FAQ Open House
Medical advice and questions
Most STIs are transmitted through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex. Depending on the infection, they can also be transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact, by sharing sex toys or drug-using devices, and through mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy or childbirth.
It is the most common way of contracting an STI, since it is common to perform these practices without protection. After unprotected oral sex, both giving and receiving, it is necessary to test for Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and Syphilis.
In case you are not sure about the risk of the practice, we recommend a previous consultation with our specialist doctors in our physical clinics or through our online consultation service.
Through the practice of unprotected vaginal sex, we are at risk of contracting Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma Genitallium, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and HIV.
In addition, by practicing vaginal sex it is possible to become infected with other STIs such as Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma, Candida or Trichomonas. However, many of these infections are part of the bacterial vaginal flora, so it is only relevant to detect and treat them if they are showing symptoms.
In case you are not sure about the risk of the practice, we recommend a previous consultation with our specialist doctors in our physical clinics or through our video-consultation service.
Anal sex practices significantly increase the risk of contracting STIs, as it is the most potent route for acquiring these infections. Therefore, a complete check-up for Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma Genitallium, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and HIV is recommended.
In case you are not sure about the risk of the practice, we recommend a previous consultation with our specialist doctors in our physical clinics or through our video-consultation service.
Each ITS has its own window period. The window period is the time between the time of possible infection (unprotected sexual contact) and the time when an STI test can be performed with maximum reliability.
In the event that you have symptoms and you have not yet completed the window period, you should make a medical consultation so that you can evaluate whether the symptoms you have are compatible with an STI and, if so, perform your tests without completing the window period.
HIV:
- PCR test: 10 days.
- 4th generation test: 4 weeks.
- Antibody test: 3 months.
Gonorrhea, chlamydia and mycoplasma genitalium: 2 weeks.
Syphilis: 3 weeks.
Hepatitis B: 4 weeks.
Hepatitis C:
- PCR test: 14 days.
- Antibody test: 3 months
In the case of protected sex, there is no risk of STI transmission. In the case of unprotected sex, avoid sexual intercourse with your partner or protect them until testing.
It is important to perform a check for relevant STIs according to the type of sex practiced, previously complying with the testing window period, unless you have compatible symptoms.
If we talk about HPV, this virus can be transmitted despite having protected sex, this test is recommended for sexually active women over 30 years old.
When considering having a baby, it is important for both parents to have a review of their health, including their sexual health.
Some STIs can cause complications in pregnancy or can be transmitted to the baby, so it is important to get tested if you have not been previously tested.
At Open House we offer you two options in this situation:
- Bring the report that proves the positive result of your contact. In this case, the doctor in the consultation will be the one who will make the decision to perform the test or apply the treatment directly.
- If you do not know which STI you have been exposed to, you should perform the relevant tests according to the sexual practices you have had with that contact.
You can perform STI tests independently if you are 16 years of age or older; if you are under this age, you must come with a legal guardian who authorizes us to perform a medical consultation and/or tests.
If you have symptoms or doubts to clarify about the tests, Open House's specialist doctors are the best solution, request an appointment in our physical clinics or purchase a video-consultation or telephone consultation in our online store.
After your tests are done, you will be followed up with the results and you will be able to receive treatment immediately if necessary.
It is best to wait, as heavily bloodstained samples may cause the test to fail. If you cannot wait, we can process the test if the amount of blood is not too abundant.
To obtain a reliable result in women, the sample of choice should be a vaginal swab.
For testing for Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma genitalium and other bacteria that cause infections in the genital area, you must wait two weeks since the last antibiotic was taken.
However, you can test for syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B without a problem. Write to us in our contact form indicating the antibiotic you have taken and the regimen, and our specialist doctors will give you personalized advice on when to perform your tests.
We strongly recommend that you come to our physical clinics or purchase a remote consultation with our specialist doctors, they will advise you and indicate what tests you should perform.
You do not need to wait for the window period to perform your tests in case you have compatible symptoms, going to Open House clinics is the fastest and most accurate way to solve your problem.
You should perform the control test 4 to 6 weeks after completing your treatment. If you perform the test before this period it may give a false positive result. Write us in our contact form and Open House's specialist doctors will give you personalized advice on when to do your control test.
STI tests performed online
The method of collection depends on the tests you are going to perform and the areas you want to check. All our sampling kits include detailed instructions. You will also be able to contact our patient service department to clarify any doubts you may have.
They can be stored for several months without any problem. On the outer packaging of your sample collection kit you will find the expiration date.
Have you used up the lancets included in the blood sampling kit without getting enough sample? We offer you three solutions:
- You can purchase more lancets at your nearest pharmacy and complete the sampling.
- We can send them to the postal address you specify.
- We offer you the possibility of coming to our physical clinics in Madrid or Valencia and we will take the sample for you.
Contact us and our patient care team will organize the solution that best suits your needs.
Yes, but it is recommended that you keep your sample refrigerated until the courier comes or you go to the UPS collection point of your choice.
Shipment of sampling kits
At Open House we take the anonymity and confidentiality of our patients very seriously. Our logo or name does not appear on the outer packaging of the kit and our acronym only appears on the outer label of the courier company to maximize discretion.
Of course, you have two options:
1. Request your shipment for a UPS Pickup Point. Call us to indicate that you prefer to receive your kit at a UPS location of your choice and the courier will deliver your order there instead of your home address.
2. Choose any other address such as your office, a friend's house or someone you trust. We will ship your kit to the address of your choice.
As soon as we have received your payment confirmation we will process your order, you will receive an email with the tracking and tracing details of your shipment. On working days, orders up to 16:00 are shipped the same day and will be received the following day.
