How accurate are STI tests?

Thankfully, STI tests are generally very accurate. Typically, these STI tests only take 5-10 days to get back to you once completed.

However, there are a couple of things to remember, such as carefully following the test instructions, otherwise it could impact the reliability of your results.

Also, while these tests themselves are very accurate, timing can have an impact on your ability to identify certain STIs. In fact, some STIs don’t show up for days or weeks after you’ve been exposed to them, if you test right away. Some timeframes to remember include:

• HIV symptoms can take between 18-90 days to begin appearing 
• Chlamydia and Gonorrhea symptoms can take between 7-14 days to begin appearing
• Syphilis symptoms can take between 21-42 days to begin appearing

Depending on the type of STI you're testing for, it’s important to keep these numbers in mind, so that you can test for exposure after the necessary time for the infection to take hold. Otherwise you can trust that when completed correctly, yes, STI tests are reliable.