Vancouver, WA (PRWEB) October 24, 2013 -- Test It Foundation can now develop technology from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to create an easy-to-use STD testing kit, capable of diagnosing six major sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). With the help of Test It’s upcoming crowdfunding campaign, the test kit could hit shelves within 18 months.
Test It’s home STD testing kit will work in the same way as a pregnancy test, using a urine sample that shows a clear reaction if STDs are present. The STD test kit is projected to cost under $50. Once developed, the kit should be available in major drugstores, where it can be easily and discreetly purchased. “Our goals are to develop this technology so that it is available to the general public and can be purchased at a drugstore or supermarket and to distribute this technology to third-world and developing countries where healthcare is not readily available,” says information officer Jacob Randall. The kit will screen for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, bacterial vaginosis, and herpes.
Many people avoid STD screening due to their embarrassment or the expense. As a result, the incidence of some infections has grown exponentially because people who are unaware of their infection inadvertently infect their sexual partners.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US reported over 1.6 million STD cases in 2009, and this number is likely only a fraction of the total, since many infections go unreported and undiagnosed. Estimates suggest there are 1.9 million new cases every year, costing the US healthcare system $16.4 billion. A simple and affordable home testing kit will provide a convenient way to obtain instant results and will allow every sexually active adult to test themselves regularly.
Test It Foundation plans to distribute these tests to developing countries and to make them available to people who cannot afford STD screening. Test It is going to run a crowdfunding campaign on its website, as well as on indiegogo.com.
Test It Foundation can be reached at http://testitstdkit.com as well as on Facebook at Test It STD kit and on Twitter.
For more information contact
Jacob Randall
Information Officer
Test It Foundation.
info(at)testitstdkit(dot)com
360-907-2631
Jarrett LeClaire, Test It Foundation, +1 (360) 907-2631, [email protected]
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