Get to the Bottom of Your Symptoms With an At-Home Bacterial Vaginosis Test

LetsGetChecked’s Complete 8 STD Test Kit tests for BV by assessing levels of Gardnerella vaginalis bacteria, an overgrowth of which can lead to BV, and checking for mycoplasma and ureaplasma infection, a common cause of BV symptoms as well as urinary tract infections (UTIs). The kit also tests for several common STIs, including: 

• Chlamydia: a bacterial infection that can cause genital discharge and a burning sensation during urination
• HIV: a virus that attacks your white blood cells and can cause flu-like symptoms and develop into AIDS if untreated
• Syphilis: a bacterial infection that can cause swollen lymph nodes, genital ulcers, fever, headache, and rash
• Trichomoniasis: a parasitic infection that can cause genital discharge, itchy genitals, and discomfort during sex

Why test for multiple STIs if you think you might have BV? While it’s true that BV can crop up even if you’re not having sex, if you’re sexually active, it can be tough to distinguish between BV and other conditions. Many STIs have symptoms similar to BV. So if you’re experiencing vaginal irritation or other symptoms like discharge or a burning sensation, choosing a test like this one can give you a better picture of your sexual health. 

The LetsGetChecked test ships in discreet packaging with results in two to five days after the CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited lab receives your finger prick blood and urine samples. LetsGetChecked does offer a separate vaginitis test using a vaginal swab, which you'll find further down this list.

You’ll receive your results via a virtual dashboard, available on the LetsGetChecked smartphone app or web browser. CAP and CLIA ensure a lab’s testing methods and results meet industry standards. Three Federal agencies oversee the certification of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) and accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) requires passing inspection every two years. 

LetsGetChecked accepts FSA and HSA cards for payment and offers a discount subscription option, which gives you access to testing every three months. While the cost of a follow-up consultation and prescription aren’t included in the overall testing price, a virtual consultation is available for a $39 fee. If they deem it appropriate, a medical professional will prescribe treatment.

According to our research, users appreciate the clear, easy-to-follow instructions. And in addition to written instructions that come with your testing kit, videos are also available online. Keep in mind that you can’t order this test if you’re in New York state.

This inexpensive Walgreens Screening Kit for Vaginal Health requires no prescription, no lengthy wait at the doctor’s office, and no waiting for a test kit in the mail. You’ll receive near-instant results from this vaginal swab kit.

The manufacturer recommends using the test if you have:

• Abnormal discharge
• Unpleasant vaginal odor
• Itching and burning in the vaginal area

If you have healthy vaginal pH, the tip of the test will remain yellow. This may indicate your symptoms are due to a yeast infection you can treat with over-the-counter (OTC) products at home.

If you have abnormal vaginal pH, the color of the test swab will change from blue to green, which may mean you have a type of infection that requires the help of a healthcare professional. 

While this test can guide you, it can’t definitively diagnose your condition. If you discover you have an abnormal vaginal pH, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have BV. It can also be a sign of vaginitis or trichomoniasis. 

The AZO Vaginal pH Screening Kit is another inexpensive at-home instant screening kit that uses pH as an indicator. If you decide to purchase from the website, there’s a subscription option that will deliver a test kit to you every 30 days. 

The kit includes two sterile swabs and two pH test strips. Collect a vaginal sample using the swab, then swipe it across the pH test strip. Wait for the pH strip to change color and compare the color against the included color chart. The chart includes suggestions of what to do depending on the result.

Normal pH is 4.5, while a pH of 5.0 or higher typically requires a doctor’s visit and may indicate BV. Like the Walgreens test, the AZO test is not intended to diagnose BV, but to help you determine the cause of your uncomfortable symptoms and whether further testing is needed. 

Worried about weird, out-of-the-norm vaginal discharge? The myLAB Box V-Box tests for all possible causes of abnormal vaginal discharge, including BV, yeast, trichomoniasis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. The kit comes with easy-to-read instructions for collecting a vaginal swab sample in just a few minutes. Mail your sample to a CAP and CLIA-certified lab in a prepaid, pre-addressed envelope and get your results within two to five days. 

