How to Read Your STD Test Results
Medically reviewed by our MD Laboratory Director (a role required by CLIA; the director's name is on file in the CMS CLIA database, #45D2048957, and can be verified independently) · Editorial policy
"Not detected" is not the same as "you do not have it." It means the test, at that site, on that day, found nothing.CLIA #45D2048957 · CAP #8722734 · Same-day results · Walk-ins welcome
A molecular report says Detected or Not Detected for each target. That phrasing is precise on purpose. It describes what the assay found in the sample you gave, from the site you gave it, at the moment you gave it — not the state of your entire body forever.
Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome
Reading the report line by line
| Result | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Not Detected | No target genetic material found in this sample | Check the window period and the site — see below |
| Detected — chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas, M. genitalium | Pathogen present; these are treated | See the physician the same day, 4:30–6:00 PM |
| Detected — Ureaplasma, M. hominis, Gardnerella | Organism present; may be colonization, not infection | Clinical judgment — read this first |
| Reactive — syphilis serology | Requires a second, confirmatory test | Two-step serology explained |
| Reactive — HIV Ag/Ab | Screening reactive; confirmatory testing follows | Do not panic and do not disappear. Come in. |
A negative test answers one question: was this organism detectable in this sample. It does not answer whether you were tested at the right site, or early enough.
When a negative should not reassure you
Four situations: you tested inside the window period; you tested the wrong site; you took antibiotics beforehand and suppressed the organism; or your symptoms have a cause that is not on the panel. See the limits of a negative result.
Same day, start to finish. Sample by 1:00 PM → results at 4:30 PM → if treatment is clinically appropriate, a licensed physician in our partner network sees you between 4:30 and 6:00 PM, a few minutes away. That window is reserved for patients tested here, and your slot is held the moment we take your sample — the slot is held, not hunted. On your own, a same-day appointment is nearly impossible; at an urgent care, you wait in the queue. STAT: ~2 hours, sample in by 3:00 PM.
FAQ
- Will you explain my results to me?
- Yes. If anything is detected, the partner-network physician goes through it with you the same evening — that is the entire point of running the lab in-house.
- Is my result private?
- Yes. Results are released to you. We do not discuss your results with anyone you have not authorized.
- My partner tested positive but I tested negative. How?
- Common, and not proof of anything. Timing, site and organism load all matter. See partner tested positive.
- How fast do I get the report?
- Same day at 4:30 PM if your sample is in by 1:00 PM; 2 hours with STAT.
Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome