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. 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.
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% | 99.8% |
| HIV 4th generation | 97-99.9% | 99.7% |
| HIV PCR | 98% | 100% |
| Chlamydia | 99% | 99.9% |
| Gonorrhea | 99% | 99.3% |
| Trichomonas | 97% | 99.9% |
| Mycoplasma Genitalium | 99% | 96.3% |
| Syphilis | 99.5% | 99.8% |
| Herpes | 99.4% | 99.6% |
| Hepatitis B | 99.2% | 99.5% |
| hepatitis C | 99.2% | 99.3% |
| HPV | 96% | 97.1% |
Always perform your STI tests after the window period unless you have compatible symptoms. 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. Each infection has its own window period.
|
Infection |
Window period |
| HIV antibodies | 3 months |
| HIV 4th generation | 4 weeks |
| HIV PCR | 10 days |
| Chlamydia | 2 weeks |
| Gonorrhea | 2 weeks |
| Trichomonas | 3 weeks |
| Mycoplasma Genitalium | 2 weeks |
| Syphilis | 3 weeks |
| Herpes | With symptoms only |
| Hepatitis B | 4 weeks |
| hepatitis C | 3 months |
| HPV | No window period |
Open House adheres to all applicable laws and regulations regarding privacy and anonymity, the safety of our products (all tests are CE marked), patient rights and IVD regulations.