Key Takeaways
- Visby Medical is a safe, secure, and expedient medical diagnostics app for STI testing at home. It shares credible results in as little as 30 minutes after completing the tests.
- Results for STI/STD testing are private and only disclosed to people you specifically authorize for sharing.
- No insurance is needed for obtaining the tests.
According to the 2023 STD Surveillance Report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of sexually transmitted conditions, here are some simplified numbers worth noting:
- In your average sports bar of 100 to 200 people,
2 to 4 people have chlamydia . - If your mid-sized high-school outdoor stadium holds about 500 people, odds are one of those 500+ people has gonorrhea.
- Next time you’re on an escalator full on both sides, know that the likelihood is one person out of 48 has trichomoniasis (aka “trich”).
- Chances are that
1 in 761 or the average population of a small elementary school, has the most common form of the flu virus (influenza A). - Though less severe than the common flu, odds are
1 in about 6,700 people have the rarer form of the flu , which can be a problem if you’re immunocompromised, among the elderly population, or have an infant present. To give perspective, an average Department of Motor Vehicles serves 13,000 people daily! That would be two folks with the flu type B daily.
*Most simplified ratios calculated from recent studies for comprehension. Similar numbers derived from “maximum capacity” for each named venue for illustration.
Many infections can show up without symptoms. It can be nerve-wracking, embarrassing, or cumbersome to have to schedule an appointment with a doctor, shuffle down to a lab, and wait with baited breath for results.
Visby Medical stands out from other at-home lab testing by pioneering technology in a point-of-care device PCR that just may change the game on at-home STD testing that doesn’t require insurance. No finger prick or pee cup is required.
For $149, you’ll have a discreetly delivered testing device that combines sample collection and real-time result reading. Visby offers the speed of an instant at-home test with the high quality of lab testing, so individuals can take quick action to get a prescription, if needed, at a local pharmacy.
You can read on for the specs and comparison with its competitors.
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Since its founding in 2012 in San Jose, California, Visby Medical has endeavored to deliver cutting-edge, convenient lab testing.
Visby Medical is an at-home medical diagnostics company that goes beyond providing results. Its “test-to-treat” model is one of the things that makes it stand out from competitors. Positive STI or Respiratory Health tests (think: COVID-19 or the two types of flu virus) go to both you and an Optum Now healthcare professional right away.
Optum Now is the partner of Visby. Optum Now is owned by RVO Health, which also owns Healthline. Despite the name, Optum Now is an insurance-less offshoot that allows consumers access to purchasing health and wellness tests, meds, products, and more without having to be affiliated with Optum or any other insurance carrier. Purchases can be made with debit, credit, FSA or HSA cards.
The other standout feature among its peers is that it tests you and shows your results right on the device, just like a pregnancy test.
At present, Visby’s STI testing is available only to people 14 and older born with a vagina.
Visby Health is authorized by the FDA and granted De Novo authorization for its sexual health tests as medical devices for over-the-counter use. The company has also received federal funding and grants for both its tests.
Sexually transmitted infection testing
STI? I thought it was STD?
An STI is considered an STD when it causes symptoms. Usually, an infection is the first step in potentially developing a disease.
Not all diseases start as infections. But in the case of STDs, they do. In both cases, the terms “STI” and “STD” are used interchangeably, mostly due to the stigma associated with the term “STD.” We also use these terms interchangeably throughout this article.
Visby Medical offers at-home and point-of-care PCR tests for women’s Sexual Health as its inaugural medical diagnostics product. The vaginal swab tests within minutes for:
Visby started with these tests, not because they are the most severe, but because, as of the last
These have the potential to cause serious and lasting complications if left untreated. Think: infertility or increased risk of HIV.
And in a time where teens and young adults have the
COVID-19 and flu testing
Visby Medical has also created a respiratory illness test using the same point-of-care device PCR that both receives your sample and reads your results. Visby Medical’s Respiratory Health Test should be available by the early months of 2026 and will screen for respiratory illnesses such as: influenza A, influenza B, and COVID-19.
Optum Now is operated by RVO Health. By clicking on this link, we may receive a commission. Learn more.
Pros
- New on the market, in a partnership with Optum Now
- No insurance needed
- Convenient and private
- Results available in as little as half an hour
- Sexual Health test is 97% accurate, according to Visby’s website
Cons
- Newer option on the market, so no available customer feedback
- Tests aren’t cheap, but more affordable than other options
You can purchase the Sexual Health test through the Visby app or through the Optum Store.
Shipping
Shipping is near-immediate and devices can be delivered from as soon as 30 minutes to within 2 days. The company uses various shipping partners including DoorDash, Everlywell, GoPuff, ShipBob, and of course, Optum Now, to name some.
Testing
Testing is conducted by a self-administered vaginal swab for people 14 years and older. The kit comes with a vaginal swab, buffer solution, and a syringe. Only one swab is needed to test all 3 STIs.
Results
Your results are processed directly on the sample collection device in half an hour or less. You’ll be able to see the results on the device for up to 30 minutes after testing and on the app thereafter. At this time, if you wish to share your results with anyone, you can securely do so as long as you add them to your sharing permissions.
The app can also produce a PDF report of your results to take to a healthcare clinician for your records or next steps.
