If you’re sexually active, regular testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is essential. Young adults aged 15–29, people with multiple or new partners, and men who have sex with men are at the highest risk, but even those in long-term relationships are not immune. Undiagnosed infections are common, and infidelity or past exposures can still pose a threat. With apps like Ashley Madison drawing tens of millions of users worldwide, it’s clear that routine testing is a critical part of protecting your health and your partner’s.
Curious which STIs are most common in Canada?
STI testing has long been tied to walk-in clinics, sexual health centres, or family doctors. But considering nearly 30 per cent of Canadians are living life as an ‘I’ instead of a ‘we’, the demand for private, at-home testing options has grown.
Today, a patchwork of programs, some publicly funded, others commercial, offer ways to collect samples in your own space, mail them to a lab, and get results online. Others allow you to book a lab appointment online or by phone without the need to consult a doctor first.
Here’s what’s available across the country.
National Program
I’m Ready to Know mails out up to three free INSTI HIV self-test kits per person. The at-home INSTI HIV tests are up to 99.6 per cent accurate and provides your result in about a minute. The program offers optional telehealth support for anyone who wants guidance or linkage to care.
Ontario
Ontario leads the way with a mix of public and private options.
GetaKit, run out of the University of Ottawa, is a publicly funded program that ships free test kits to eligible Ontarians. Depending on your risk profile, you may get a mail-in HIV self-test, a lab requisition for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, or hepatitis C, or a combination. Results usually come back within a week.
Dynacare Plus offers Ontarians an at home STI kit which tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea and Trichomoniasis through a urine sample. The membership costs $9.99 a year and the test itself is an additional $99.
In Toronto, The Village Pharmacy has partnered with Switch Health to offer commercial kits. Their STI panel screens for chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis, while an HPV kit tests for 14 strains of the virus. Each costs $99 plus HST, and samples are processed at accredited labs with results delivered online.
Ontario residents who use Freddie, a virtual sexual health service, may also be eligible for free at-home swab kits. But it’s only available for people on PrEP (an HIV prevention drug). The service requires a subscription to PrEP, which is filled every three months. When asked to confirm your address before shipping, you’ll also be asked if you’d like to add an asymptomatic STI test.
Trusti sells the same rapid HIV test as Ready To Know, paired with virtual nurse support, for those who prefer to purchase it directly. It costs $40 plus tax and shipping. The company has plans to branch out of Ontario, but for now it is only available in the province.
Better2Know offers STI testing across southern Ontario with clinics located as far north as Sudbury down south to London. Appointments are booked online and testing is done in person. They offer over 20 different packages including individual tests or panels like a Fast Four test (Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV, Syphilis) for $199 all the way to the Platinum Screen (Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Herpes, HIV, Mycoplasma, Syphilis, Trichomonas, Ureaplasma) for $599.
British Columbia
BC residents have access to GetCheckedOnline, one of the country’s longest-running digital testing services. After completing a confidential online assessment, users can print a lab requisition (or have it scanned on their phone), submit samples at a participating lab collection centre, and get results by phone or secure email.
Freddie offers free self-swab kits for chlamydia and gonorrhea to BC residents taking PrEP (an HIV prevention drug). The service requires a subscription to PrEP, which is filled every three months. When asked to confirm your address before shipping, you’ll also be asked if you’d like an asymptomatic STI test.
Nova Scotia
In 2024, Nova Scotia became the first Atlantic province to launch a take-home STI testing program. STI Care Now lets residents fill out an online form, and if eligible, a free kit is mailed to their home. Users collect samples themselves, either drop them off at the Mackenzie building in Halifax or mail them to the lab, and receive results online. If you test positive for an STI, you’ll be asked to make a follow up appointment to discuss treatment.
Alberta
In Alberta, people can turn to Direct Health Solutions for in-home testing with a visiting nurse. You’ll need a referral from a healthcare professional, but testing can be done wherever you request it. Standard STI testing costs $125 (plus $75 for each additional person who’d like to get tested in the same appointment). The test covers HIV, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydia. You can also get HPV testing for an additional $125 if it’s added to another test (like Standard STI) or $200 on its own. You can also test open herpes sores, but you must request a phone consultation first.
Freddie offers free self-swab kits for chlamydia and gonorrhea to Alberta residents taking PrEP . As in B.C., the service requires a subscription to PrEP, which is filled every three months. When asked to confirm your address before shipping, you’ll also be asked if you’d like an asymptomatic STI test.
Saskatchewan
Freddie offers free self-swab kits for chlamydia and gonorrhea to Saskatchewan residents taking PrEP. As in B.C. and Alberta, the service requires a subscription to PrEP, which is filled every three months. When asked to confirm your address before shipping, you’ll also be asked if you’d like an asymptomatic STI test.
Manitoba
Better2Know offers STI testing at a few clinics in Winnipeg. You can book an appointment online and go in person for lab testing. They offer multiple different packages including a Fast Four test (Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV, Syphilis) for $199 all the way to the Platinum Screen (Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Herpes, HIV, Mycoplasma, Syphilis, Trichomonas, Ureaplasma) for $599.
Others
Currently there is no at-home STI testing available in the Territories, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick or PEI. Residents can still access the nationwide HIV tests, but you’ll need to visit either your doctor or a walk-in clinic for a referral for an STI panel. Or you can visit a sexual health clinic and be tested on site.
Testing Matters
Many common STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea often don’t cause symptoms, but they can lead to serious complications if untreated. Regular screening, whether through your family doctor, a local clinic, or a kit you can use at home, is essential to keep both yourself and your partners safe.
Did we miss any? Let us know if there are any other online or at-home testing options that you are aware of anywhere in Canada.
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