A home testing kit is a test you can carry out at home to check if you have a certain health condition or deficiency.¹

The test is usually simple to perform. There are a few different types of home testing kits. You may have to take an internal swab, either from your nose, throat or vagina. For other tests, you may need to give a urine, stool or blood sample.¹

The test will come with instructions which should be easy to follow. If you are unsure of anything in the instructions, you can ask your local pharmacist or GP. There may also be a contact number or email address within the test kit that you can use if you have any questions.

Once you have carried out the test, you usually get the results in 20 minutes or less.²

You will need to interpret your results yourself. There will be instructions within the test on how to interpret your results. If you get a positive test result, you may need to go to the GP for further consultation or investigation.

View our full range of home test kits here.

How you use a home testing kit will depend on what you are testing for.

You may have taken a lateral flow test during the COVID-19 pandemic, which required you to swab inside your nose and the back of your mouth. A similar method is used for flu tests.²

Sometimes, you may have to swab inside your vagina. This is required when testing for infections such as bacterial vaginosis.²

Other tests may require a small blood sample. This is done by pressing a small lancet against the tip of the finger, releasing a small amount of blood. The blood is taken up by a capillary dropper and then put on the test to find out your results.

This method is used when testing for:

Some tests may require samples of other bodily fluids such as urine or sperm, or you may need to provide a stool sample. In these cases, you will be given a collection cup which is used to contain the sample. You will then take a small amount of the sample and test it.²

These sample methods are used in tests for:

The time it takes to get test results may vary depending on the test you are taking. Some can be within a few minutes, while you might have to wait a bit longer with other tests. Usually, with the home testing kits available at Well, you will have your results on the same day.²

You will be responsible for interpreting the results of your home test kit.

The kit will come with instructions on how to interpret the results, but if you have difficulty, you can discuss it with your local pharmacist.

If you think you have a positive result, follow up actions will depend on what you are testing for.

For positive COVID-19 and flu tests, it is really important that you stay at home to stop you spreading the virus to other people. Make sure you get plenty of rest and keep hydrated.^3,4

For conditions which may require treatment, such as bacterial vaginosis or vitamin D deficiency, go into your local pharmacy and discuss your results and they will help you with next steps.

You may also wish to book an appointment with your GP to discuss your results and see if you need any more investigations or treatment.

There are lots of benefits to using home test kits.

These include:

Although home test kits can be a positive thing, they aren’t without risk or constraints.

Some potential issues of using home test kits include:

These potential issues shouldn’t stop you from using a home test kit, but if you want to do a home test kit, make sure you are talking to a GP or pharmacist afterwards.

If you are ever worried about your test results, talk to your GP.