New options for testing and treating common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are emerging in the United States, advances that experts hope will curb infection rates across the country.
Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first at-home test for three common infections in women: gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis, as well as the first at-home test kit for the virus that causes cervical cancer.
The agency ended the year by approving two new drugs to treat gonorrhea, the first new treatment options for the disease in decades.
The positive news comes after alarmingly high levels of sexually transmitted infection cases were recorded before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, severely disrupting vital screening, education and treatment services for sexual health across the country.
This photo provided by Visby Medical in January 2026 shows its gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis three-in-one test for women (Visby Medical)
But the pandemic period has also brought positive developments for testing. The same technology used for the first over-the-counter coronavirus tests is now being translated into home kits for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections. Previously, the FDA had primarily limited the use of such tests to health professionals.
“Sexual health can be stigmatized, and people may be hesitant about testing,” said Dr. Ina Park, a sexual health expert at the University of California, San Francisco. “Now, we have a lot of options for patients who may be wary of coming into their provider’s office.”
New test offers convenience and faster turnaround time
Following FDA approval in March, testing company Visby Medical launched a three-in-one test for women last year. The urine-based test involves a vaginal test swab and a small electronic device that takes the results and sends them to an online application for review.
The test costs $150 and also includes a telemedicine consultation with a medical provider, who can discuss the results and prescribe antibiotics or other medications if needed.
Visby Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gary Skurnick said the entire process from purchasing the test to getting a prescription takes just six hours, compared with several days with traditional testing.
Previously, a nurse or doctor had to collect a sample, send it to a lab, get the results, and then schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss the results.
“Many patients are difficult to track, and many of them, even if they test positive, are never treated and cannot be followed up,” said Skurnick, a professor emeritus at Stanford University School of Medicine.
The FDA approved Visby’s test because study results showed it correctly detected three infections with about 98 percent accuracy or better. This is similar to testing done in hospitals and clinics.
Some home tests still require outside input to get results.
For example, in May the FDA approved Teal Health’s test kit for HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer. The company’s teal wand allows women to collect their own vaginal samples, which are then placed into tubes and shipped to a lab for processing.
The latest federal HPV screening guidance, released earlier this month, supports self-collection for the first time.
FDA recently approved first new gonorrhea drug in decades
The bacteria that cause gonorrhea continue to evolve and become resistant to almost all the antibiotics used to treat gonorrhea.
Both new drugs can be taken orally, which offers a major advantage over the current standard of care, the injectable antibiotic ceftriaxone.
Nuzolvenc was developed through a public-private partnership and comes in a granular form that dissolves in water. GlaxoSmithKline’s Bluejepa is a tablet also approved to treat urinary tract infections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously recommended another drug, oral azithromycin and injectable ceftriaxone, but removed that drug from its guidance after signs that gonorrhea was becoming resistant to it.
“We’re left with only one class of antibiotics recommended for treating gonorrhea, and we have no other good options,” Parker said. “So to have two new options in the same year is very exciting.”
As STD rates drop again, new tests and drugs emerge
CDC provisional data for 2024 show gonorrhea cases declining for the third consecutive year and adult cases of chlamydia and the most contagious form of syphilis declining for the second consecutive year.
Experts point to several factors behind this trend, including less sexual activity among young people, increased use of antibiotics as morning-after pills to prevent infection, and more home screening.
Although some experts urge caution, new testing could reduce the number even further.
As more people are tested at home, it may become more difficult to track infection rates across the country, which have previously been reported by only a handful of large testing labs.
Additionally, new tests and drugs are more expensive, potentially limiting access. For example, Visby’s $150 test is not covered by insurance.
Coupled with recent Trump administration cuts to funding for the CDC and other public health agencies, there may be additional challenges ahead.
“I’m very optimistic about the fact that people have more testing options and that we now have access to new drugs,” Parker said. “My concern is that cuts to public health will reduce access to sexual health care for those least able to take advantage of these new options.”
