The most popular home testing kit in 2021 was for sexually transmitted infections, with the majority of requests coming from one county, according to data from one online doctors service.
86% of those requesting kits were between 18 and 40, with just 14% of patients between 41 and 65+.
STI kits were more requested than any other home testing kit in 2021, as per data from Webdoctor.ie.
The website has a number of tests patients can do from home including thyroid tests, cholesterol tests and even AMH ovarian and PSA prostate tests.
However, the most popular home test among their patients were STI kits, with one doctor saying that this was “not a surprise”.
Dr Christina Mulvany, a GP in the midlands who also works for the website, said there were a number of reasons these kits were so highly requested.
“I would imagine that patients probably like the idea of being able to do a test at home and not having to go anywhere for it,” she said.
“You’re in the privacy of your own home.”
As well as that, being able to do the test at home is “handy and convenient” for everyone.
Another factor in their popularity is down to people being more aware and open of STIs, according to Mulvany.
She said: “I think people generally are getting better at being preventative.
“When I talk to patients in more recent years, they’ll say, ‘I have an STI test every year’, which I think is a fantastic idea.
“People are becoming more conscious of that as part of general health.”
The third, and probably most obvious, reason is that the pandemic affected many clinics offering in-person STI checks.
Mulvany said: “There was a big problem with STI services in the country through the pandemic. A lot of those services were not available and you couldn’t get an appointment.
“It’s only in recent months that that kind of thing has come back on stream and I don’t think actually it’s 100% back to what it was pre-pandemic."
In the data from Webdoctor.ie, the majority of those in the 18-40 category were from Dublin, with almost 40% of the patients requesting kits living in the capital.
Mulvany recommends getting a test done every year, even when there are no symptoms, if you are sexually active.
Home testing kits can detect a number of different STIs, including Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV and more.
Once posted out, patients will need to use a swap, collect urine or collect blood and to send the sample back for their results.