If you test positive for any of the conditions, you’ll get set up for a medical consult, which may involve treatment. You won’t get a consult if your results don’t come back positive, which is a downside since some people may want to discuss their results and symptoms with a healthcare professional regardless of whether or not they test positive.

Our research suggests that users sometimes experience delays in the shipping of these test kits to their homes. However, they generally seem to appreciate the simple testing process with this at-home test, as well as the helpful additional resources provided by the company. 

Note that this test is not available to those in New York state.

Let’s face it, not everyone is savvy about vaginal health. And knowing what’s healthy and abnormal for your vagina can be tough to figure out, especially if you’re not used to talking about it openly. LetsGetChecked’s Vaginitis Test includes testing for BV, candida vaginitis (CV), and trichomonas vaginitis (TV), which can all cause similar symptoms. 

The vaginal swab testing kit arrives in discreet packaging. After you take your samples, you’ll send them off to a CLIA & CAP-certified, ISO-accredited lab for processing using a prepaid shipping label. ISO accreditation is yet another way a lab can show its results are proven to be reliable. You’ll get your results two to five days after the lab receives the samples. They're available on a secure online dashboard and include a helpful factsheet, official lab report, and potential treatment options.

While the cost of a follow-up consultation and treatment prescription isn’t included in the overall price of the test kit, it only costs $39, and you also have access to the brand’s support team, who can guide you through next steps. 

In some states a doctor’s order is required by law to process lab tests, but there’s no rule that says a doctor needs to review the results before they’re sent to you. However, after the certified lab processes your samples from the Evvy Vaginal Health Test, a doctor reviews them before you read them. 

Unlike other at-home testing companies, vaginal health is Evvy’s focus, so there’s only one test available: a vaginal swab test designed to provide an overall picture of your vaginal health. It tests for all microbes that can cause:

• Bacterial vaginosis (BV): an infection caused by an overgrowth of bacteria
• Aerobic vaginitis (AV): a disturbance in the vaginal microbiome that can cause unusual discharge and a burning sensation 
• Cytolytic vaginosis (CV): an overgrowth of vaginal lactobacilli that can lead to itching, unusual discharge, a burning sensation, and painful sex
• Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs): an infection that causes a burning sensation during urination, a frequent urge to urinate, and cloudy or foul-smelling urine
• Yeast infections: a fungal infection commonly affecting the vagina, causing genital itching, burning, and swelling, as well as burning during urination or sex, and thick, white vaginal discharge

When you order a test, you’ll fill out health forms and activate the test once you receive it. After collecting samples, send them to the lab in the prepaid return box. 

The price of the kit includes a one-on-one coaching call with a certified health coach who can walk you through your results and potential next steps. The detailed results include a custom plan with clear next steps and a prescription, if necessary.

If you’re looking for recurrent testing, Evvy also has you covered. Membership includes four tests per year, shipped every three months at $99 per test. The membership is intended to help you track changes in your vaginal health over time. Each test comes with a free one-on-one coaching call. 

Note that eligibility for clinical care varies from state to state, and the cost of any prescription treatment is not included in the test cost. Additionally, testing may take up to three weeks to process once the lab receives your samples. Unlike most other at-home testing brands, Evvy works with a lab that’s CLIA, CAP, and CLEP-certified. The Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP) is a New York state certification that ensures test results are accurate and reliable.

Need your results pronto? Once the lab receives your urine samples, you’ll get your BV test results from empowerDX in 48 hours. The brand tests for five microbes that may cause BV or other infections, such as UTIs, including atopobium vaginae, gardnerella vaginalis, mycoplasma genitalium, mycoplasma hominis, and ureaplasma urealyticum.

When you order your test online, you’ll receive a package with everything you need to collect a urine sample at home, including a prepaid shipping label for sending your samples to the lab. Your results from a CLIA-certified lab are available via the brand’s online platform or app and come with a handy test guide to help you decipher your results.

One major downside is that the test doesn’t include the ability to speak with a healthcare professional about your results. Instead, the company recommends consulting with a physician. 

There aren’t too many customer impressions of empowerDX online, and most have to do with the brand’s genetic testing kits. But most mention that the process is straightforward and quick.