when an individual is exposed to an infection and when a test can reliably detect the infection. It is important to consider the window period for each STI when getting tested in order to guarantee the most reliable test results.

Safe sex practices reduce your risk of getting an STI. These practices include using a condom or dental dam during sexual intercourse or oral sex and cleaning sex toys between users. Even when using a condom, not all STIs can be completely prevented. STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and mycoplasma genitalium can be prevented using condoms or dental dams during sex. Genital warts, syphilis, and herpes can enter your body through your skin. Pubic lice or scabies can also be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact or pubic hair. Using a condom or dental dam will not always protect against these STIs if the affected area is not covered by a condom. HIV, syphilis, and Hepatitis B and C are transmissible through blood. This means that in order to become infected, body fluids such as blood, vaginal fluids, semen, or breast milk that contain the virus must enter the bloodstream. This can happen in various ways, such as through open sores, needle stick injuries, sharing needles, pregnancy and childbirth, or tears in the skin that occur during sexual contact. One cannot catch hepatitis or HIV through activities like hugging, sharing eating utensils, or sneezing/coughing. HIV can be avoided by using PReP before potential exposure, or PEP after being exposed. Hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination. Men who have sex with men, sex workers, and children born after January 1, 2011 can get vaccinated against Hepatitis B for free in the Netherlands. If you have symptoms that could be an STI or if you have had sex with someone who has an STI, be sure to get tested. You should get tested even if you had sex with a condom.

• Practice safe sex: HIV is often transmitted through sex. By practicing safe sex, you reduce your risk of HIV. Safe sex means using condoms or dental dams properly every time you have sex, including oral sex.
• Get tested for STIs regularly: The risk of HIV is higher if you have another STI. Get tested for STIs regularly to ensure no infection goes unnoticed.
• Use PrEP or PEP: PrEP and PEP are HIV inhibitors. This means that they stop HIV from infecting the body. PrEP can be used before sex to prevent a potential HIV infection. PEP can be used after a potential HIV exposure to help block the virus from infecting the body.
• Never share needles/syringes: Sharing needles is a high-risk activity that can transmit HIV. If you use injection drugs, always use a clean needle and never share your injection equipment with others.

Unlike STI tests that use urine or a smear test, this test focuses exclusively on infections that can be detected in the blood. The HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B test therefore only involves a finger prick and is intended as a targeted test, not as a comprehensive STI screening.

In the Netherlands, it is possible to get tested for free at the GGD until the age of 25 or if you fall into a risk group. Individuals older than 25 or who are not in a risk group can get tested at the GP or using a home test such as what Homed-IQ offers. While home STI testing is an alternative way to perform a laboratory test, it does not replace the advice of a doctor. Homed-IQ is unable to offer physical examinations, prescribe treatment, (other than chlamydia treatment for Netherlands residents) or provide follow-up STI care. If you test positive for an STI using a Homed-IQ test, take your test result to your GP for further advice and follow-up.

In rare cases, a sample cannot be properly analysed, for example if the collection was insufficient. In that case, Homed-IQ will contact you and provide instructions for a new sample collection.

After analysis, all samples are destroyed in accordance with medical guidelines. The laboratory uses only your unique test code and no personal data. This ensures that your privacy remains protected even after the test has been completed.

If your result is negative and the window period has passed, none of the STIs included in this test were detected. If you develop symptoms later, or have unprotected sex again, it is sensible to test again.