Quality assurance in STI testing
We work exclusively with state-of-the-art tests. All Open House STI tests are CE marked and are for professional use only; we work with ISO 15189 accredited laboratories. Laboratory tests are carried out under the supervision of specialists in microbiology and parasitology and the validation of the result is performed by a medical specialist.
Maximum possible sensitivity:
Unfortunately, a test result is never 100% reliable, but most of our tests have a sensitivity of at least 99%. The reliability of your STI test result is higher if you follow the sampling instructions accurately and do not test before the indicated window period.
Sensitivity and specificity:
STI tests have a certain sensitivity (the percentage of correctly positive test results among persons who have the infection) and specificity (the percentage of correctly negative test results among persons who do not have the infection).
Infection | Sensitivity | Specificity |
| HIV antibodies | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| HIV 4th generation | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| HIV PCR | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Chlamydia | 98.8% | 99.7% |
| Gonorrhea | 98.6% | 99.9% |
| Trichomonas | 99.41% | 99.9% |
| Mycoplasma Genitalium | 99% | 99.9% |
| Syphilis | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Herpes | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Hepatitis B | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| hepatitis C | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| HPV | 96-99.9% | 99-99.9% |
Always carry out your STI tests after the window period unless you have compatible symptoms. The window period is the time between a possible infection (unprotected sexual contact) and the point at which an STI test can reliably detect the infection. Each infection has its own window period.
As this period may vary depending on multiple factors — such as the infection being tested for, the type of test performed, the individual immune response, and the bacterial or viral load of the partner involved in the risk contact, among others — at Open House we present window periods as minimum, recommended and maximum.
- MINIMUM WINDOW PERIOD: This is the time after exposure during which the tests have a high reliability.
- RECOMMENDED WINDOW PERIOD: This is the time that Open House recommends for testing to improve sensitivity, based on our clinical experience.
- MAXIMUM WINDOW PERIOD: This is the time by which the test can detect infections that manifest later.
But don’t forget: if you have compatible symptoms, we do not wait for the window period and can perform the diagnosis immediately.
Open House adheres to all applicable laws and regulations regarding privacy and anonymity, product safety (all tests are CE marked), patient rights, and IVD regulations.