If you have not received a track and trace, please check your spam folder or contact our patient service department.
Sending your sample to the lab
The barcode label must be affixed to the sample transport tube. It is essential to link your results with your personal data. Contact our patient service department and we will solve the problem immediately.
Enter your zip code or use your location at the following link link and you will see a list of the nearest collection points.
Your results
The access code to your result is on the delivery note contained in your sample collection kit, this delivery note is identified with the letter "B". Keep this code in a safe place.
Enter your test code, date of birth and gender. If your result is not yet available, you can leave your e-mail address and we will notify you when the result is available on our web portal.
Make an appointment at our physical clinics to receive immediate treatment or purchase a video-consultation or telephone consultation so that our doctors can prescribe treatment through the private electronic prescription system.
Unfortunately, if the treatment requires injection, you will have to come to our clinics or go to a local doctor with the drug we prescribe to receive the treatment.
No problem! You will have to send us an official document confirming your identity, and we will send you the results in a protected document with your results access code to the e-mail address you used to make your purchase.
In a maximum of 72 working hours after your samples arrive at our laboratory.
Navigate to the results portal of our website. Enter your code, date of birth and gender, indicate that you are not a robot and press login / activate. A screen will open where you can re-enter your test code and email address. You will immediately see confirmation that your test code has been activated and you will receive a notification as soon as the results are available.
Privacy and anonymity
At Open House we know that confidentiality is very important to our patients. We will ask you for the minimum information required to provide the service with all the legal guarantees: your name, date of birth, gender, postal address (to be able to send you the package), billing address (legal requirement), e-mail and telephone number. We will only use this information to provide you with the contracted service. We will never send you commercial mailings or invoices without your express consent and we do not share your data with third parties.
Definitely not, at Open House we take the confidentiality of our patients very seriously. We have our own database that we do not share with the national health system and we prescribe treatments through private electronic prescriptions that are completely independent from your social security prescriptions.
Test reliability
Our sample collection kits are validated for use in the European Union and comply with the regulations for in vitro diagnostic (IVD) self-sampling devices. If you carefully follow the instructions for use and comply with the indicated window period, the result you will receive is highly reliable. Our laboratory is accredited with the ISO standard, which requires high quality standards to be granted.
There is no difference in quality between tests performed online and in our clinics. The only difference between our services is that, with the online services, you will avoid traveling to our physical clinics and you will be able to perform your tests from the comfort and privacy of your home or office.
Treatment of STIs
We can only treat your partner in the context of a medical consultation. He or she can choose whether to be tested to see if they also have the infection or to be treated directly. Giving antibiotics to a person without their consent is illegal and can lead to serious complications such as allergic reactions or serious side effects.
In addition to treating your STI, it is very important that you warn your sexual contacts. Despite being an uncomfortable conversation, by doing this you are taking care of the health of your sexual partners and you are helping to prevent the transmission of STIs to third parties with whom they may have sex, helping to ensure that STIs do not become a serious public health problem.
Depending on the STI diagnosed, an oral antibiotic will be prescribed or one or more antibiotic injections will be administered. You can receive treatment discreetly at the Open House clinics or purchase a video medical consultation.
The only infections we cannot treat at Open House are HIV and hepatitis C, as these treatments have to be prescribed by an internist and dispensed in a hospital pharmacy, they are not available in regular pharmacies.
You will have to undergo a medical consultation with our doctors, justify the context for receiving such treatment and/or provide a recent positive report from a reliable test. Administering treatment is a great responsibility and we leave it up to our doctors to assess whether the situation, the context and the evidence provided is sufficient to receive the treatment or whether it is not justified in your case.
Information about PrEP
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is the taking of anti-HIV drugs in order to reduce the possibility of becoming infected with the HIV virus through unprotected sex. The more uninterrupted the intake of this drug, the greater its effectiveness.
There is continuous PrEP, where users take the medication daily, and on-demand PrEP, where users only take it a few days before unprotected sex.
People taking PrEP should have HIV monitoring tests every 6 months to check that the medication is working. It should also be noted that people taking PrEP tend to have more unprotected sex, so it is necessary to test for other STIs relevant to your sexual practices.
In addition, to make sure that such medication does not affect our kidneys, renal function tests should be performed every 6 months. If PrEP is taken for more than 5 years, it is also advisable to perform bone densitometry tests, since there are studies that claim that it can reduce bone density.
PrEP has been prescribed for HIV for more than 10 years. Serious side effects are rare. One in 10 PrEP users experience mild (often transient) side effects. Problems that may arise include gastrointestinal discomfort (nausea, malaise), headache, weight loss and vivid dreams.
Reversible renal failure may occur in less than 1% of users. It can also cause mild reversible osteoporosis. Patients with diagnosed osteoporosis should consult with an HIV physician before starting medication.
There is not yet sufficient information available on complications for users of PrEP on demand (taking PrEP before sex).
If you take daily PrEP and find out the same day, take it as soon as you remember. If you find out the next day, it is not necessary to take two pills. One study has shown that someone taking daily PrEP is protected when taking at least 4 doses per week, however, the effectiveness of this intake schedule has not been studied prospectively.
If the first 2 doses of on-demand PrEP are missed, you will not be protected and condom use is recommended. If you forget to take it after sex, you can take it up to 12 hours after the last intake.
If the medicine has been taken on an empty stomach and you vomit immediately or if you have taken it with meals and vomit within 3 hours, take a pill again within 1 hour.
In case of diarrhea, it is not necessary to take another pill and the usual program can be continued. If you have persistent diarrhea or if there are chronic intestinal infections, it is advisable to consult with an HIV professional before continuing to take the medication.