At Home STD Testing Prices vs. Planned Parenthood’s

Planned Parenthood is a great resource, but it may not be the right solution for everyone. myLAB Box wants you to know that you have options when it comes to where you test and how much it costs and STD testing results time

At Home vs. Planned Parenthood STD Testing Prices & Results Time

You know you need to get tested.  That’s great news!  After all, there are 20 million new STDs in the United States each year.  But just how much does it cost?

Planned Parenthood: Unfortunately, Planned Parenthood STD testing prices may vary significantly depending on several factors, such as what state you live in, your income, and your insurance coverage.  That means that this answer is not so cut and dry. The cost of your visit to one of Planned Parenthood’s health centers is determined on a sliding scale.  It may differ from person to person and from center to center. But who wants to walk into a clinic without knowing how much your visit will cost while you’re already nervous? 

myLAB Box: At myLAB Box, consistency is king (or queen!).  Our prices are the same no matter who is testing or where they are testing. We say “where” because with myLAB Box, you can test any time and any place, which sure does beat taking time off from work to sit in a waiting room!  Since myLAB Box offers much more variety in testing options, test packages can differ in cost from one another, from $79 for an individual test to $399 for a comprehensive package that screens for 14 of the most common STDs – an option that other testing services, including Planned Parenthood, don’t offer.  That said, those affordable prices are the same from state to state and from customer to customer.  You even get free shipping both ways!

Order Your Kit Now & Test AT Home!

Now let’s take a look at some other factors that play into at home vs. Planned Parenthood STD testing prices:

Insurance and Privacy

Planned Parenthood: The state of healthcare is pretty shaky these days. If the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is repealed, these tests may not be covered anymore. For now, ACA makes it possible for some insurance companies to cover your testing. But just because these tests don’t have a price tag doesn’t mean that it won’t cost you.  When insurance covers your tests, those results are reported to the Medical Information Bureau database and shared with the insurance company’s affiliates.  This information can then be used to increase your cost of coverage in the future. Planned Parenthood STD testing prices may seem enticing at the time, but using insurance to offset your cost is unpredictable and means that your results aren’t your own.

myLAB Box: What if you don’t have insurance, or simply value your privacy? Luckily, there is a better way to get tested while maintaining your privacy and keeping some money in your wallet. myLAB Box’s home testing kits are designed to be affordable without insurance.  In fact, these at-home tests are about half of Planned Parenthood’s STD testing prices when you’re paying out-of-pocket.

At myLAB Box, your lab-certified results are waiting for you on a private and secure portal.  These are the same exact results you would get from Planned Parenthood, a local clinic or your doctor’s office.  The difference here is that your results are your own – confidential and secure. Best yet, you never even need to leave the house! myLAB Box does currently accept most Flexible Savings Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) payment cards as well, for your convenience.

Cumulative Costs 

Planned Parenthood: Often, tests at Planned Parenthood are offered individually rather than in a comprehensive package.  This means that you need to test for each infection separately. On top of that, since many infections look similar (or don’t show any symptoms), you may need to take a litany of individual tests.  We like trivia night at our local bar, but we don’t like guessing games when it comes to our health!  Worse yet, the cost of these cumulative tests can really add up!

myLAB Box: At myLAB Box, you can screen for individual infections, including HIV, syphilis, genital herpes and more.  However, these common infections are also grouped together in combination packages that make it easier for you to fully know your status.  It also cuts your cost and guesswork even further.

The variety of available options lets you order the test that fits your lifestyle. For instance, if you engage in oral or anal sex, you may choose an Extragenital test, which allows you to screen for chlamydia and gonorrhea in the mouth and rectum, instead of only in the genitals.  myLAB Box’s combination panels include a 4-panel Safe Box, an 8 panel Uber Box, an 8 panel Love Box that lets couples test together and a 14 panel Total Box, the most comprehensive test on the market.

The Follow-Up: Getting Results

Planned Parenthood: Aside from having to go into a physical location to take your test, your Planned Parenthood results are not available online and may take several weeks to process. You’ll need to wait for a call from the center to find out your status.  However, it is possible that you won’t even hear back from them at all, particularly if your results are negative.  In these cases, you’ll need to call them to follow up on your results.

myLAB Box: With myLAB Box, everything is personal and confidential. Get private results within days that only you have access to.  If you test positive, you get a free one-on-one phone consultation with a physician who will answer your questions and can, in most cases, prescribe your medication right then and there. No need for those pesky clinic or health center visits again!

Order Your Kit Now & Test AT Home!

Reviewed by Luis Ferdinand M. Papa, MD, MHA