Follow up and prescriptions
If your results are positive, you can receive an asynchronous clinician consult or same-day telehealth visit with an Optum Now or Fabric Medical professional at no additional cost. In some states asynchronous care is not allowed, so a scheduled video visit will be included if you test positive and live in:
- Delaware
- Kansas
- New York
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
If your consulting clinician concludes meds are needed, prescriptions and related discounts can be fulfilled through Optum Perks. Medication costs are included in the purchase of the test! Prescriptions can be picked up or delivered same day through Optum Perks.
If your results are negative, you can still receive an optional consultation that will be billed separately for $25.
Optum Perks is owned by RVO Health. By clicking on this link, we may receive a commission. Learn more.
Currently, only the Visby women’s Sexual Health test is available for purchase. It’s $149.
Does Optum Now offer payment plans for Visby at-home tests?
Purchase is completed through Visby’s partner, Optum Now. Optum Now and Healthline are both owned by RVO Health.
Though Optum Now doesn’t offer payment plans, it does accept FSA and HSA debit cards.
Does Visby Medical accept insurance?
The best part about Visby Medical at-home diagnostic testing is arguably that you don’t need insurance to use the service!
Your health insurance plan may cover or reimburse the purchase of tests. It’s more likely to cover the flu and COVID-19 tests and less likely to cover the STI tests since the FDA has approved VIsby Sexual Health Tests for over-the-counter purchase.
Visby Medical may be right for you if you’re a 14+ female born with a vagina looking for sexual health testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis.
Visby Medical technology eliminates the hassle of finger pricks, urine, or blood self-sampling and instead leverages a self-administered vaginal swab.
Who shouldn’t use Visby Medical?
If you’re immunocompromised or in a delicate population, like those 65+, it’s best to get tested for sexual health or respiratory illness through a diagnostic lab or primary or specialty care doctor’s office, since you might have other health factors that could be worsened by positive STI diagnosis or existing medications that might need keen oversight for contraindications with meds recommended to recover from an STI.
Keep in mind
Visby Medical is not a substitute for physician-led testing and in-person medical treatment.
In the event of a medical emergency, call 911. If positive results are distressing to you and you’re thinking about harming yourself or someone else, message the Crisis Hotline by texting HOME to 741741.
• gonorrhea
• trichomoniasis
• app
• saliva sample
• urine sample
• herpes
• syphilis, chlamydia trachomatis
• gonorrhea
• trichomoniasis
• HPV
• Mycoplasma genitalium
• bacterial vaginosis
• yeast infections
• gonorrhea
• hepatitis (A, B, and C)
• HIV
• herpes type 1 and 2
• syphilis
• gonorrhea
• hepatitis B and C
• herpes
• HIV
• syphilis
• trichomoniasis
• urine sample
• vaginal swab
• gonorrhea
• hepatitis C
• HIV
• syphilis
• trichomoniasis
• throat swab
• vaginal swab, rectal swab, urine sample
• gonorrhea
• trichomoniasis
• HIV
• syphilis
• hepatitis C
• urine sample
• gonorrhea
• herpes
• trichomoniasis
• HIV
• syphilis
• Gardnerella vaginalis
• Mycoplasma
• Ureaplasma
• gonorrhea
• syphilis
• HIV, • hepatitis B, hepatitis C
• trichomoniasis
• herpes
Since this is a newer product to the telemedicine space, there are no reviews at the time of publishing this article.
Our Medical Team put Visby through our rigorous vetting process to assess the brand’s standards of practice, transparency, claims, and more. In addition, we searched online and listened to initial user feedback about the app, which provides video instructions on how to collect your sample, support for telehealth providers, a chat feature, and storage of your results.
Visby Medical’s at-home self-administered STI testing is 97% accurate, according to its website.
In-person lab testing by credentialed professionals is reliable and minimizes opportunities for contamination or human error — not completely, but mostly.
However getting results from a walk-in or appointment based diagnostic lab can take from 1 to 3 days at best. With Visby Medical, results are in within 30 minutes for STI tests, but you are at your own discretion.
Visby does say if a self-administered test says “no result” you can contact the brand and it will ship out a new test out to you, at no additional cost so you can resample and test.
Visby Medical app doesn’t need insurance or a doctor’s prescription to procure the test.
Since the FDA approved the sexual health tests for over-the-counter use, most insurance likely won’t pay for it, but you can always check with your provider.
If funds are low and you need insurance to pay for the device, testing to diagnose or rule out an illness related to symptoms can be covered by insurance. Also preventative screening could be covered by insurance, so you can try first confirming with your insurance, getting a prescription from a doctor, or submitting a claim for reimbursement.
Purchase of its sexual health tests — or Visby Medical’s future Respiratory Health Tests coming early 2026 — can be done with credit, debit, or FSA/HSA card.
Visby Medical is not a subscription service you have to worry about canceling after you get results for a test. However, the company says that if your test comes up inconclusive or “no result,” you can contact Visby and they will get a replacement test out to you for free.
Visby Medical is trailblazing at-home diagnostic testing for women who want to screen for STIs including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. For $149 you can have the test delivered within 30 minutes to two days, and have results in just 30 minutes after a vaginal swab. Results can be read directly on the collection device.
If you’re interested in trying Visby Medical, you can get started below.