Remote testing for STDs (Central Finland)
Home testing can be a good option for you if
- you have had unprotected sex, but you do not have symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease. If you experience symptoms of an STD, contact a healthcare unit in the wellbeing services county of Central Finland (Hyvaks).
- you live in the following municipalities: Hankasalmi, Joutsa, Jyväskylä, Keuruu, Konnevesi, Laukaa, Luhanka, Muurame, Petäjävesi, Toivakka, Uurainen
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- Excluding customers of Huhtasuo, Korpilahti, and Tikkakoski health centers in Jyväskylä. The service will be expanded during 2025.
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- you are staying for an extended period in one of the aforementioned municipalities due to work or other reasons.
- at least five days have passed since you had unprotected sex
- you have completed and submitted the preliminary information form for suspected sexually transmitted infections in the digital services of the Central Finland wellbeing services county (Hyvaks), and based on the form a professional has assessed that remote testing is suitable for you.
The wellbeing services county of Central Finland pays for the testing and is the data controller, provided that a professional assesses that remote testing is suitable for you.
1. When can you use the remote testing service?
If you have symptoms indicative of a sexually transmitted infection, please contact the health services of your wellbeing services county. At least five days must have passed since the unprotected sex at the time of sample collection. You can take the sample yourself at home and then send it by mail to the laboratory for examination.
Note! The remote testing kit can only detect chlamydia and gonorrhea infections from urine or vaginal samples, not other sexually transmitted infections. An antibiotic course can also affect the test results. After a treated infection, the test can be positive for up to four weeks.
2. First, fill out the preliminary information form for sexually transmitted infections
Fill out the preliminary information form for suspected sexually transmitted infections in the digital services of the Central Finland wellbeing services county.
- Authenticate yourself in the service.
- Start a conversation with a nurse. You can find the chat under the “Digiasiointi” (Digital Services) menu.
- Once the conversation has started, you will be offered a symptom questionnaire. Select “Aloita kysely” (Start Questionnaire).
- Choose “Seksitautiepäily” (Suspected Sexually Transmitted Infection) as the symptom.
- Complete the questionnaire and send it to the professional.
A professional from the wellbeing services county may offer you home testing if they assess it to be suitable for you. If home testing is suitable for you, you will receive a web link from the professional through which you can order the test kit. Select either a urine testing package or a vaginal swab testing package. The kit will include detailed instructions for home testing and a sample return box.
3. Do the test
Collect the sample at home and send it to a laboratory.
Read the sample collection instructions for the urine test
Read the sample collection instructions for the vaginal swab test
4. Get test results to Fimlab mobile app
We will save the results in the patient information system used by the Central Finland wellbeing services county and the Kanta archive. The results are usually ready within 3-5 business days after the sample arrives at the laboratory. We will send the test result to you in the Fimlab mobile application, so please download it for use.
Interpretation of test results
Contact the healthcare services of the wellbeing services county:
- if your test result is positive
- if your test result is negative, but you suspect that you have an STD caused by some other pathogen or a non-genital STD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Order a free remote testing package for STDs. The sample is taken at home and mailed to the laboratory.
See detailed information by region: Remote STD testing
You can order a remote testing package for chlamydia and gonorrhoea if you live in Tampere, Päijät-Häme, or Central Finland.
See detailed information by region: Remote STD testing
The result is recorded in your wellbeing services county’s patient information system and the Kanta archive. Additionally, the results will be sent to:
- Tampere and Orivesi: via SMS or the Fimlab mobile app (read more)
- Päijät-Häme: via the Päijät-Sote app (read more)
- Central Finland: via the Fimlab mobile app (read more)
You can return the package by leaving it at the post office or directly in a mailbox, even when it is below freezing outside.
