Fast-turnaround sexually transmitted infection tests are being offered to customers of on-demand convenience delivery app Zapp.
The rapid grocer has launched STI testing kits, available for delivery “within minutes” with which users can get a result within 24 to 48 hours.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) testing kits are also being offered, with results back within as little as an hour.
The quick commerce player has partnered with digital health company Certific to offer customers “a reliable test and treatment plan from the comfort and privacy of their home, with no waiting times, no appointments and industry-leading results turnaround time”.
Recipients of the STI test kit – which screens for both chlamydia and gonorrhea – complete a short questionnaire and provide a sample that they post via Royal Mail to a lab. A medical report and treatment plan is ready in around 24 hours after receipt of the sample at the Certific lab. For UTIs, users undertake a guided self-test and submit their results, after which Certific’s doctors provide a tailored treatment plan, which can include a medical prescription, around an hour later.
“Other providers can take a week to process test results, which delays diagnosis and treatment, leaving the patient uncomfortable or unknowingly infecting others, whereas Certific offers industry-leading turnaround times,” Zapp said.
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are the two most common STIs in the UK, though rates have fallen according to latest government figures (2020) – suspected to be a result of social distancing and less testing. Overall, there was a 32% decrease in STD diagnoses in England from 2019 to 2020.
Analysis of Google Trends data by Pharmacy Direct GB found in the UK there was a sharp rise in online searches for STIs in the early hours of the morning between 12 midnight and 4am “without fail”.
Zapp is offering delivery of the test kits 24 hours a day.
“We know our customers are busier than ever and we aim to make their lives easier by stocking products for when they ‘need something now’,” said Steve O’Hear, VP of strategy at Zapp. “By partnering with Certific to deliver STI and UTI tests in minutes, we are saving customers a trip to a medical centre while also offering industry-leading turnaround time for test results.”
The test kits UTI tests cost £19.99 and STI tests £84.99. There is a standard delivery fee of £1.99 per order and for orders over £30, delivery is free.
“People may not realise they have an STI because the infections are often symptomless,” said Dr Jonathan Andrews, chief medical officer at Certific. “This means you can easily contract and pass on an STI without knowing.
“Regular sexual health screenings help to catch possible infections sooner, prevent transmission and ensure treatment as early as possible thereby reducing risk of long-term complications. Together with Zapp, patients can get a test delivered to their door in minutes, and take health into their own hands.”
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