What you need to know

Testing plays a crucial role in the fight against STIs. It serves as the first and most effective step in preventing further transmission. Success, however, depends on people taking their sexual health seriously and choosing to test regularly. A test should be reliable, fast, accurate, convenient, discreet, and affordable.

Your first practical step is to get tested — either with a trusted rapid test kit or at a clinic or hospital. If you test positive, contact a medical specialist right away. Proper medical care helps you manage your health and move forward with confidence.

Incubation Period

Is the time needed for the body to respond and fight the infection, it prepares for an anti-body attack and this is when you get your symptoms. It is the time between when you are exposed until your first symptom.

Window Period

It is when you are exposed to the infection and the correct time when the test can detect organisms and anti-bodies. If you don’t take time to consider the infection window you could end up with a false negative. This is why it is very important to note when and who you last had sex with.

HIV:

1-4 weeks incubation period | 30-90 days window period

Syphilis:

10-90 days incubation period | 3-6 weeks window period, general recommendation is 90days

Herpes-2:

2-14 days incubation period | 3-6 weeks window period or 16 weeks

Chlamydia:

14-21 days incubation period | 1-5 days window period

Gonorrhea:

2-30 days incubation period | 2-6 days window period

Hepatitis B:

1-6 months or 56 – 77 days incubation period | 6 weeks for window period

Hepatitis C:

28-42 days incubation period | 8-9 weeks window period

Trichomoniasis:

5-28 days incubation period | 3-7 days window period

Test every time you have a new sexual partner. Take two tests, 3–6 months apart, for the most accurate results. During this period, avoid any sexual activity that could expose you to a new infection.

Our rapid test kits offer over 95% accuracy. Their sensitivity and specificity both exceed 95%, but false positives can still happen. If you test positive, contact a medical professional and follow up with a laboratory test to confirm your results.

Sensitivity: Is how well the test can detect true positives or how accurate the test is. (Who does have an infection).

Specificity: Is how reliable the positive result is, the percentage of how accurate the positive results are. (Who does not have an infection).It is recommended to test more than once for additional results verification.

Many effective treatments are available today. Consult your doctor for guidance on the best option for you. You can also take confirmatory tests such as Western Blot or PCR to verify your status. These tests offer greater accuracy than standard antibody tests.

Your doctor can refer you to counselling services and appropriate medical treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment improve your chances of successful recovery and reduce the risk of an STI developing into an STD. This is why regular STI screening matters.

The rapid test kits have an above 95% accuracy. Your negative test is more than likely a result you can trust. However should you continue to have symptoms you need to seek out professional medical assistance. It is also important to make sure that you take the test at the right time, considering the Incubation Period and Window Period.

Incubation Period

This is the time your body needs to respond and fight the infection. During this period, your immune system prepares an antibody attack, which is when symptoms appear. It refers to the time between exposure and your first symptom.

Window Period

This is the period between exposure to the infection and the point when the test can detect the organisms or antibodies. If you don’t take time to consider the infection window you could end up with a false negative. This is why it is very important to note when and who you last had sex with.

They have greater than 99% sensitivity and 99% specificity (both blood and oral versions). Lab trials provide these percentages. Sensitivity measures how well the test can identify a STI positive person, and specificity measures how well the test can identify a STI negative person.

No. The home rapid test kit uses airtight, double-sealed packaging, and the lancet comes sterilised. Manufacturers produce these kits under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and follow ISO 13485 standards. The antigens and substances in the kits are safe and non-infectious. However, once you use a test kit, it may carry infectious material, so make sure you discard it safely.

No. All rapid test kits are single use test kits. The lancet is for single usage only. For safety, the lancet retracts immediately after you use it, which helps prevent needle injuries to others.

Many countries, including the USA, Germany, the Netherlands, and Malaysia, have used rapid test kits successfully for years. Hundreds of thousands of these kits sell worldwide every year. Organisations such as WHO (World Health Organisation) and USAID (United States Agency for International Development) have already validated rapid test kits. We also have approval from local governing organisation, SAPHRA, that have declared the rapid test kits safe and reliable to use.

Yes. All information provided will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We strictly use the shipping bags provided to us by our courier company which is non-descriptive about the contents inside. Your credit card statement will only show Famka. We require only the necessary information that is needed to deliver the order to you. We do not send any marketing emails or messages either, which ensures that there is nothing that will show up in your inbox.

We deliver all across South Africa. With our partnership with DSV we are able to accurately provide you with shipping costs based off of the address that you provide us. If you are based in Major Areas, (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban) your order will take 1-3 working days to be delivered once it has been collected from our premises. If you are in an Outlying Area or High Risk Zone, your order can take 2-5 working days.

If you are based outside of South Africa, you would need to contact us to determine if we are able to assist you.

Currently we accept various payment methods. You have the options of using Payfast, Payflex, Float or OTT Voucher.

Yes you can. Once your order has been collected by DSV courier services, you will then receive and email with shipping details and a tracking link. You will be kept informed about your order’s journey as it makes it’s way to you.

Yes. This is a new option that we have made available to our customers. You can now place your order online and then select the Collection option, which allows you to either collect your order or send your own collection service.