Remote testing can be a good option for you if
- your home municipality is in the wellbeing services county of Ostrobothnia.
- 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.
- at least five days have passed since you had unprotected sex.
If you are studying at a university or a university of applied sciences, your service provider is the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS).
The wellbeing services county of Ostrobothnia pays for the tests and is the data controller.
1. When can you use the remote testing service?
If you experience symptoms of an STD, contact a healthcare unit. If you have had unprotected sex, but do not have any symptoms, you can use the remote testing service. You can collect the sample yourself at home, and then post it to a laboratory for examination. Please note that at least five days must have passed since you had unprotected sex.
NB: The remote testing package can only be used to detect chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections from urine or a vaginal sample. Remote testing is not suitable for detecting other STDs. If you suspect that you have an STD caused by some other pathogen or a non-genital STD, contact a healthcare unit. Antibiotics can also influence the test results. After a treated infection, the test can give a positive result for up to four weeks.
2. Order a free-of-charge remote testing package
You are required to verify your identity with your online banking identifiers or a mobile certificate. Select either a urine testing package or a vaginal swab testing package. We will send the testing package by post in a discreet envelope.
The service requires strong identification.
Do the test
Collect the sample at home and send it to a laboratory.
Read the sample collection instructions for the urine test (see page 2).
Read the sample collection instructions for the vaginal test (see page 2).
4. Get the test results to MyKanta
Results are usually available within 3–5 working days after the sample has been submitted. The results are stored in the patient information system of the wellbeing services county of Ostrobothnia, from where they will be available for you to view in MyKanta.
5. Interpretation of the results
If your test result is positive, contact a healthcare unit.
If your test result is negative, but you suspect that you have an STD caused by some other pathogen or a non-genital STD, contact a healthcare unit.
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, Central Finland, or Ostrobothnia.
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)
- Ostrobothnia: via MyKanta (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.
