Commercial companies that offer STI self-tests are doing very well in corona time. People appear to be switching en masse to this method of testing, because STI care has scaled down at many GGDs. GGD personnel are needed en masse for testing for the corona virus and for source and contact research.
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At the commercial provider Testalize.me, the demand for self-tests is 30 percent higher than in the same period last year. Soapoli-online even notes an increase of 45 to 50 percent, according to figures that BNR requested from these companies.
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Klazien Visser of Soapoli-online certainly sees a connection with the corona virus. ‘Because the GGD has scaled down physical consultation hours and GPs are also reluctant to receive patients, people are still looking for an alternative way of testing, which is also reliable. Our test is carried out in the same laboratory where the GP and the GGD have their tests analyzed, so there is no quality difference there. ‘
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These are mainly chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B tests, says Visser. ‘We don’t ask customers what their sexual preference is and the like. It is striking that we see more people from the target group who are actually allowed to test at the GGD: men who have sex with men and young people under 24. ‘
Reliable result
The commercial tests themselves work just as well, says Hanna Bos, infectious disease control doctor at Soa Aids Nederland. ‘But keep in mind that for a reliable result you need to know for sure which STI you need to test for. And afterwards you do have to find the care you need and it may sometimes be lacking with these providers. There are good ones, but you’d rather go to your doctor or the GGD, if that works. ‘
Bos dares to put her hand in the fire for two providers: Soapoli-online and Saltro. They cannot say much to the other providers, because they have not come up with an offer to join Soa Aids Nederland. ‘By the way, I have to say that GPs may make video calls, but they can be reached, also for STD tests. Prevention is very important in STI control, but we do not know exactly what is happening in that area. ‘
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